Brisbane turns red for historic Liverpool FC match

BRISBANE has been painted red this week as the city hosts English Premier League giants Liverpool FC for the first time in the club’s 123-year history.

Tourism and Events Queensland CEO, Leanne Coddington, said a crowd of more than 50,000 people was expected to fill Suncorp Stadium tonight when Liverpool FC take on A-League legends the Brisbane Roar.

“This fantastic event is promoted as part of the It's Live! in Queensland events calendar, with thousands of local and international supporters travelling to Brisbane to see the game," said Ms Coddington.

“Brisbane is right behind Liverpool FC’s visit, hosting the club’s official Away-Kit Launch in King George Square, rebranding Caxton Street into Anfield Road for the day, and holding an open training session at Suncorp Stadium last night.

“King George Square has become a fan zone to give supporters the chance to celebrate Liverpool FC’s visit and meet some club legends. 

“This event is proudly supported by Tourism and Events Queensland. We know that events play a vital role in promoting a destination, driving tourism and fostering community pride.”

Chief Commercial Officer Liverpool FC, Billy Hogan, said: “We are delighted with the support for LFC from the city of Brisbane. We first visited Australia two years ago and received a great reception from the Australian fans and we hope this tour visit will be no exception.

“LFC strives to give supporters the chance to see the team up close, no matter how far away from Anfield they live and we are delighted to be able to make this a reality for more of our Australian fans.”

Deputy Mayor of Brisbane, Cr Adrian Schrinner, said this was an opportunity for Brisbane residents to show their colours for their heroes in what would be a blockbuster weekend of football for the city. 

“We look forward to welcoming thousands of Liverpool FC supporters from across Australia and around the world, as they take on our local heroes Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium, and we’ll be lighting the Story Bridge red on Friday night to mark the occasion,” Cr Schrinner said.

“Hot on the heels of Liverpool FC’s clash with Brisbane Roar we have Australia taking on the South Africans in the rugby and the Brisbane Broncos clashing with Wests Tigers in rugby league, further reinforcing Brisbane’s reputation for staging world-class sporting events.”

Suncorp Stadium General Manager, Alan Graham, said securing the world famous Liverpool FC had been two years in the making.

“The game against Brisbane Roar will be part of a massive weekend for the Stadium. It will be the first time we’ve hosted a quadruple-header which will see up to 140,000 fans across three football codes through the gates over the four day period," Mr Graham said.

“We will ‘Liverfy’ the Stadium including the re-creation of the famous Kop zone and renaming of stands and bars at the venue in honour of Liverpool legends. We’ve also been working with local businesses to activate Liverpool theming and activities for the full week prior." 

Julieanne Alroe, Brisbane Airport Corporation CEO and Managing Director, said: “Brisbane Airport is delighted to be a part of the effort to bring Liverpool FC to Queensland.

“The benefits of having such a high profile and internationally recognised team play in Brisbane are obvious and this visit is going to go a long way to help build Queensland’s profile as one of the best places on earth for major events and holiday travel.”

Liverpool FC’s tour to Queensland is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and Stadiums Queensland, in partnership with Brisbane Marketing, Brisbane Airport Corporation, Suncorp Stadium, and AEG Ogden. 

www.teq.queensland.com

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