Prospect of Reds-letter day as big match and baby due date coincide

YOU’LL Never Walk Alone to the maternity hospital.

An amateur soccer player may be humming that to himself when, or if, he takes the field against the might of Liverpool.

David Hall astonished his Dunmanway Town XI teammates when he wrote to the Merseysiders asking for a game.

They were even more gobsmacked when The Reds – five-time European Cup winners – said yes.

Needless to say, Mr Hall was on cloud nine, until Liverpool picked August 6 for the game – it happens to be the day his wife, Sophie, is due to give birth to their first child.

So now he’ll be carrying a hospital bag as well as a kit bag into Mary Immaculata Community College, Dunmanway, on the day of the David v Goliath clash.

Ms Hall intends to attend the historic match too, despite it being D-Day for her.

“I’m going to the game with my parents. But you never know what will happen, David could be called off at half-time,” she said.

The 28-year-old manager of The Body Shop in Patrick Street, Cork, said she wasn’t one bit surprised Liverpool picked the same date.

“It did come as a bit of a shock at first, but then David doesn’t do anything by halves,” she said.

Ms Hall needn’t worry if she blows the maternity whistle before the 90 minutes are up. Mr Hall knows where his real priorities are.

“The baby is much more important, even though it’s a match against Liverpool. I’m quite prepared to leave the pitch should Sophie give the word. I just hope I get to play a few minutes at least, that would be nice,” he said.

In the meantime, Mr Hall has attended meetings with FAI officials to prepare for the game, which is set to be watched by 6,800 fans.

“All these meetings were being juggled around antenatal classes. I haven’t told Liverpool or the FAI about Sophie expecting on match day,” Mr Hall said.

Ms Hall will be in good hands if she has to rush to the hospital – her husband is a doctor.