@LFCANZ: Supporting LFC Down Under

The English game's greatest and most-decorated football club is without question one of the world's most widely supported. Recent pre-season tours to Asia and the United States confirmed what many already knew: the following of Liverpool Football Club spans all corners of the globe. 

One such corner of the globe is home to a particular set of Liverpool supporters. We are the fans down under. Calling Australia or New Zealand home, we find ourselves tucked in close to the International Date Line, first to see the light of day. But that's far from a good thing if you follow LFC. 

Sure our countries are blessed with golden beaches, beautiful scenery, and warm climates our British friends can only dream of, but most Reds would trade all of that for some consistently reasonable kick-off times! As a Kiwi, following the team can be a real labour of love, with kick-offs ranging between 11.30pm and 7.30am New Zealand time, but usually falling around the 2am or 4am mark. Our Aussie neighbours don't have it much easier either, only a couple of hours behind us. 

Midweek matches scheduled so UK-based fans can attend after work usually have the reverse effect for fans in New Zealand. Such kick-offs generally fall during our commute to work, university or school. As such, we're reduced to skiving off work or zoning out in class to follow the Reds online or via social media. But needs must. 

A world apart, we go about our match-day routines in a completely different fashion to UK-based Reds, but are nevertheless similar in our passion for Liverpool Football Club. 

Our separate worlds are no better evidenced than on the day of the first home game of a season. Replace the hum of anticipation around an Anfield crowd drenched in summer afternoon sun with the chatter of teeth from the couch on a cold winter's night. 

Replace a pre-match pint with a warm cup of tea or coffee, and the buzz of excited chatter at a nearby pub with the hiss of the kettle in an otherwise silent house. 

Replace train journeys and road trips on away days to the UK's far reaches with 4am trips across the city to huddle around the television with your mates and fellow Reds. 

When the circumstances allow, usually when a match falls late on a Saturday night, many of us like to watch the games at a local sports bar or pub. For myself, the venue of choice is The Fox Alehouse in Auckland's Viaduct Harbour.

A regular venue for the Official Liverpool Supporters Club of New Zealand, The Fox shows almost every Liverpool match live and there's always a healthy number of Reds present in full voice. 

My friends and I were in attendance for last season's Carling Cup final against Cardiff City. The Fox was a sea of Red, every corner of the pub a mosaic of tributes to Liverpool legends past and present.

The way the match played out like an emotional rollercoaster ride only heightened the elation when the Cardiff player dragged wide the decisive penalty in the shootout, and I found myself high-fiving and hugging complete strangers. 

Such is the hold Liverpool Football Club has on its supporters, not just local ones, but all over the world. Even 15,000 to 20,000 kilometres from Wembley Stadium that day, the celebrations were deafening. Raucous renditions of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' sounded around the Fox Alehouse and in pubs and households all over New Zealand and Australia. 

Liverpool's fanbase is constantly expanding the world over and Australasia is no exception. The growing profile of Australia's A-League has seen general interest in football increase, with players like former Red Emile Heskey and Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero bringing their celebrity and continental experience to the game down under.

But particularly, there has been a noticeable increase in support for LFC in the last five years. 

To some this may seem surprising, given Liverpool's recent exile from the Champions League, but such is the profile and the allure of our football club that people are falling in love with the Reds every day regardless.

It is the history of the club; its glorious past underpinned by work ethic and a working-class spirit dating back to Bill Shankly's tenure, that appeals to so many of us.

It's becoming more and more common to see a Gerrard, Suarez or Agger jersey in the streets of Auckland. Likewise, more and more often wearing a Liverpool kit in public sparks a conversation with complete strangers who share your passion for Liverpool Football Club. 

For a season-ticket holder or a regular match-going Red, Liverpool Football Club and its players are very real, tangible things they see up close all the time. But for international fans like us, living so far from the action, the players take on an almost mythical status at times.

We only ever see them on a television screen, making it hard to humanise them. As such, we put the players on a pedestal and perhaps idolise them more than the average supporter. 

Sure, the life of a Liverpool fan in Australia and New Zealand can be hard on the body clock, but ultimately the early mornings are a small price to pay to watch and support the team.

The growing fan base down under is a testament to the club's global appeal and makes life as an LFC fan in this part of the world more fulfilling. There's always someone keen to discuss goings on at the club or join you for a match, reinforcing the feeling that as Reds, we never walk alone.

You can follow the official LFC Twitter account for Australia and New Zealand at @LFCANZ>>