Over the summer, while Antagonizine’s creator was off exploring the planet, my biggest venture was a 90-minute train ride to Merseyside. A somewhat regular visitor to Anfield, too often I skip the city centre and go straight to the stadium - a clear mistake.
The city’s passion, and enthusiasm just for people is unmatched. If I took a football onto Sackville Gardens and started a kickabout with my friends, I can guarantee I wouldn’t be joined by several strangers, offering us their ball and complimenting my jersey. The sense of community, revolving around football specifically, is incredible. Everyone’s a red - or a blue. It’s not London, with a population split between multiple clubs from all over the country - it’s a unification of hundreds of thousands of people. Togetherness is second nature - and in a world where human beings seem to resent each others’ presence, Liverpool is a breath of fresh air. Liverpool is the city of music, of architecture - the city of community.
I took along with me an avid Beatles fan, who had mountains of entertainment - the museum, the statues, their birthplaces, Strawberry Fields, Penny Lane… and rightly so. You have to take advantage of being the birthplace of the greatest band of all time, and Liverpool has done just that - the EU has turned it into an incredibly tourist-friendly area - especially for avid classic rock/pop listeners.
Anfield, of course, is incredible. My bias preludes me, as a lifelong Liverpool fan - but there is something integral to Liverpool Football Club, and it is the spirit of the fans, evident throughout the city. This notorious atmosphere doesn’t appear on its own - Liverpool is loud and proud about who they are, and this translates into anthems across the ground - ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ has become, as Eurovision somewhat sealed, a song representative of a passionate city.
There is no place quite like the Royal Albert Docks, either. Alison Hammond pushing a runner into the water isn’t even the best thing to happen in these parts - Liverpool Arena, cosying up on the edge of the river Mersey, of course, held Eurovision back in May, on behalf of war-torn Ukraine. Merseyside Police gave an estimated figure of 500,000 visitors to the area over the festival’s two-week span - though official figures are yet to be confirmed at the ‘Liverpool’s Calling’ event in October. The selection wasn’t accidental - the buzz around the city was undeniable, and a city so proud of its musical past was only ever the real answer to Eurovision’s location question.
Typical Northerner opinion, I know. The cities up north can take a beating too. Leeds? Newcastle? Manchester? Who are we kidding? There’s no comparison. If the dark and tired St James. Park isn’t a strong enough representation of Newcastle for you, I don’t know what is. Leeds has less atmosphere than Barcelona fans at Anfield. And Manchester? I’ll give them a point for Oasis.
I’ll give Liverpool 10 for The Beatles.
It is the most welcoming, atmospheric city in the north of England. Ignore the overhead M62 signs for Manchester and Leeds - leave your foot on the gas.
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