Swiss Liverbirds Celebrates 25 Years of Friendship and Passion
On Saturday, June 13, 2026, our fan club celebrated its 25th anniversary in the stunning setting of the La Capitaine estate in Gland. In the vineyards, with Lake Geneva and Mont Blanc in the background, we gathered in the late afternoon under a bright sun around our “Capitaine” Aline, who organized the day with the help of former committee members and the support of the current committee.
In keeping with regional tradition, the festivities began with an aperitif, accompanied by a song composed many years ago and unearthed from the archives by Seb, one of the Swiss Liverbirds’ founding members. Our ‘Scouse star’, Andy Hodgson, then took to the stage. No stranger to Liverpool’s stages but delighted to be performing in such a different setting, he seemed to enjoy this idyllic backdrop and treated us to his usual repertoire, culminating in a memorable rendition of ‘YNWA’, sung in unison by all the members gathered around him.
The evening continued with an excellent meal, punctuated between courses by stories from former LFC player David Fairclough. With the help of Lee Rogan, a representative of the “23 Foundation – Carragher,” he took part in a Q&A session, much to the delight of the attendees, who were honored to welcome this player who wore the Liverpool FC colors from 1975 to 1983.
During the meal, a slideshow chronicling 25 years of our supporters’ club was projected onto one of the dining room walls. It brought back many memories for our longest-standing members and brought smiles to many faces as they saw the youthful faces of our founding members.
The committee also took the opportunity to present two checks for 2,500 pounds sterling each: one to the “23 Foundation – Carragher,” represented by Lee Rogan, and the other to the “LFC Foundation,” through David Fairclough. These donations were greatly appreciated by both ambassadors, who warmly thanked us while highlighting the importance of the work carried out by these foundations on behalf of the people they support.
As with all our gatherings, a raffle was held to raise funds for our upcoming donations. The lucky winners walked away with autographed jerseys—some signed directly by David Fairclough—while others were delighted to have contributed to a worthy cause.
Once the meal was over, everyone gathered in the estate’s carnotzet to enjoy a final mini-concert by Andy Hodgson. Like most of those present, he seemed swept up in the evening’s atmosphere, fueled by the delicious beverages from the La Capitaine estate—and, for some, by a few slightly stronger drinks…
In closing, I’d like to thank:
– Aline, Ninie, Georges, Pascal, and Manu, for their outstanding organization of this evening
– Colin, John, and Cathy, who were unable to attend that evening but generously donated prizes for the raffle
– Our three guests from Liverpool, whose dedication and willingness to help were greatly appreciated
– The OLSC management, via Lee Foley and Sophie Howard, who have supported us from Liverpool and went on to congratulate us on this wonderful anniversary celebration
– The ‘La Capitaine’ estate in Gland for their excellent hospitality and superb wines, as well as the caterers ‘L’effervescence’ in La Sarraz, who prepared a delicious meal for us
– My fellow committee members, who work tirelessly throughout the year to keep our wonderful supporters’ club thriving
YNWA, Papi