It’s finally time. I’ve been an EPL fan for about a decade and an LFC fan for about 16 fewer months. That puts me in the American sweet spot when it comes to European football fandom.

As I see it, the majority of fans in my ‘adoption class’ were pulled to EPL broadcasts with the advent of robust internet pirate streams, huge satellite dishes, and the community of ex-Pats and ex-Pat-wannabes who do everything they can to pull SKY Sports and other Euro feeds down to Earth to feed their addiction.

That’s another situation altogether. We are all addicted to the beautiful game. That’s understood. The factor some folks miss is the mania with which fans will approach any event related to their side.

READ MORE: Cleaning Up After The Party by Jeff Cutler
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Fan Fest Is Liverpool Football Club Central!

For example, every FanFest features a collection of supporters from a variety of teams in the EPL. While there might be light support in terms of numbers for clubs perpetually in the bottom 10 spots, the complete opposite is true for teams like Liverpool*.

*AS IF there could be another team like Liverpool. ‘Nuf said.

Every FanFest I’ve attended – and BOSTON was the highlight – the LFC supporters were more vocal, enthusiastic, behaved, and much better looking than any of the supporters for other clubs.

And the numbers. You can’t compare them. The word hordes is most appropriate for the scale of supporters LFC has at these events. The word plastic is most appropriate for the supporters of other clubs at these gatherings.

I’m mostly kidding, but I was brought into this sport by folks who took the game seriously. I wondered if they could really put so much emphasis on one team. But now I know. Liverpool Football Club is different.

And that, my readers, is the crux of this column. I’m FUCKED!

Yup, I wrote that. Don’t tell my wife. I’m not brave enough to say it out loud, but it’s how I feel. Here’s the backstory…feel free to mansplain how I screwed up what could have been a fantastic journey into the UK to relish the Liverpool experience.

I’ll stick to the nuts and bolts here and will add color where necessary.

The Proposition

At the outset of a Premier League season, the schedule gets released, and people start clamoring for tickets and start making plans to visit Europe. They’re going to see matches and tour stadiums.

They’re also looking at Stonehenge and the baths in Bath and the gardens all over the middle of the UK. And these side trips are the wild cards that make travel to Europe with EPL matches in mind a scintillating challenge.

AMERICAN SCOUSER TAKES ANFIELD

You see, unless you and your partner share a brain…and don’t make me throw up in my mouth…nobody should share every passion or even share an email address. I guess if you and your partner had ‘milnersminions@earthlink.net” as your shared address, then I might let it go.

But seriously, follow your path while including others. It’s a mantra. One I haven’t learned. But I hear it works.

Regardless, my wife suggested that I feed my soul with a trip to Anfield. We’ve added a three-ring circus’s worth of events to our trip. And now is where I explain how I FUCKED UP.

Don’t Blame Me

That’s what I’d tell my wife if I were braver, but I’m not. You see, we had several discussions regarding dates and matches and all the other things we’re doing in England. I signed off on the dates, not fully knowing how the start of the EPL season worked.

Half a dozen years of fandom/supportership provided me with just enough info to screw up. I didn’t know the schedule release date. I didn’t know that the league jumped into an. International break after four minutes. And, as a culminating result, I didn’t know that the only two days we could see an EPL match are August 30 and 31.

Guess what?! Liverpool plays Arsenal on 8/30. AND the EPL has decided to play NO SUNDAY MATCHES early in the season. And they have decided to take the international break after three weeks.

What The What!?

So the vacations are taken, plane tickets are booked, and I’ve started to pack. My jerseys – Carlsberg, Crown Paints, lime green Standard Chartered third kit, and two new classic red ones – are all in the suitcase.

Now the questions remain. Will I be wearing these jerseys on a barstool in a pub in Liverpool? Or will I be kitted out and screaming from a seat or a perch somewhere in the stadium? If you hear from people who have been to Anfield, it’s an odyssey.

The reports come in unabated. The stands buzz until they erupt. Announcements crackle in the air. The practice chips and passes float like bubbles through the air. And some players smash the ball so hard it’s out of focus for a full second or two.

When you’re at Anfield, you’re captivated by the other happy faces. You’re sated by the food and camaraderie, and for some reason, you’re more nervous than the players on the pitch.

I’ve heard it all. It sounds amazeballs. But how can I retroactively (sort of) set this trip upright? I want to watch Liverpool play. In person. At Anfield.

Bargaining Or Acceptance

Here’s the crux. I’m pretty sure my wife and I are staying together because I got the better deal, and she still hasn’t called me on it. Therefore, if we’re in another country together, does it matter if we see Liverpool together at Anfield?

And further, isn’t my love of the Premier League a passion fueled by lower-league action?

You probably can’t answer that. But when I was younger, I was passionate about Major League Baseball. That’s the throwball/roundball game played here. I think some folks call it ‘catch.’

So, if my passion for the sport is pure – and I contend it is – then wouldn’t a visit to a neighborhood bar be a positive experience? Wouldn’t it be a desired outcome? I’m honestly on the fence.

I think if I could see two Championship or lower EFL matches in person, I’d be fine watching LFC v Arsenal from a pub or a B&B bed. Am I crazy? OK, am I a little crazy? And how deep should we go philosophically?

Change My Life?

I’m of an age where I have started to acquiesce when things go awry. The other day, I got a bubble in my car tire, and I remained calm and level-headed through a $1000 charge to replace all four tires and finish with a slap with an oily rag.

So, I’m resilient. I’ve seen a lot. I’ve been through a lot. And while Anfield would be an amazing experience, would it change my love and support for the team? Hardly.

In fact, I don’t even know that being at Anfield would appreciably change me. That might be the ultimate puzzle. Don’t be fooled, I am rabid to get inside Anfield and experience a game. And life will go on.

SHOP THE AMERICAN SCOUSER COLLECTION TODAY

In fact, if we completely erased LFC from our trip, we’d still have 15 days’ worth of stuff to do. Think of the English breakfasts, the pubs, the countryside, the rambling, the Indian food, and about a million other adventures.

It’s a grand journey and I plan to embrace all its parts. If I can, I’ll do Anfield… and maybe that’s where you could help.

Have you ever wanted to share a match at Anfield with two supporters from the United States? If yes, get in touch and we’ll at least meet at a pub when we’re in town.

And if you’ve got two spare tickets to Liverpool vs Arsenal on 8/30, I might adopt you.

Thanks! Enjoy the start of summer and the nervousness that starts to build as we approach August.

Thanks for reading. I was serious about the drink AND the tickets. You know where to find me.

YNWA