THEY say matchdays at Anfield are always special and I can totally understand why.

When The New Paper visited Anfield on Saturday with TNP-Courts Anfield trip contest winner Gevine Choo, we were met with a sleepy town almost devoid of any activity.

Fast forward 24 hours later and the difference could not more stark.

The trip from Manchester, where we were staying, gave some indication on what was to come.

The 10.07am train from Manchester Piccadilly station was packed to the doors with mostly Liverpool fans and a mish-mash of Newcastle supporters.

The destination? The Liverpool Lime Street station, which is about four miles from Anfield.

To kill time, Choo and I took the opportunity to chat with Patrick, a German who was going to Anfield for the first time.

'I will actually be sitting with the Newcastle fans,' said the life-long Liverpool fan, who works as a bank employee in Germany.

'I tried to get tickets from the Liverpool website as soon as they went on sale, but they were all sold out already.'

Patrick devised a clever plan - he signed up online as a Newcastle fan, which allowed him to buy tickets for the match yesterday.

The only downside?

'Well, I have to really restrain myself when Liverpool scores,' he said, laughing.

Some 50 minutes later, the train stopped in Liverpool and released its passengers, as Liverpool fans from all over emerged under the sunshine and joined the mass of Reds supporters already milling about the city centre in their red, black or dark green jerseys.

As the bus left the city centre and made its way towards Anfield, the matchday atmosphere became more and more apparent.

Fans were making their way to Liverpool's homeground by all means - most were taking the bus, as were Choo and I, while others came in cars and cabs, jamming up the only uphill road that leads directly to the stadium. Some even took the opportunity of good weather to take a leisurely stroll to the game.

A short bus ride later, we arrived at the Paisley Gateway, situated right behind the Kop end of Anfield, the grounds were already buzzing with people, and it was only about 11.30am, two full hours before the start of the game.

Vendors were selling scarves, T-shirts and even framed photographs of various players.

Innovative

One innovative vendor even superimposed the faces of Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher onto characters of the movie 300, with the headline, 'Welcome to Anfield', hanging ominously over their heads.

As luck would have it, we were ushered into the compound for a quick tour at the same time where the Liverpool team bus arrived at Anfield.

The likes of Javier Mascherano, Xabi Alonso, Albert Riera brushed past us hurriedly into the dressing room, even before we had any chance to react.

'This is definitely the best day of my life,' said a disbelieving Choo, smiling absent-mindedly.

The time was 12.30pm, and we were seated in the top row in the Main Stand. The travelling Toon Army was already at it, singing non-stop as the Newcastle players took to the field to warm up.

The away fans would continue being the louder of the two sets of fans throughout the afternoon, with a few exceptions.

The only times where the Liverpool fans and the Kop drowned out the sounds of the fanatical Newcastle fans were when the strains of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' reverberated throughout the stadium.

And the fans only really came alive in the second half, when Xabi Alonso was fouled right in front of the Kop end.

They gave the injured player a standing ovation and cheered 'Xabi Alonso' as the crocked midfielder was stretchered off along the sidelines.

Then came the strains of 'Going down, going down, going down...', in relation to Newcastle's relegation troubles, which was compounded by Liverpool's 3-0 victory last night.

'It was a great game and we are still in the hunt for the title,' said a jubilant Choo at the final whistle.

Well, at least he got to celebrate all three of Liverpool's goals.

I wonder how my new friend Patrick reacted while standing among the Toon Army.