Toon Go To Fortress Anfield!

Last updated : 29 April 2009 By Footy Mad - Editor
Directions & Car Parking

Follow the M62 until you reach the end of the motorway (beware of a 50mph speed camera about a 1/4 of a mile from the end of the motorway). Then follow the A5058 towards Liverpool. After three miles turn left at the traffic lights into Utting Avenue (there is a McDonalds on the corner of this junction). Proceed for one mile and then turn right at the Arkles pub for the ground. If you arrive early (around 1pm) then there is street parking to be found. Otherwise it as an idea to park in the streets around Goodison and walk across Stanley Park to Anfield, or you can park in a secure parking area at Goodison itself which costs £6.

By Train

Kirkdale station is the closest to the ground (just under a mile away). However, it may be more advisable to go to Sandhills Station as this has the benefit of a bus service to the ground, which runs for a couple of hours before and a couple of hours after a game and drops you within easy walking distance of the ground. Gary Beaumont adds; 'The best route for away fans from the city centre if they want to use public transport is definitely the Merseyrail Northern Line to Sandhills where they alight and catch the special Soccerbuses; trains can be caught from Liverpool Central and Moorfields. If fans are buying their train tickets in Liverpool, ask for a return to Anfield as opposed to Sandhills even though that's where you're getting off. The advantage of doing this is that the train ticket is valid also for the Soccerbus and the additional fare is only £1 return as opposed to £1 each way that you'd have to pay on the bus if you only bought your ticket to Sandhills. If fans want to get a taxi from Lime Street, they're about £6'. Both Sandhills & Kirkdale stations and can be reached by first getting a train from Liverpool Lime Street to Liverpool Central and then changing there for Kirkdale.
The main railway station in Liverpool is Lime Street which is over three miles from the ground and is really too far to walk (although it is mostly downhill on the way back to the station), so either head for Sandhills or Kirkdale stations or jump in a taxi. Craig Hochkins adds; 'you can catch various buses from the bus station which is seven minutes walk away from the train station and is well signposted. Either the 17a 17b 17c or the 26 will drop you right outside the ground at a cost of about a £1. The buses are run by Arriva and the journey takes about 15 to 25 minutes dependant on traffic'.

Walking Directions From Kirkdale Station:
On exiting from Kirkdale Station turn right and then cross the railway bridge, you will see a pub opposite called the 'Melrose Abbey', (which has been recommended). Walk up Westminster Road, alongside the pub and continue along it, passing the Elm Tree pub. Follow the road around the right hand bend and then turn left into Bradwell Street. At the end of Bradwell Street you will come to the busy County Road (A59). Cross over this road at the traffic lights and then go down the road to the left of the Aldi superstore. At the end of this road you will reach the A580 Walton Lane. You should be able to see Goodison Park over on your left and Stanley Park in front of you. Cross Walton Lane and either enter Stanley Park following the footpath through the park (keeping to the right), which will exit into Anfield Road and the away end. Or bear right down Walton Lane and then turn left down the road at the end of Stanley Park for the ground. Thanks to Jon Roche for providing these directions.

Away Fans

Away fans are located in the Anfield Road Stand at one end of the ground, where just under 2,000 seats are available, although this can be increased for cup games. This stand is also shared with home supporters, some of whom will be sitting in the small seated tier above the away fans. Malcolm Dawson a travelling Sunderland supporter adds; 'Try to avoid getting tickets sold as restricted view, for the rear rows of the Anfield Road Stand as it can be difficult to see the goals with people standing up in front of you'.
Kimberly Hill adds; 'Restricted view doesn't even begin to describe what it was like. The Wolves fans insisted on standing so it was like trying to watch the game through a letterbox!' The facilities within the stand are not bad. There is a Ladbrokes betting outlet and the refreshment kiosks sell a wide variety of burgers, hot dogs and pies, including a 'Scouse Pie' at £1.80.

Where To Drink

The Arkles pub near to the ground (see directions by car), is known as the away fans pub, but as can be expected it can get extremely crowded. Mark Parsons a visiting Aston Villa fan adds; 'We arrived at the Arkles at about 1.15pm and already found it packed out, with fans queuing outside to get in. We asked a very helpful WPC for any other away friendly pubs and were told to go to the Flat Iron which was a five minute walk away. Although the pub was mostly full of Liverpool fans, the bars were mixed and all were very friendly. There is also a good chippy located on the other side of the road. To find this pub, turn left at the junction where Arkles is (with the ground over to your right down Anfield Road). Head away from the ground and the pub is down on the right hand side'.
Brian McIlwrick informs me; 'I got to the ground at around 1.30pm and decided to enter the away end early, only to find that they don't serve alcohol to away fans. Be warned!'

Saturday 02nd May 2009
Chelsea v Fulham 15.00
Man City v Blackburn 15.00
Middlesbrough v Man Utd 12.45
Portsmouth v Arsenal 15.00
Stoke City v West Ham 15.00
Tottenham v West Brom 15.00
Wigan Athletic v Bolton 15.00

Sunday 03rd May 2009
Liverpool v Newcastle 13.30
Sunderland v Everton 16.00

Monday 04th May 2009
Aston Villa v Hull City 20.00

Saturday 09th May 2009
Blackburn v Portsmouth 15.00
Bolton v Sunderland 15.00
Everton v Tottenham 15.00
Fulham v Aston Villa 15.00

Sunday 10th May 2009
Arsenal v Chelsea 16.00
Man Utd v Man City 13.30

Monday 11th May 2009
Newcastle v Middlesbrough 20.00

Wednesday 13th May 2009
Wigan Athletic v Man Utd 20.00

Saturday 16th May 2009
Bolton v Hull City 15.00
Everton v West Ham 15.00
Man Utd v Arsenal 12.45
Middlesbrough v Aston Villa 15.00
Newcastle v Fulham 15.00
Stoke City v Wigan Athletic 15.00
Tottenham v Man City 15.00

Sunday 17th May 2009
Chelsea v Blackburn 16.00
West Brom v Liverpool 13.30

Monday 18th May 2009
Portsmouth v Sunderland 20.00

Sunday 24th May 2009
Arsenal v Stoke City 16.00
Aston Villa v Newcastle 16.00
Blackburn v West Brom 16.00
Fulham v Everton 16.00
Hull City v Man Utd 16.00
Liverpool v Tottenham 16.00
Man City v Bolton 16.00
Sunderland v Chelsea 16.00
West Ham v Middlesbrough 16.00
Wigan Athletic v Portsmouth 16.00