Ragnhild Lund Ansnes is a Liverpool supporter who pursues her passion for writing and journalism, all while keeping busy as co-owner of Hotel TIA.
Originally from Norway, Ragnhild is a well-known face around Anfield as her hotel fills up on Anfield Road of a matchday.
She is a friend to several Liverpool legends and has interviewed Steven Gerrard among many others for her books.
Ragnhild wasn’t always a supporter, though. For the latest edition of My Liverpool Life, we spoke to her to find out how she went from being an observer to a fully-fledged supporter.
I started supporting Liverpool because…
Of a work accident! I was writing books and making documentaries about the power of football and how football shaped fans and players.
Then, eventually I wrote a book about Liverpool captains and how the captains affect the game and how that has changed over the last 50 years.
I was going to be this objective, neutral journalist and eventually I’d seen so many games for Liverpool and experienced so much passion and heard so many incredible stories from fans.
So in there somewhere I went from being a neutral journalist to a passionate Red.
My first Liverpool game was…
Liverpool 2-1 Reading – March 15, 2008
I was in the press box. It was against Reading. We won.
I think we won 2-1 and it was in 2008. I think they scored then Anfield just became a monster as a response and I’ll never forget that.
On the same trip, I also had to pleasure of standing in the Kop and seeing the Merseyside Derby against Everton and won.
I remember the big hit that season was ‘We’re all going to Moscow, you’re all going to Tesco’.
If I could relive a game from the stands, it would be…
A boring answer because 95 percent will say the same; it would be when I stood on the Kop and saw the comeback second leg against Barcelona.
After the heartbreak of Philippe Coutinho and Luis Suarez leaving, to just be there and boo them all the way through – it was an electric night.
If I could relive a season supporting Liverpool, it would be…
Between 2021/22, when we almost won everything, because it was so much fun – there was never a dull moment. The race and the trips to Wembley were just incredible, we were feeling so alive.
But still, I think I will have to go for 2018/19 season of Virgil van Dijk settling in the team; getting Alisson in; watching the magic of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah.
Going to that Barcelona game then going to Madrid, and almost winning the league again. It was a great, great, great year.
What does Liverpool mean to you?
Liverpool has become my life, both personally and professionally. I’m writing my seventh book about the club, I’ve dedicated the last 15 profesional years writing official and non-official books, hosting podcasts, building this LFC boutique hotel (Hotel TIA), hosting events with former players, travelling the world with former players.
So many of them have become my close friends and I’m so lucky to have such inspirational close friends.
To have seen and done so much, made so many incredible friends from all over the world, being a fan first and foremost.
It’s my life. Sometimes it’s hard to have a football club as your life because you get everything, it goes up and down, and you’re so dependent on the team, and you can’t really do much more than support them, that’s the only thing you can do.
But it’s definitely more than just a job for me. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
If I could host a dinner party for three figures from Liverpool’s history, past or present, they would be…
The first one without a shadow of a doubt is Ian Callaghan. Ian Callaghan is the nicest man you will ever meet and he’s such a true and true gentleman. To play 857 games and only get one booking, and it was wrong, just says enough.
But it’s not just that; he’s so genuinely nice and humble and we can all learn so much from him.
The second one around the table is the same and that’s Sammy Lee. He’s also unbelievably humble and extremely nice and generous and caring, and you wouldn’t think he’s been a part of six Liverpool managers’ coaching teams, won so many trophies with Liverpool.
Then it’s so hard to choose but I think it needs to be John Barnes.
He’s done so much to help me and support me. We’ve travelled the world together and he’s been a part of all my books, and he’s such a genuinely nice person, but he’s also an interesting and intelligent person.
He’s great for conversations, never shuts up.
Thanks to Ragnhild Lund Ansnes for taking part in our My Liverpool Life series.
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