A fan who has been to every Liverpool FC FA Cup final since he first went to Wembley in 1965 said he's made a "lifetime of memories" following the Reds.
Ernie Ashley is going to his 13th FA Cup final on Saturday after first making the hallowed journey to Wembley in 1965 to see Liverpool FC beat Leeds United 2-1 after extra time. The 78-year-old, now living in Woolton, told the ECHO "my life is football and I've made a lifetime of memories" as he recalled following the Reds home and away since he first went to Anfield with his dad when he was seven.
Despite seeing Liverpool FC win a hoard of trophies throughout the club's glory years Ernie said his best memory will always be going down to Wembley for the first time to see the club win their first FA Cup.
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Ernie told the ECHO : "We left the Farmer's Arms in Huyton to go down to London on the coach. We all had a wooden crate of brown ale that we left with the driver while we went off to the game as he wasn't interested.
"He told us to get back dead sharpish so we could beat the traffic but when we got back after extra time he was buried in the back of the coach singing his head off. We let him sleep it off so we went for a few bevvies around the bars in London - we could have celebrated there for a week. We'd just won the cup for the first time."
Ernie said he's "got a good memory" for all the games he's been to and certain games will stay with him forever. He was born and grew up in Huyton in a big family with eight siblings.
He said: "It was a proper community full of salt of the earth people who grew up to respect everyone". Ernie worked on Cunard ships during the 1960s and sailed all over the world but always found time to follow the Reds.
He first started watching Liverpool FC when the club were playing in the old Second Division. He has watched some of the Reds' greatest successes including the famous comeback against AC Milan in Istanbul in 2005.
The only final he has ever missed was Liverpool FC's Champions League final against Real Madrid in Kyiv after his flight was cancelled on the eve of the game. He recalled some of the greatest teams he's ever seen and named players including Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness as his favourites.
Ernie is going down to the game on Saturday and staying in Watford. He's looking forward to having "a couple of bevvies" and soaking up the atmosphere and cheering on the Reds at Wembley once again.
As a season ticket holder for decades he's recognised as a regular face at every home game and has noticed the changing crowds in the stadium around him. He told the ECHO : "A lot of my friends who I used to go to the game with have sadly passed away - everyone I went to the first FA Cup game with are no longer with us.
"I'm just dead lucky to be a season ticket holder and when I got my FA Cup ticket in the ballot I was made up. This will be my 13th FA Cup final - hopefully it's lucky 13.
"I've made a lifetime of memories that will stay with me for the rest of my days. My life is football, my whole life."
