A LIVERPOOL fan has finally been allocated a season ticket for his beloved club – after 27 years on the waiting list.
Kev Pogorzelski has been on the waiting list for the tickets – which offer season-long access to home games at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium – since 1996.
The 42-year-old was left stunned yesterday when he received an email from The Reds with the long-awaited news confirming that his wait is finally over, thanks to an expansion at Anfield.
With Liverpool expanding their stadium by an additional 7,000 seats for a total capacity of 61,000, Kev was within the top 1,000 fans on the list, finally granting him the ticket he’d been waiting so long for.
Kev from Portsmouth, Hampshire shared a screenshot of the club’s email which reads: “Dear Kevin Pogorzelski,
“As announced here, the Anfield Road expansion has enabled us to offer 1,000 new season tickets for season 2023/24.
“As your position on the waiting list is within the top 1,000, we are pleased to confirm that you will be eligible to purchase a season ticket for next season.”
Kev shared his email to social media yesterday, writing: “Only took 17 years! Hang on…it’s been TWENTY SEVEN years.”
Kev’s post has since received over 7,000 likes and more than 100 comments from users left in stitches at his wait.
One user joked: “Now you’ll need to start your own waiting list for the long line of people wanting your ticket for any matches you can’t get to.”
Another commented: “Season ticket waiting list for me is 15,851, yet I’ve been on it for over 25 years.”
A third user said: “Nice one congrats! No rhyme or reason to the structure of that list though, I signed up in 2002 and somehow I’m 1,621st on that same list.”
Another user replied: “Congrats it’s stress and a lot of money but who needs your mental health when we’ve got The Reds!”
Speaking today research information manager Kev said: “While I only miss one or two games in all competitions a season at Anfield through a membership with 19 credits, for some strange reason it feels like I’m now part of a more exclusive club, if that sounds right?
“Last May I was around 1,050 in the waiting list and heard rumours of just 1,000 season tickets being released, so it was very exciting receiving the email, as I’d just squeezed in.
“However, it does mean I do not have to get up at 6:30am to join a queue for the bulk sales, despite having guaranteed tickets through a membership and finally having the ‘small’ hope of going to away matches on my one season ticket.
“At the moment I beg, borrow, but never steal from other season ticket holders.
“My dad is a Liverpool fan and has some loose connections to the city, with his dad having to move to the UK during WW2.
“Despite growing up largely in Portsmouth, I was named after Kevin Keegan and during pilgrimages back to Anfield as a kid always knew who ‘my club’ had to be.
“Dad left us when I was 13 and we haven’t spoken since though, so I joined the London Supporters Club and started going up on my own once a month a year later and driving once passing my test at 17 in early 1997, which is when I joined the waiting list.
“I still have the confirmation letter…somewhere.”
Kev continued: ” Having been going regularly for so long, I didn’t think it would matter this much to me, but I’m filled with a childlike excitement to finally have my own season ticket after pretty much 27 years of hoping that one day I’d get that call/email.
“We’re still in Portsmouth, but with hybrid working now, will be in Liverpool more. We spend about 30% of our year in Liverpool.
“I get to choose in June where I sit, but it is expected to be the new Anfield Road stand, so it will be £850. As I currently pay £37 a game in The Kop, I’ll actually be worse off per game, but there you go.
“I was the only one to join the waiting list, so it’s just me getting one.
“My brother and wife go to Anfield with me from Portsmouth on a membership each game, though, as we’ve barely missed a game and keep our credits up.
“After so many years there are others we travel with or meet at matches.”
The expansion work at Anfield is expected to be completed for the 2023-24 season.
Paul Cuttill, vice-president of stadium operations said on Tuesday (9 MAY): “With just one home game left to play this season, it will be a huge moment for the club to say goodbye to the old Anfield Road Stand.
“From September 2021 until the last game of this season, we will have held 50 men’s games, one women’s game, three LFC Foundation legends matches and three concerts – all in the middle of a working building site.
“It’s taken a lot of hard work and has been logistically challenging but we have managed to keep capacity, so fans haven’t lost seats during the build.
“We are on track to be ready for the 2023-24 season and looking forward to 7,000 more fans being able to experience this incredible stadium.”
Once complete, the expansion is estimated to directly create 400 additional jobs, growing the average matchday workforce to 2,800 people, with 95% of those directly employed locally.
