2010 Liverpool FC Supporters Friendship Visit to Moenchengladbach

FRIDAY 23^rd April to MONDAY 26^th April 2010
A party of Liverpool FC supporters last weekend made their 4th consecutive Friendship visit to Moenchengladbach in Germany to once again consolidate and enhance even further a very special friendship that goes back over 30 years to the 70’s decade.  Liverpool and Borussia Moenchengladbach met in the UEFA Cup final in 1973, Liverpool winning 3-2 on aggregate and they also met in the1977 European cup final in the eternal city of Rome where Liverpool FC won their first ever of their five European cups, the Reds running out 3-1 winners.  The two European giants met again the following season 1977/78 in the semi-final of the European Cup, Liverpool winning 4-2 on aggregate.

Since these famous clashes their has been a very special friendship between the two sets of supporters which has resulted in Borussia MG supporters travelling to Liverpool every year since 1992 during the Bundesliga winter break to support the Reds at Anfield, and Liverpool FC supporters led by annual friendship visit organiser Graham Agg, have travelled to Gladbach annually since 2007.

In 1991, a delegation of Borussia Moenchengladbach supporters travelled to Liverpool to present a cheque for 21000 for the Hillsborough families, an amazing gesture that has NEVER been forgotten on Merseyside.

This year’s LFC supporters Friendship visit to Moenchengladbach took place from Friday 23^rd April to Monday 26^th April 2010.  The trip involved a stadium tour of the impressive 54000 capacity Borussia Park, Borussia’s new home since 2004, which even has a corporate hospitality suite called the “Liverpool” suite!

LFC supporters were amongst the sold out Borussia Park to support Borussia in their penultimate home match of the 2009/10 campaign versus record German Bundesliga Champions & conquerors of Manchester United in this season’s Champions league, & four times Champions of Europe – FC Bayern Munich.  They saw Borussia, who are currently situated comfortably mid table in the Bundesliga top flight take the lead in a match that eventually finished in a fair draw..  The Liverpool FC supporters were as usual invited to an all day match day party in the Borussia official “Fanhaus” with amazing scenes of friendship after Borussia’s 1-1 draw against the mighty FC Bayern.

Just 15 minutes before Gladbach’s home match versus FC Bayern Munich,  the Liverpool supporters were invited on to the Borussia park pitch for the fourth consecutive year to once again present to their Borussia hosts a “Friendship flag”, a tradition the LFC fans started in 2007. Liverpool supporters this year also unveiled a second flag with the words emblazoned in German “Eine ganz besondere freundschaft” which translates to “A very special friendship”.  LFC supporters organiser Agg was interviewed about on the pitch about  his views on the forthcoming pre-season friendly match at Borussia Park between Borussia & Liverpool FC on Saturday, 31st July 2010.  This has been organised to commemorate Borussia Moenchengladbach’s 110th Birthday since they were formed in 1900.

The Borussia supporters on the famous “Nord Kurve” standing terraces, Borussia’s equivalent of the Kop, then greeted their Liverpool FC counterparts by singing an amazing rendition of “You’ll never walk alone”.  This for many LFC supporters was the highlight of the visit and was a moment to treasure and many LFC fans were clearly moved by this amazing reception.

The following day LFC supporters watched LFC’s 4-0 away victory at Turf Moor versus Burnley at a bar in the Moenchengladbach Old Market Square.

The 2010 LFC Supporters annual Moenchengladbach Friendship visit was once again fully endorsed by Liverpool FC.  Brian Hall, Liverpool FC Public Relations manager.

For the 4th consecutive year, Brian Hall presented Friendship trip organiser Graham Agg with a Liverpool FC official match day shirt autographed by esteemed Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, a fantastic gift which was also presented to the Borussia Moenchengladbach Supporters Club by London based LFC supporter Jamie Rees-Winter, he had a LFC shirt from the 1977 European cup final autographed by all survivors of that amazing European cup final victory versus Borussia Moenchengladbach in Rome.

This year 71 Liverpool FC supporters made the trek to Moenchengladbach, the best ever attended, the vast majority from the Merseyside region but there were also LFC fans from London, Crewe, Ireland, Switzerland, New Zealand and a group of German Reds from different parts of Germany.

Graham Agg, organiser of the annual Friendship visit stated that he wishes “to thank Thomas “Tower” Weinmann (Borussia MG Fan Liaision Officer), Matthes Neumann & Jonny Thomas Polcher (BMG Fan Projekt), the Borussia Moenchengladbach fans and the citizens of Moenchengladbach for their unbelievable hospitality and friendship shown to the Liverpool fans during their stay and also Liverpool Football Club for officially endorsing the friendship visit”.  He also said that he would “like to thank all the travelling Liverpool FC supporters for being superb ambassadors for Liverpool Football Club and the City of Liverpool”.  He stated also that “this weekend has proven yet again without a shadow of a doubt that the Borussia Moenchengladbach & Liverpool FC friendship is absolutely unique in world football”.