Liverpool (16-05-2015)

Liverpool 1 - 3 Crystal Palace (Premier League), Saturday 16th May 2015


Bus singles x2 (Sheffield) = £3-60
Baguette = £3-19
Drink = £1-99
Tea = £1-90
Train = £19-15
Merseyrail day pass = £3-70
Pie & tea at ground = c£5
Sundry snacks = £4
Train single to centre = £3-45
Breakfast = £8-75
Programme = £3
Tea = £1-90
Match ticket = £47
Total = £106-63

The hour is upon us. After months of media discussion and debate Gerrard is finally playing his last game at Anfield. Amazingly we'd been able to get tickets for this thanks to our attendance in 2014-15. As it was a 5.30 kick off we decided to stay in a hotel on the Saturday, in anticipation of the Anfield goodbye and the larger than usual crowds (outside the ground that is).

I have again tried to record all outgoings for the trip, which included food, travel and copious drinks & tea. Costs are a curious aspect of groundhopping and football trips in general as they are not always clearly defined - I've included everything here but you could argue that the 'expenses' should only include stuff specifically relating to the day itself.

After a pie inside the Main Stand, we soaked up the prematch build-up, with cheesy pop songs wistfully bidding lovers farewell. This set the tone for the game, which was almost a sideshow today. The players rightfully formed a guard of honour for Gerrard before those great anthems echoed around the Kop - 'Steve Gerrard, he'll pass the ball 40 yards...' 'Steven Gerrard is our captain / Steven Gerrard is a Red'.

The game from Liverpool's perspective was hardly a fitting goodbye. Crystal Palace came here as a decent mid table team, which was a massive contrast to their previous outing here in Autumn 2013. Today they looked handy and pacey in attack, with Jason Puncheon and Bolasie causing Liverpool's back line all sorts of problems. There is no sentimentality in football and Palace had clearly come here to win. At the end it was a comfortable 3-1 win, with the only bright spot for the home side being an Adam Lallana goal when he showed great pace and strength to latch onto a loose ball. They are rapidly becoming a bogey team for Liverpool having beaten them 3-1 earlier this year and snatched that famous 3-3 draw at Selhurst last year.

Still the songs rang out around the ground for Gerrard, making me recall the adage that form is temporary class is permanent. There was naturally disappointment at the final whistle but today wasn't really about the game. The players reemerged from the tunnel wearing Gerrard 8 shirts before he did the obligatory speech and lap of honour. To be fair to the Palace fans, many stayed behind to pay their own tribute. The ground began to empty as it was nearly 8pm, and a chilly wind was cutting through Anfield. This was the final home game of the season, and the end of an era. As we headed across Stanley Park and away from the shell of the new Main Stand, this felt like a definite break from the past. 2015-16 will see the start of a very different time for this football club.

Stoke City (09-05-2015)

Stoke City 3 - 0 Tottenham Hotspur (Saturday 9th May 2015), Premier League

Ticket = £40
Train (Stockport-Stoke) = £13
Tea = £2-20
Programme = £3-50
Street pie = £3
Total = £61-70

As the non league season is pretty much done, my radar has been out for any Premier League grounds I've not yet done. Stoke was a good punt, being a quicker trip and avoiding Manchester for once. I've actually been to Stoke twice already this season. Firstly for Market Drayton in November, then for Hanley Town in February, games which have bookended a long winter of ground hopping.

 

Stoke's Britannia Stadium is located 2-3 miles south of the station, and I reached it via a fairly pleasant walk alongside the canal. As I crossed over the bridge to Stanley Matthews Way, I noticed a cafe/snack bar with a serving hatch on a barge!


After collecting my ticket from the far side of the ground, I found my way into the Boothen End, grabbing an excellent 'street pie' and a tea. It was just after 2 and the ground was fairly sparsely populated. The Boothen end where I was sat formed the lower half of an L-shaped stand structure, with the 2 other stands being standalone. The ground suddenly filled up quite close to KO and a great atmosphere started building.

On paper there was still something hanging on this game, with Spurs looking to secure Europa League football. Stoke on the other hand were aiming to match their highest points total in the Premier League and their highest spot of 8th. The first thing I noticed was that when Danny Rose's name was read out for Spurs a loud boo rang out across the stadium - sounds like there is history there!


The game was, like QPR last week, a good entertaining Premier League affair. The main threats for a composed and well organised Stoke were Ryan Shawcross and Arnautavic, with the latter causing Spurs plenty of problems on the wing. Stoke deservedly took the lead when Charlie Adam - on a hot goal scoring streak - headed into the far corner after a deflected cross. Spurs have plenty of talent in their side, and very nearly equalised when they clipped the bar. Ryan Mason was one of the bright sparks in their side today. But they cannot seem to defend, and after a mix-up between Lloris and his centre backs, Nzonzi slotted in from inside the area to make it 2-0.

I realised that Stoke were doing Liverpool a favour here, with the Reds hoping to secure 5th place at least. I crossed my fingers they could continue this in the second period. The KO was delayed by a somewhat bizarre protest, with a bald chap with a moustache diving onto the pitch in some kind of jump suit! It certainly held the match up though the poster he held up was barely readable so the essence of his protest was lost.

The second half continued in the same positive vein for Stoke. Within 10 minutes of the restart, Spurs were down to 10 men, with 6 sent off for a second yellow. Despite their rather elaborate fan formation, Spurs now looked out of this game and the Potters were far superior. Charlie Adam and Jonathan Walters could and perhaps should have increased their advantage, but it barely seemed to matter as there was hardly any threat from Tottenham. To round off proceedings, Miame Diouf, who had looked ropey all game, tapped in from close range. A poachers goal to make it 3-0. I made it back to the station for the 5.20 train, and after a change at Stockport somehow made it through the door at 7.15.

Liverpool (02-05-2015)

Liverpool 2 - 1 QPR (Premier League), Saturday 2nd May 2015

Ticket = £51
Train = £23-10
Tea x2 = £3.95
Programme = £3
Juice = £1.50
Bus to Anfield =  £4
Total = £86-55

So today we headed to Anfield again for a game I really wasn't looking forward to. The Reds have slipped off the pace in recent weeks with a defeat at Hull and draw at West Brom, making Champions League qualification less and less likely. In fact the game was the best we've seen there all year - an open and unpredictable Premier League battle. In the away corner were QPR, a club in major turmoil. I recall writing about Cardiff City when they visited in December 2013, and here's another club being as badly run - maybe more so.

I have to say there was a certain atmosphere building even on the bus, unlike some games which have fallen a bit flat. Like the 2 FA Cup games we were in the Centenary, to the far right, almost directly above the Anfield Road end. The stand is by far the most comfortable and spacious, not quite as intimate as the Main Stand.

QPR did not look like a side in the bottom 3. Number 7, 8 and 9 were particularly busy and creative in midfield and attack, and an early shot by 10 was tipped wide by Mignolet. At the other end Gerrard was lining up his shots like an artillery gunner, firing wide from outside the box. Then the excellent Coutinho opened the scoring, slotting in from inside the box after a swift attacking move. He has been a player of great value this year, a bright spark in an otherwise difficult season.

The second half started with a succession of Liverpool attacks at the Kop end. Sterling had the goal at his mercy with a sitter but again found himself leaden-footed. Lovren then had a header saved, and it looked like Liverpool would comfortably win. But QPR have some fight in them, and equalised when 10 volleyed in when surrounded by some statuesque defenders.

Then the home side were awarded a penalty. As Gerrard stepped up to take it, it looked like this was the end of the game. So of course the penalty was saved and the disappointment was tangible around the ground. QPRs fighting spirit meant they then had 15 sent off for a second yellow, and began to look like they were hanging on. As if in defiance of his earlier penalty miss, Gerrard then stepped up to head home from a corner in front of the Kop. Could that be his last goal at that end of the ground, or even Anfield altogether? As we made our way back to the bus and train station thereafter, I got a definite sense that we are nearing the end of an era. Not just Gerrard leaving the club, but also with the expansion of the Main Stand, and more questions around the direction of Brendan Rodgers' management. What will the next chapter bring?

New York Stadium (01-05-2015)

Frickley Athletic 4 - 1 Nostell Miners Welfare (Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup Final), Friday 1st May 2015

Fire & Brimstone ales = £5-80
Train (Sheffield-Rotherham) = £3-20
Entry = £7
Tea & pie = c£5
Total = £21

Two years ago I saw a thrilling Sheffield and Hallamshire senior cup final between Frickley and Sheffield FC at Hillsborough. This year was the first time the final would be staged at Rotherham's New York stadium, and it was an equally entertaining - albeit more one sided -encounter. I went for a prematch pint or two with the friend I'd been to Accrington with, and whiled away some time talking all manner of things football related, mainly European and non-league football.

After nearly missing KO thanks to a longish queue outside, we parted with £7 each and took up our seats. just in time for the first Frickley attack and the first goal when 9 planted it in! The fans at our end were overjoyed, and were having a great time with some original & amusing chants. 'You're just a bus stop in Wakefield' and 'you should have come in a taxi' to the Nostell fans! Then came the most bizarre own goal, when Nostell's 6 lobbed his own keeper to make it 2-0. This was a real pity as Frickley were now huge favourites. But you can never say never in this game. Nostell's 10 absolutely walloped a free kick into the top corner, from bordering on 35 yards out. If it hadn't been for that cracker at Whitehaven that would probably be goal of the season. Sadly for the game Frickley then won a penalty and 10 made it 3-1, grabbing that crucial goal just before the whistle.

The second half was as crazy as the first. Frickley had a goal disallowed for offside (hotly disputed by the raucous fans) and 9 literally kneed over an excellent chance to increase the advantage. The main threats from Nostell came when 10's free kick flew wide and 4s left footed drive was tipped over acrobatically. 10 then cheekily chipped the keeper only to see his effort saved.  The chants continued to come thick and fast -'if you hate chuckle vision clap your hands!' and 'the evostik is upside down / we're going up with Belper Town'. Unfortunately for Nostell it only got worse, when 9 turned the ball into his own net to make it 4-1. Frickley rattled the cross bar late on, but they were already home and dry. This time I stayed to see the trophy being presented, by the same chap who was on the turnstiles! Frickley have wracked up another Senior Cup, and are chasing down Sheffield Wednesday's record of 14.