Mighty Red delights kids
More than 50 young Liverpool fans got the surprise of their lives this afternoon when the club's cheeky new mascot Mighty Red made his first ever public appearance at a kids' party at Anfield.
The launch event, held at the Boot Room Sports Cafe, was attended by local children aged between four and 11, who all received a limited edition 'golden ticket' to attend the party which marked the start of a new concerted campaign to enhance the experience of the club's young fans.
European Cup winner Alan Kennedy also put in an appearance to keep the kids' parents happy while the little ones were being entertained.
Having arrived at 5pm, all the kids got to have their picture taken with the Carling Cup trophy in the museum before being led into the Boot Room Sports Cafe to take part in a fun 15-question quiz before playing party games with the winning children walking away with some fantastic LFC prizes.
With a Boot Room buffet out of the way, it was time for Mighty Red to make his grand entrance - much to the delight of the kids - dancing his way into the room to the sound of 'You'll Never Walk Alone'.
"I couldn't believe it when he walked in," claimed six-year-old Daniel from Wavertree. "My mum said there might be a special guest but we weren't expecting to see Mighty Red today."
Nine-year-old Lauren from Tuebrook was equally impressed - even if her younger sister was a little unsure at first. "I thought Mighty Red was well cool," she said. "But I think my sister was a little bit shocked when he first walked in. Then he started doing his mad dance and she loved it."
An even bigger hit than Mighty's dance, however, was when he handed out packed LFC goody bags to each and every kid at the party, much to the delight of eight-year-old Sean from West Derby. "The goody bag was brilliant!" he said. "This has been one of the best parties ever!"
The final words have to go to Mighty himself though - so how was it?
"It was great! I'm always up for a fun party, especially ones that have candy floss! As a massive Liverpool FC fan, I love meeting and hanging out with other supporters - it's always a good time. There were even a few kids here who had almost as much energy as I do!"
So what will you be doing next season?
"When I'm not in school, in detention, or playing footy with my mates, I get to go with the Liverpool FC Foundation to meet kids all over the world! I feel like the luckiest LFC supporter ever. I'll also be working on my great dance moves and footy skills for the next party!"
Scroll down to see more from tonight's event and make sure you check out Mighty Red's official Facebook page for even more fantastic pictures.