Prior to Liverpool’s Int’l Champions Cup clash with Borussia Dortmund on Sunday, Reds fans were treated to a Saturday night performance by singer Jamie Webster and a chance to hear from and meet former players Robbie Fowler, Sami Hyppia, John Arne Riise and Ian Rush. The party, which started at 7:30pm and ran “until late,” per the official flyer, drew an estimated crowd of more than 1,500 to Rooftop 210 in uptown Charlotte.
It was Liverpool’s latest effort to cater to its far-flung, music-loving fanbase, including many who make what are known as “Day Trips,” traveling in and out of a faraway city on gameday to catch a match. For LFC’s Champions League final against Real Madrid in Kiev, which kicked off at 10pm local time, CEO Peter Moore wanted to be sure the LFC faithful had something to do before kickoff. So the club collaborated with BOSS Magazine, a now-defunct Liverpool fanzine that still organizes events, and Webster to organize a party at Shevchenko Park, just 1km from Olimpiyskiy Stadium.
"That was the first time we got a real taste of what we need to do as a football club: be more hands on giving fans something to do prior to the game," Moore said.
Following the success of that event, Liverpool decided to hold similar get-togethers prior to its ICC matches. Moore said that Webster is traveling with the team on the current tour.
"We take our responsibility, if you will, for our fans having a great time," Moore said. "And we go above and beyond what you would typically see an American sports team do, which is, 'You're on your own. Go to the pub, go to the bar.'"
The former Microsoft and EA exec, who joined Liverpool last summer, said that such events are meant to exemplify a mantra he came up with a few months ago: local heart, global pulse.
"We have this very unique culture," Moore said. "The city, the club, what the club means to the city, we’re embracing that whilst also embracing the global fanbase. First of all, we’re about the city of Liverpool, the passion, what the football club means to the people, which is very unique -- but at the same time, we’ve touched the hearts of literally hundreds of millions of people.”
"And you’ll see it here," he added from a broadcast booth in the press box as fans began to fill Bank of America Stadium prior to kickoff on Sunday. "As big a club as Borussia Dortmund is, I can pretty much guarantee we probably will outnumber them three or four to one."
