FOLLOWING yet another sensational Cup Final triumph the red half of Liverpool took to the streets on Sunday to take part in a special homecoming.
Over 100,000 fans descended upon the city to celebrate the Reds’ enthralling FA Cup Final penalty shoot-out victory over West Ham, a match that is already being dubbed ‘˜Istanbul mark II.’
Rafa Benitez’s heroes were cheered by legions of ecstatic fans as they began their 10 mile tour to the city centre from the police training centre on Mather Avenue at 1.45pm.
More than 200 Liverpool Capital of Culture steward were on duty and they were joined by a heavy police presence to ensure the celebrations remained in order, as the open top bus parade continued in to the evening.
A sea of red marked the route towards the climax of the parade along New Islington and despite a sudden burst of torrential rain, both players and fans continued to revel in the occasion. Two goal hero Steven Gerrard and shoot out saviour Jose Reina took prominent positions alongside the FA Cup as they waved to their loyal supporters from the front of the bus.
Both the players and coaching staff, who were accompanied by their families, took turns to raise the Cup and pose for pictures as fans stood on bridges, traffic lights and road signs in an attempt to get a close up view of their favourite stars.
The scenes were reminiscent of last season’s Champions League victory that saw one million people flood the City Centre in celebration of the dramatic triumph over Italian giants AC Milan.
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