Alan and Peggy Blundell have lived on the Anfield street for more than five decades
Alan Blundell reflected on life living on Skerries Road
Alan Blundell reflected on life living on Skerries Road (Image: Danny Gutmann/ Liverpool Echo)
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While some can only dream of it, for one couple, living in the shadow of Liverpool FC's Anfield stadium is a reality. Moving to Skerries Road more than 50 years ago, Alan and Peggy Blundell have had the full experience of living on the doorstep of one of the most historic football stadiums in the world.
From worrying about the future of their street amid stadium expansion to having one of the club's most legendary players knocking on their door, there is almost nothing that they haven't witnessed from their doorstep in the heart of L4. Despite living just a stone's throw away from each other in Anfield for their entire lives, it wasn't until their teens during a chance meeting outside the stadium that Peggy and Alan's romance started.
Alan, 87, told the ECHO: "When I met Peggy, I was outside the Kop. I was walking home with my mate Bobby, and Peggy was walking with her mate, Pat. We hadn't planned to meet them, they just walked past us and we got talking.
Peggy added: "And he took me home, and Bobby took Pat home."
The view from Alan and Peggy's bedroom window
The view from Alan and Peggy's bedroom window(Image: Danny Gutmann/ Liverpool Echo)
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Before long the pair were married and moved to Skerries Road where they went on to have three sons, Alan, Ian and Colin.
In the decades that have followed that chance meeting in the late 1950s the couple have got used to looking out of their bedroom window and seeing the top of the Kenny Dalglish stand, or the Kemlyn Road stand as it was called at the time.
However, one far less than expected sight came back in December 1978, not long after Liverpool had defeated Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford, that saw an impressive performance from Alan Kennedy.
Inside Alan and Peggy's home on Skerries Road
Inside Alan and Peggy's home on Skerries Road(Image: Danny Gutmann/ Liverpool Echo)
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Alan said: "We had a do here in the house and by eight or nine o'clock the next morning, there's a bang on the door and it was Alan Kennedy, he had been at the ground training. He knocked on the door and asked for a cup of tea.
"We talked about the game, he had just played against Steve Coppell, who was a good player at that time and Alan had just played him off the park. But, he was also on his way to town and was asking us where he could buy a bracelet for his girlfriend."
Alan Blundell
Alan has no plans to move out any time soon(Image: Danny Gutmann/ Liverpool Echo)
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While he admitted that the proximity to the stadium has been a major reason for staying in the area his entire life, Alan said that the sense of belonging and community is something he will never take for granted.
He said: "Well, the older ones on the street, they've been here from our early days living here, we've all grown up together. I get the paper every morning for Sadie, who lives next door but one. Then the girl across the road, Pauline, she's 90 and housebound, so Peggy phones her up, sees if she wants anything, a loaf, a pack of biscuits or anything. We go round and see how she is."
He added: "Sometimes it gets a little bit messy, but we do clean the street. Me and Peggy clean up half. And the fella up the street, he cleans his side. It's a bit of a quiet street, it's always been alright, a nice road to get along. If you've got a community feel about the place, it helps out."
Skerries Road
Skerries Road(Image: Danny Gutmann/ Liverpool Echo)
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While Peggy and Alan plan to live out their days on Skerries Road, they said that their youngest son, Alan, is eager to keep the house in the family for the foreseeable. Peggy said: "My youngest lad, he wants this house. He said, 'No one else is getting that, I want this when yous go.'"
Alan said that despite moving out his youngest son still makes full use of the home's proximity to the stadium when it comes to matchdays. He said: "Alan comes to the house before every match, and he brings his girlfriend and mates every time. They come in before the match and Peggy always prepares them drinks and food. She says 'Anybody want this?' And all his old mates come here. They go to the match and come back after the game."