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A pair of young Liverpool FC fans sobbed as they heard the roars from the first goal going in against Huddersfield after they were left stood outside Anfield with no tickets.

Adam Spence, 11, and his seven-year-old brother Ryan travelled over from Belfast with their mum and dad to watch their first ever game.

But the boys were left outside the ground in tears after the person they paid for tickets let them down 90 minutes before kick-off.

While mum Angela and dad Stephen, both 39, desperately scrabbled to try and get tickets, the boys listened in tears as Anfield roared at Naby Keita's goal 16 seconds into the match.

Despite handing over £260 for four tickets nearly a year ago, the family missed the match and had to go back to their Travelodge empty handed.

Speaking to the ECHO from their Exchange Street hotel room, mum Angela said: "It's furstration. We are stuck in this hotel. It has been awful. We're both 40 at the end of this year and this is my husband's first time coming over and this was his first game.

"It was even worse because we came down to the ground then when the match started and the goal went in and the cheering and when they were singing You'll Never Walk Alone - they were in bits."

The family arrived on Thursday, April 25 and planned to make a weekend of their trip, returning home to Belfast on Monday, April 29.

Between flights, tickets, club merchandise, taxis and meals, Angela estimates the trip has cost them the best part of £1,000 - and they spent most of it sat in their hotel feeling let down.

Angela and Stephen knew a weekend trip to the match wouldn't come cheap, so they started planning the trip in June 2018, booking flights as early as possible to try to keep costs down.

Not being able to take his boys to their first game has been a massive blow for Stephen, who works as a heating engineer, and Angela who had to see her sons in tears at the ground.

Having never been to a game, the family asked a friend to get in touch with someone who had a contact in Liverpool that was able to get tickets, and handed over £260.

Angela said: "We ended up with the fella at home trying to find us someone. He knew a fella who knew a fella over here. We gave the cash to him in June and he passed it to a fella who passed it to a fella over here called Alex."

The family agreed to meet Alex at the Derry Club near Anfield - but 90 minutes before the game Alex texted Stephen to say he wouldn't be coming.

In a text seen by the ECHO, Alex said: "Hi Stephen it's Alex I'm so sorry but I've just been let down with seven tickets. I'm f***ing fuming. I won't be able to meet you at the Derry Club I'm so so sorry. I will get your money back as soon as possible."

However, Alex quickly stopped answering his phone and two days later has not responded to dad Stephen's requests for his money back.

Angela said: "When we got to the Derry Club the boys were so psyched up. [My son] asked if everything was okay and I said it must just be the reception. That was at 6.20pm - we had been there from 6pm.

"My little lad predicted it was 5-0 Liverpool. My eldest is the one who has taken it the worst."

Despite their terrible experience at the Huddersfield game, the family say the people of Liverpool have been kind and welcoming throughout their stay.

Getting to take a stadium tour earlier in their trip was a "dream come true" for the boys, who had their Mo Salah scarves and Liverpool hats all ready to go to the match.

Angela said: "When we went to Anfield Friday night everyone was so lovely and they were all trying to get tickets for us."

She added: "Everybody has been so so lovely. We went around to the little cafe around the corner and everyone is so lovely in this city."