Australian Fan’s 10,000-Mile Journey for Postponed Derby Leads to Team Invitation

An adolescent Everton supporter, having traveled from Australia to witness the final Merseyside derby at Goodison Park, only for the event to be canceled, has received an invitation to meet the team’s players. The Premier League match between Everton and Liverpool was rescheduled due to safety concerns stemming from severe weather conditions attributed to Storm Darragh. Mackenzie, a resident of Sydney, had accumulated funds for the journey to attend the match, which was scheduled as the ultimate derby at Goodison prior to Everton’s relocation to a new stadium next season. However, the BBC reports that the adolescent Toffees enthusiast has been extended an invitation by team captain Seamus Coleman to visit the club’s training facility to interact with the players on Monday. Commenting on the game’s postponement, the 15-year-old informed BBC Radio Merseyside: “I was a bit shocked because it is a bit unheard of for games to be cancelled like that.” He further stated: “I was a bit sad. I wanted to be part of history.” He added: “It was a last minute decision to come. I really wanted to see what it was like at the last derby.” Seamus Coleman conveyed a video message to Mackenzie, expressing that he was “disappointed as well.” Nevertheless, the fullback informed Mackenzie that he “would love to see you down the training ground.” The adolescent responded: “That’s amazing news. Every cloud has a silver lining.” Mackenzie’s mother, Rita, originated from Liverpool, and a significant portion of his Everton-supporting relatives continue to reside in the city. The adolescent had inquired with his mother in March about attending the final Goodison derby match, but was informed of the prohibitive cost, given the family’s recent return from England. Mackenzie had previously mentioned that he “did not know whether he could get the time off school” or whether his mother “would let him travel half way across the world” for the fixture. Despite this, he persevered, saving his money and securing his mother’s approval for the 10,000-mile journey. He reached England in time to witness Everton defeat his father’s club, Wolves, by a score of 4-0 on Wednesday. Everton has utilized Goodison Park as its home ground since 1892, but is scheduled to relocate to its new 52,888-capacity stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock for the upcoming season. For more content, listeners can access the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story submissions can also be directed to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Further information regarding our policy on external linking is available.