Raleigh by Railway, Page 2

Liverpool.

  “Monique, want to check out that bar down there? They might show the Liverpool match.”

  “Yes! Absolutely.”

  We walked only about forty feet to arrive at The London Bridge Pub. I pulled the door open and immediately felt at home. There was a framed Gerrard jersey on the wall and a white guy (one of the owners) decked out in a red-and-black Liverpool FC jacket. He welcomed us in and told us that they would indeed be showing the Liverpool – Rubin Kazan match. It was 12:53 PM.

  We took a seat on a cushioned bench with a high backrest. It was comfortable. I ordered two seasonal micro-brews for us.

  Soon the Raleigh Reds – Liverpool FC fans from Wake County – were filling the English-themed tavern. At 1:00 PM sharp, the Europa League match kicked off.

  Liverpool seemed to get the better of play in the first half. However, the score was nil-nil at the break. In the 52nd minute of the second half, Jordan Ibe put it in the back of the net, giving LFC a 1-0 lead. The bar erupted with cheers and familiar chants. The lead would hold up. We all sang YNWA (You’ll Never Walk Alone) after the referee’s triple-whistle to end the match. Tra-la-la. Wonder how deep the Mersey is at the mouth.

  Then a Raleigh Reds lad in a white LFC away jersey came up to our table and noticed our backpacks in the chairs.

  “Are you guys on a cross-country journey?” he drolly asked.

  “We’re on a Liverpool bar tour of America,” I replied.

  “Really?” he asked, totally believing my fallacious statement.

  “No, just an intra-state excursion,” I replied.

  “We took the Amtrak from Charlotte,” Monique tacked on.

  “I see. Raleigh by railway.” Well, there’s strike three. We’re out. Time for us to start heading back to CLT.