Quietly they stood in the queue, stretching far beyond the door of the main reception at St Helens, to pay their respects to the former Liverpool manager Matt Beard. Once inside, an image of Beard and his trademark smile was displayed on a screen above a table where red and white flowers – one bouquet accompanied by a handwritten note expressing love from Sunderland – lay next to the books of condolence that were quickly filling up with messages of love.
The scene was so sombre, it was, momentarily, difficult to imagine there was a game of football to watch, but soon the Liverpool fans were inside the stadium for the first match since the news of Beard’s sudden death at the age of 47.
