LFC announce first visit to Australia
Liverpool FC will make history this summer by visiting Australia for the first time after the club announced today that it would play in Melbourne as part of a 2013 pre-season tour presented by Standard Chartered.
The Reds will take on A-League side Melbourne Victory on Wednesday, July 24 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Tickets go on general sale on Thursday, April 11 at 9am and can be purchased from www.ticketek.com.
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Today's announcement follows news that Liverpool will visit Thailand for the fourth time as part of the same summer tour.
Liverpool's visit to Melbourne is just one element of a programme of activity - on and off the pitch - that the club is delivering in 2013 to bring Australian fans closer to the team.
As well as a full LFC squad, the club will be bringing over staff from the Liverpool FC Foundation to carry out work in the community throughout the visit whilst an official LFC Facebook page has been launched exclusively for Australian fans to complement an official LFC Australia and New Zealand Twitter account - @LFCANZ - launched in January.
Ian Ayre, Liverpool FC managing director, said: "This will be the first time that the club has visited Australia to play a match and we are delighted to be playing against Melbourne Victory, one of the most successful clubs in the A-League.
"We know we have a large fan base in Australia and New Zealand and this visit shows our commitment to bringing the club closer to our fans all over the globe, no matter how far away from Anfield they may live. We are very much looking forward to playing in Melbourne and giving our supporters a chance to see the team up close."
Anthony Di Pietro, Melbourne Victory chairman, said: "Liverpool is one of the most famous clubs on the planet and the fact that they've opted to play Melbourne Victory on their first ever tour to Australia is great recognition for our club and the progress we've made in our short history.
"This truly is a momentous occasion for not only football fans, but sport fans in general, and where better to host such an event than one of the world's most iconic sporting arenas - the Melbourne Cricket Ground."
Allen Clennar, CEO of Standard Chartered Australia, said: "We are proud to sponsor Liverpool Football Club and their tour of Asia and Australia. Our clients and customers all across Asia are very much looking forward to the tour matches in the region."
Football Federation Australia (FFA) CEO David Gallop said the Melbourne Victory versus Liverpool match would be a 'marquee occasion that will excite football fans across Australia'.
"Liverpool is a famous and hugely popular club, but they will find that Melbourne Victory has built an amazing following in just eight seasons," he said.
"The match will showcase all that's good about the Hyundai A-League after the best-ever season for the standard of play, big crowds and record TV ratings."