The postponement of the latest Goodison Park Merseyside derby, just four hours before kick-off, has ended a young fan’s lifelong dream of watching his beloved Everton take on Liverpool at the home of the Toffees.
Mackenzie Kinsella, 15, from Sydney, spent £1,500 to attend the match which was scheduled for Saturday afternoon before the clash was canceled due to the chaos caused by Storm Darragh.
The teenager, who has been a die-hard Everton fan since birth thanks to his Liverpool-born mother Rita, saved up money so he could take a two-week trip to watch Sean Dyche’s team in games against Wolves and Liverpool .
But it was the Reds’ arrival at Goodison that motivated their extraordinary journey. The Toffees, who have played at their famous old stadium since 1892, will move next season to their new 52,888-capacity stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.
Fears over the postponement of the match first emerged on Friday when the Met Office issued rare red “danger to life” warnings across Wales in anticipation of the damage that would be caused by Storm Darragh. Amber warnings were issued for most of the English west coast.
Before the heartbreaking news, Mackenzie’s grandmother Jo, 75, who is hosting the teenager while he is in the UK, told the Liverpool Echo who was devastated when she learned the game might be cancelled.
Mackenzie Kinsella, 15, from Sydney, spent £1,500 to attend the match which was scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
The latest Merseyside derby at Goodison Park was called off just four hours before kick-off due to Storm Darragh.
The teenager, who has been a staunch Evertonian since birth, saved up money to watch his team take on their bitter rivals.
“I got sick when I heard that,” she said. “He’s come all this way, he’s spent all this money and the game could be cancelled.”
Storm Darragh is wreaking havoc across the country with winds of up to 92mph, causing travel chaos, damage and leaving thousands of people without power.
Liverpool said the late postponement was due to “severe weather and strong winds, which have also caused serious disruption to travel in and around Merseyside”.
The decision not to hold the match was made by the local authorities and not the two clubs.
Liverpool said: “Liverpool FC can confirm that today’s Premier League match against Everton at Goodison Park, scheduled for a 12:30pm kick-off, has been postponed.”
‘This is due to bad weather and strong winds, which have also caused serious disruption to travel in and around Merseyside.
“Following a Security Advisory Group meeting this morning at Goodison Park, attended by officials from both clubs, as well as representatives from Merseyside Police and Liverpool City Council, it was decided that due to the risk to security at the local area, and the amber High Wind Warning which remains in force until 6am on Sunday, today’s match is postponed for safety reasons.
“We know this will be deeply disappointing for fans, but the safety of fans, staff and players is of paramount importance. Information regarding the new match date, including ticket sales, will be announced in due course. .
Storm Darragh has hit much of Britain and has been “danger to life” in some regions.
Electric scooters are scattered on the sidewalk outside Goodison Park, where Liverpool were due to play Everton on Saturday.
Sean Dyche’s side were aiming for back-to-back wins against their rivals at Goodison this weekend.
Everton added: “We apologize for the inconvenience caused and thank the fans for their understanding.”
The decision to cancel the Merseyside derby will be especially disappointing for one supporter: Mackenzie, 15, who had spent £1,000 on tickets and travel from Australia for the match.
It comes as millions of Britons were warned to stay at home after Storm Darragh hit the UK last night.
Three million people in red wind warning zones received an emergency alert on their phones – as part of the Government’s “risk to life” warning system – urging them to avoid driving and “stay home if you can”.
Train services in parts of England and Wales have been disrupted due to debris on the tracks, and flight schedules face delays as airlines deal with challenging weather. The situation has also led to the closure of outdoor venues, which has further aggravated the chaos of the weekend.
The storm has disrupted travel across the country, with the train line to Liverpool from Crewe partially blocked due to a “track obstruction”, London Northwestern Railway said on X, formerly Twitter.
Liverpool is not among the worst affected areas (it had been placed under an amber weather warning), but the planned race at nearby Aintree was also canceled due to Storm Darragh, which has hit much of Britain.
“Today’s Premier League match between Everton and Liverpool has been postponed due to safety concerns caused by adverse weather conditions,” the Premier League said in a statement on Saturday morning.
A fallen tree on Queen’s Drive in Liverpool caused by the devastation of Storm Darragh
“The rearrangement of the meeting will be announced in due course.”
Everton’s clash with Liverpool is the fifth match in England’s top four leagues to be postponed due to the storm.
Two Championship games have also been victims of the storm: Cardiff’s home game against Watford and Plymouth’s home game against Oxford United.
In League One, Bristol Rovers versus Bolton was also cancelled, while in League Two, Newport County’s clash with Carlisle was postponed.
There will be no football matches in Wales on Saturday due to security concerns caused by the storm.