Australian Everton fan travels 10,000 miles for called-off game

[Pelican Press 0]

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*********** Everton fan travels 10,000 miles for called-off game

Family handout

Mackenzie’s uncle had given up his season ticket for the teenager for the derby

A teenage Everton fan who flew from Australia to see the last Merseyside derby – only for it to be called off – has been invited to meet his heroes.

The Premier League game between Everton and Liverpool was

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Mackenzie, from Sydney,

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, which was due to be the last derby at Goodison before Everton move to a new ground next season.

But the BBC can reveal that the teenage Toffees fan has been invited by team captain Seamus Coleman to go to the club’s training ground to meet the players on Monday.

Speaking about the game being postponed, the 15-year-old told

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“I was a bit shocked because it is a bit unheard of for games to be cancelled like that.

“I was a bit sad. I wanted to be part of history.

“It was a last minute decision to come. I really wanted to see what it was like at the last derby.”

Seamus Coleman sent Mackenzie a video message in which he said he was “disappointed as well”.

But the fullback told Mackenzie he “would love to see you down the training ground”.

The teenager said: “That’s amazing news. Every cloud has a silver lining.”

Mackenzie’s mother Rita was born in Liverpool and many of his Everton-supporting family still live in the city.

The teenager had asked his mother if he could attend the last Goodison derby game back in March, but was told it was too expensive as the family had just come back from England.

PA

Two electric scooters blown over in the wind outside an empty Goodison Park after the postponement

Mackenzie had said that he “did not know whether he could get the time off school” or whether his mother “would let him travel half way across the world” for the game.

Undeterred, he saved up his cash and got his mother’s blessing for the 10,000-mile trip.

He arrived in England in time to see Everton beat his

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Everton have played at Goodison Park since 1892 but will move to their new 52,888-capacity stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock for next season.

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