Liverpool FC Forum

by **JBG** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 8:38 pm

I love supporting Liverpool and love being a football fan. The debates, the highs and lows and those moments of ecstacy you get with a win or piece of skill and that small moment of belonging to a huge family that following a team can give you. I love the immediate bond you get with another person when you realise you follow the same team and watch the same sport. I love those moments when a goal is scored and your jumping around with strangers as if you've known them all your life.

When I used to go to the Kop regularly and when it was still terracing I stood in the same place as most people do I guess and after a while you get friendly with people who do the same as you. It starts with a alright mate when you get there and slowly progresses to conversations about the team. I was walking in Liverpool city centre one weekday when I bumped into a bloke who I stood by in the Kop and although neither of us knew each others names and still don't we ended up having a few pints together and inevitably discussing the team, players etc. In fact we even talked about other things like work and music and left with a see you at the next home game. Now books have been written about the hooligan thing and how people fall into it etc but how about people who just get to know each other simply because they support the same team and don't get involved in trouble etc, just support their team. I guess nobody wants to hear about a safe journey but everybody stares at accidents.

As I stopped going because of several reasons and my trips to the ground became less and less you kind of find other things to do and your Kop family becomes more part of your past. Now for me in a completely bizarre twist I find myself now drawn to the Internet and the chat rooms, which is ironic as I've seen these as weird things to be honest but its like opening up a link to my love with LFC. I enjoy the banter and the gossip and the feeling of belonging that only supporting a team can give you.

The debate I enjoy and hate the most is the one about Ooters as they are known. Now this puts me in a weird position to be honest and I think honesty is the best way of dealing with this subject. Now some LFC fans who are scousers have made remarks about non scousers but are quickly criticised by scousers who are quick to defend non scouse fans and we are all LFC fans etc and part of a worldwide family. Now as far as Im concerned LFC does belong to scousers firs and foremost as its their city and heritage but where does this leave me and millions of others. Now Im not going to justify why I support the club but I do and have never supported anybody else. When you end up supporting a football club, well for the majority of people anyway, that's it you support that club and nobody else. It comes down to being honest with yourself and Liverpool is the first and only result I care about, the only team I go berserk about when they win. I went to the play off finals to watch Cardiff win promotion with a lot of my friends who are Cardiff fans. Now for them it was one of their best days supporting the bluebirds and I had a great time with my mates and was made up for Cardiff and my mates, it was a last minute winner in the Millenium stadium and the whole place errupted and the city had a party. But deep down I knew it wasn't my team and I was cheering and jumping up and down with everybody else but it wasn't my team although I share the accent, and the same black sense of humour the South welsh have, but it wasn't my team.

I remember being in the Kop when Liverpool played Man Utd and the score was 3-3 with LFC coming back from three goals down. I stood in my usual place with familiar faces. At three goals down we were a bit narked as you can imagine, especially it being Man Utd. Behind us was a scouser in a LFC shell suit shouting his head off, encouraging others to do the same and the lad had tears in his eyes and rage on his face. There was no way this guy was giving up hope, no way he was conceding defeat. I don't know who he was but he had that mixture of rage and love of someone that loves his team so much that it does actually hurt. Not every story has a happy ending but we clawed back and equalised and could have should have won. The lad in the shell suit went mental along with everybody else and he then blended into the joyous crowd as everybody cheered and sung and clapped and embraced each other as you do. This lad however stood out at the darkest point and for our small section of the Kop he was the guiding light with his undying love and devotion. This guy was totally honest with himself and carried his love for the club on his sleeve, well literally as well with his choice of clothes. This is where it gets awkward for me.

If Im being honest my true love is Welsh Rugby. LFC comes extremely close and even wins every now and again but when it comes to watching my country play egg chasing Im closer to the fan I mentioned above. Ive had those moments with Liverpool and they are precious memories but I did say honesty is the best policy. So I went to the games with scousers and have a great respect for the city but I am an ooter. Deep down there is a divide and anybody that truly doesn't see it well you're a better man than me. Now the vast majority of scousers welcome fans from all over and Ive had banter and mick taking but no malice. My views were respected and Im still friendly with these guys that I shared my Anfield moments with, but with the thought in the back of my mind and probably theirs that I was and am an ooter. Now most of us are sensible and this kind of tribalism while it certainly exists does not prevent us from meeting and befriending others, but it still exists. When Scousers themselves welcome you with open arms and love the fact that you support the same team as they do you are stilll not a scouser. Should this matter. Yes and No. LFC is global but should always retain its heart and soul.

Where does this leave people like me. I cant support anybody else, I'm not Zoe Ball. Ive only had good experiences watching Liverpool so maybe I should just shut up about the whole thing. There is one more thing however.

Thank you to the club and supporters for welcoming me to your family.

© taff 2005

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