An echo and empty seats became the norm throughout 2020/21, but the final day of the season paved the way for a long-awaited sight and one that led to “goosebumps” for the Reds.
The pandemic forced football behind closed doors and created a disconnect with the game we love, ensuring the countdown to the return of fans was everpresent – even if the exact date wasn’t known.
And while Liverpool were fortunate to have three games at Anfield with 2,000 fans in attendance in December, return to normalcy still seemed a way off as the UK continued to navigate COVID-19.
But the final day of the campaign saw 10,000 come through the turnstiles for what was an emotional day of celebration and farewells, and one that gave the team “goosebumps.”
“All the boys at Liverpool said when we ran out there were goosebumps because, sadly, we had become used to empty stadiums,” Robertson said of fans being back in stadiums.
“We are getting close to normality hopefully, in life in general, but in football as well. Yeah, it’s a wee bit different but having fans in stadiums makes a huge difference.”
It will have been a feeling shared amongst those at Anfield as it was the biggest crowd since March 11, 2020, and players nor fans will take it for granted after so long away from one another.
Robertson’s words come as Scotland kickstart their Euros campaign in front of 12,000 fans at Hampden Park on Monday, with the Czech Republic the opposition for their first game at a major tournament in 23 years.
“The fact we will walk out in front of fans again will be incredible,” Robertson continued.
“I would have loved it to be a full house, but what’s going on in the world now isn’t allowing that. But to have 12,000 in will be great, to have some of our family in will be even better.”
Dependent on UK guidelines, the hope will be that stadiums can return to full capacity, or close to it, by the time the 2021/22 season starts in mid-August.
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