Beyond the sideline

With the roar of the crowd, Lara Brunt strides onto one of England's most famous soccer grounds.

The roar from the terraces is ringing in my ears and the harsh fluorescent light is hurting my eyes. ''This is Anfield'', the sign tells me, blunt and intimidating, and the expectant crowd drives it home. ''Li-ver-pool'', they chant, slowly and with feeling, over and over.

It sends shivers down my spine and I can understand why Chelsea captain John Terry devoted an entire chapter in his autobiography to the feeling you get from standing on this spot, anxiously awaiting an audience with some of the English Premier League's most fervent fans.

Descending the narrow stairs, I touch the sign for luck and emerge onto the lush grass of one of the most hallowed pieces of turf in the history of ''the beautiful game''.

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Published in Sydney Morning Herald Traveller. Copyright Fairfax Media.