The postponement of the last-ever Goodison Park Merseyside derby just four hours before kick-off has ended a young fan's lifelong dream of seeing his beloved Everton play Liverpool at the Toffees' home ground.
Mackenzie Kinsella, 15, from Sydney, spent £1,500 to attend the match which was due to take place on Saturday afternoon before it was called off due to the chaos caused by Storm Darragh.
The teenager, who has been a die-hard Everton fan since birth thanks to his Liverpool-born mother Rita, saved his money so he could travel for two weeks to watch Sean Dyche's side in matches against Wolves and Liverpool.
But it was the Reds' arrival at Goodison that motivated his extraordinary journey. The Toffees, who have played in their famous old stadium since 1892, will move to their new 52,888 capacity ground at Bramley-Moore Dock next season.
Fears over the match's postponement were first raised on Friday when the Met Office issued rare red 'danger to life' warnings across Wales ahead of the damage Storm Darragh would cause. Orange warnings were issued along most of England's west coast.
Before the heartbreaking news, Mackenzie's grandmother Jo, 75, who is sheltering the teenager while she is in Britain, told the Liverpool Echo she was devastated to hear the match might be cancelled.
“I was sick when I heard that,” she said. “He came all this way, spent all this money and the game might be over.”
Storm Darragh is wreaking havoc across the country with winds of up to 150km per hour, causing travel chaos and damage and leaving thousands of people without power.
Liverpool said the late postponement was due to 'severe weather and high winds, which have also resulted in serious travel disruption in and around Merseyside'.
The decision not to go ahead with the match was made by the local authorities and not by the two clubs.
Liverpool said: 'Liverpool FC can confirm that today's Premier League match against Everton at Goodison Park, scheduled for a 12.30pm kick-off, has been postponed.
'This is due to the severe weather and strong winds, which have also resulted in serious travel disruptions in and around Merseyside.
'Following a Safety Advisory Group meeting this morning at Goodison Park, attended by officials from both clubs, as well as representatives from Merseyside Police and Liverpool City Council, it was decided that due to the risk to safety in the local area and the orange The warning for heavy winds that will remain in force until 6am on Sunday morning, today's match has been postponed for safety reasons.
'We realize this will be a major disappointment for supporters, but the safety of fans, staff and players is of the utmost importance. Information regarding a rescheduled date for the match, including ticket sales, will be announced in due course.”
Everton added: 'We apologize for any inconvenience caused and thank the supporters for their understanding.'
The decision to call off the Merseyside derby will be particularly disappointing for Mackenzie.
It comes as millions of Britons have been warned to stay indoors after Storm Darragh arrived in Britain last night.
Three million people in red wind warning areas received an emergency alert on their phones – as part of the government's 'risk to life' alert system – urging them to avoid driving and 'stay indoors if you can'.
Train services in parts of England and Wales have been disrupted due to track debris, and flight schedules are being delayed as airlines cope with the challenging weather. The situation has also led to the closure of outdoor venues, further adding to the chaos of the weekend.
The storm has disrupted travel across the country, with the train line to Liverpool from Crewe partially blocked due to an “obstruction on the track”, London Northwestern Railway said on X, formerly Twitter.
Liverpool is not among the worst affected areas – an amber weather warning was in place – but the planned race meeting in nearby Aintree was also called off due to Storm Darragh, which ravaged large parts of Britain.
“Today's Premier League match between Everton and Liverpool has been postponed due to safety concerns caused by adverse weather conditions,” the Premier League said in a statement on Saturday morning.
'The rescheduling of the match program will be announced in due course.'
Everton's match with Liverpool is the fifth match in England's top four competitions to be postponed due to the storm.
Two games in the Championship have also fallen victim to the storm: Cardiff's home game against Watford and Plymouth against Oxford United.
In League One, Bristol Rovers against Bolton has also been cancelled, while in League Two the match between Newport County and Carlisle has been postponed.
There will be no football matches in Wales on Saturday due to safety fears caused by the storm.
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