A couple who wanted to fulfil their sons' dream of watching the Reds play at Anfield have been left heartbroken by a ticket scammer.
Edele McGirr and husband Declan decided to give their sons a special Christmas gift and organise a trip to watch Liverpool FC. Brothers Seth, 12 and Jack, 23, could not control their excitement when they found out they would be travelling to Liverpool for the Reds' Champions League match against Real Madrid.
But the journey from Northern Ireland has turned into a nightmare after the person supplying the four tickets disappeared. Now in Liverpool, the family have no tickets and no idea if they will get them in time for the game.
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Mum Edele told the ECHO her husband was introduced to the unknown man through his work as a bathroom sales person and once talking, was offered to chance to buy four tickets. She said: "He guaranteed us four tickets and originally my two boys, husband and brother in law were supposed to go but my brother in law has had a hip replacement so I came along.
"We got to Liverpool yesterday after visiting family in Nottingham. and it's been one disaster after another."
Facing initial issues with their Airbnb, Edele said more stress came when they had still not been sent the tickets they bought, despite repeatedly trying to contact the seller. She added: "The boys are distraught. It's their dream and they are devastated.
"Even today my husband has been trying to contact this man but he's not responding, even if we can just get our two boys in we will be happy. It's devastating, my son couldn't even eat breakfast this morning."
Both Seth and Jack have been life-long LFC supporters, with Edele supporting Liverpool ever since she met her husband.
Edele told the ECHO: "I don't know what's happened. Declan won't tell me how much he's paid because I'll probably cry but I'm heart-broken for my two boys. They are desperate to go, we are walking around Liverpool and there are Real Madrid fans, there's a brilliant atmosphere, even I started to get excited to go to my first match.
"My husband woke up this morning and said his heart aches, I just wish I could help, I'm feeling their pain. This man promised us the tickets and has kept putting it off and he's not answering phone calls or messages.
"We ummed and ahhed last week whether or not to make the trip but I have an aunt and uncle in Nottingham so we went there before coming to Liverpool and since then have been hoping and manifesting. They are just so sad and broken-hearted, it's been such hard work.
"We'd urge people to be very careful, we heard a family from Belfast caught the ferry last week, the tickets were on the father's phone, but when they went to scan it, it wouldn't work. If it wasn't for the kindness of two strangers who gave their tickets, the wee boy was crying outside.
"I believe the kindness of others makes the world go around but unfortunately there's a few people who don't have that kindness in their hearts."
Determined to make the most of their trip before returning home to Ireland, the family will be heading to Anfield later today to "soak up the atmosphere".
LFC urge people to take care when purchasing tickets, to buy from official sellers only, and to understand how to identify a forgery. According to the website, it is illegal to sell, or to offer to sell, tickets to Liverpool FC matches without the authorisation of Liverpool FC.
The website reads: "Liverpool FC is committed to tackling ticket touting, and those individuals that fraudulently harvest tickets/memberships to sell at vastly inflated prices. Liverpool FC have a dedicated team that investigate both online and offline illegal ticket sales and use a range of tactics and enforcement measures that help to combat ticket touting."
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