An Everton fan who travelled from South Africa said his lifelong dream to watch his team play was “shattered” after the final league Merseyside derby at Goodison Park between Everton and Liverpool was postponed due to Storm Darragh.
High winds and rain have battered the west coast and the decision to call off the lunchtime kick-off was made early on Saturday morning.
Gareth Clark, 29, told the PA news agency he arrived in the UK from Cape Town on November 27th and has been staying in London, Liverpool and Edinburgh since then, with the Merseyside derby the highlight of his trip.
“It has been my lifelong dream to come and watch Everton, and I finally saved enough money to come and watch my first derby – and, of course, the final derby at Goodison. Also my first time that I have managed to come to the UK,” he said.
Mr Clark, a teacher, said he spent a “vast amount” of money on the trip, including around £750 (€904) for flights.
“More than the money, it is my lifelong dream that was shattered when I heard the news this morning,” he said.
Mr Clark said it was “extremely heartbreaking and hard to believe” when he first learned of the news that the event would be postponed.
“I felt just complete shock. It has been a fantastic trip so far, but obviously everything has just been leading up to the reason why I came and I didn’t really believe it and then the time ticks on, and you realise the game should have started over two hours ago.
“I flew into London and I visited a friend and whatnot but it was the real reason I came. Obviously you try and make the most of it, you don’t want to just fly in and out, especially because it’s my first time in the UK.”
He said that despite the disappointment, he “completely understands” the decision to postpone the derby.
“I know there’s been a lot of really bad things that have happened in the past … having so many fans in that stadium, you want to make sure everyone is safe.
“It’s definitely the right decision, but it still doesn’t hurt any less.”
Mr Clark emphasised his huge dedication to his team.
“I have been a massive Everton fan for about two decades, dating back to originally watching Steven Pienaar. It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with Everton.
“I’ve met great people along the way who are Everton fans as well.”
Mr Clark said he will likely watch Everton play in person in the future, but he is unsure when this will happen due to the financial cost of coming to the UK from South Africa.
“I’m a teacher so, realistically, probably not anytime soon. I’m getting married in April, and the budget will be quite tight. This one was a bit of a spur of the moment when my holidays ended and I had some money saved up.
“I really hope to be able to return to watch our last derby at Goodison, however, financially I do not think it will be possible.
“I’ve been a huge, huge Everton fan for a very long time, so I definitely think that I will be back, I’m just not sure when.”
