Liverpool v AC Milan: The view from San Francisco
Liverpool and AC Milan meet at Levi's Stadium on Saturday. We asked Aman Parikh, secretary of the Reds' San Francisco Supporters Club, for his thoughts ahead of the re-run of Istanbul '05 and Athens '07.
How many members does the San Francisco Supporters Club have and when was it established?
"We've been meeting at Kezar Pub for many years but, in 2011, we decided to get more organised and start a supporters club. We have about 215 members who have officially joined LFC San Francisco, but we have many more who also join us for match viewings and other events, like welcoming Steven Gerrard whenever the LA Galaxy come to San Jose."
What does it mean to the club for LFC to be playing in your city?
"We are incredibly excited to welcome LFC to the San Francisco area this summer. Some of us have had the chance to visit Anfield and many flew to Boston, Chicago and New York to watch pre-season matches recently, but others have not been able to see the manager and players live. We are honoured that the club chose to come to the San Francisco area and we can't wait to greet them in full voice at Levis Stadium."
Recent tours to Australia and Asia have seen some fantastic atmospheres and memorable renditions of You'll Never Walk Alone. What will it feel like for you to sing YNWA, and does the club have anything special planned to welcome the manager and players?
"We've been singing it, and all the other Liverpool songs, in our pub for years, but nothing will compare to the feeling of our entire group singing it for the first team in our own backyard. We will be having a pre-match party/tailgate at Levis Stadium for local and visiting supporters prior to the match, and we will march to the stadium together. We will post details on Twitter (@LFCSF) after we iron out the final few details."
Which players are you most excited about watching live?
"All of them. We really are excited about seeing all of the players over here so it is hard to single a player out. [Philippe] Coutinho, [Roberto] Firmino, [Mamadou] Sakho, [Daniel] Sturridge, the new boys - really, all of them!"
Milan were, of course, our opponents on that famous night in Istanbul. Were any of your members at that game? If not, where did you watch it and what are your memories of the evening?
"A few of our members were at the Ataturk for the match. Many who couldn't go were at Kezar Pub in San Francisco. Unfortunately, I was working (and watching secretly at work - I wasn't very productive that day), but I hear the Kezar was rocking during the match and for hours afterwards."
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