This month, HEMELnews spoke with Jack Stickings, the brains behind ‘Hemel Anfield’.
The story begins with Jack’s father transforming their garden into a mini-Anfield, the home of his favourite team Liverpool FC, to cheer his son up as he went through health struggles.
When Jack went on to have children of his own, he decided to replicate his beloved childhood garden at his home in Hemel.
Jack said: “It started as just a patch of grass and a goal. The main crux of it was that I wanted to replicate it for my boys, and to show that anything is possible in a council house garden through recycled materials and a bit of imagination.”
Jack and his three sons, Mason, Bobby and Tommy, have spent more than five years crafting their own Hemel Anfield. They have used Hama Beads to create portraits of former and current players, and the garden includes the iconic Kop stand, an Anfield Road sign, and its very own floodlights. The Hemel Anfield Facebook group now has nearly 80,000 followers.
The boys’ giant model of Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has even made the journey to Anfield. They charged fans to take photos with their creation in order to raise money for the LFC Foundation, a charity which supports deprived communities across Liverpool.
Jack continued: “Last season, someone from the club saw the garden and invited us to Anfield. We didn’t know why we were going, but we ended up meeting the head groundsman, who asked Mason to help for the day.”
The family is planning on adding a roof to the mini-Kop and is hoping to continue making the mini stadium even bigger and better.
To donate to the LFC Foundation, please visit
www.shorturl.at/frUZ6
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