The Kop should be segregated from the rest of Anfield and preserved for ‘proper scousers’ only…
This is the pig-ignorant view of a growing minority of extremist Liverpool ‘fans’ who believe that anyone born outside Liverpool is incapable of being a proper fan.
It all sounds depressingly familiar. Apartheid anyone?
Apartheid is generally defined as: ‘A policy or practice of separating or segregating groups’.
The idea that the kop should be segregated just for 'real scousers' is a moronic idea, underpinned by insidious discrimination and xenophobia.
The further notion that Anfield would be louder and more intimidating if the Kop was full of scousers is also nonsense. In my experience, the dwindling atmosphere at Anfield is more to do with bitter, cynical scousers spending more time complaining about ‘wools’ than focusing on the game.
Respecting the worldwide fanbase
These same ‘true fans’ are the ones who always go on about how you can’t be a ‘real fan' unless you watch games at Anfield. This simplistic view ignores the practicalities and realities of the situation, illustrated by simple mathematics:
1. Anfield Capacity – 45,000
2. Worldwide fanbase – Millions+
Even if every fan *could* travel to Anfield, it would be impossible for the vast majority to even into a match. Tickets are ridiculously hard to come by and general sale is very limited anyway.
The simple fact is this: Without overseas and out of town (OOT) support, Liverpool FC would wither and die. Of course, proper scousers will never accept this point, claiming that they are the ‘lifeblood’
The vast majority of LFC's huge fanbase is outside Liverpool and the UK, but I suppose they should just be ignored them because they're not 'proper' scousers?
Proper scousers should be thanking the overseas and OOT town support, not denigrating them, as it is this support that provides the lion's share of LFC's merchandising income, which allows the club to attract top players and managers to the club.
Massive Scottish influence
I myself am a Scot, and I feel I have as great right as any 'proper scouser' to stand on the Kop, considering that a large part of LFC's enduring legacy was built on the shoulders of Scottish managers and players. Take away the Scottish influence from LFC and the club would still be languishing in division 2, a million miles away from the world class club it is today.
I'm proud of the Scottish impact on Liverpool, and it is this influence and the contribution of a multiplicity of different nationalities that has LFC has the greatest club in the world.
LFC's success has *never* been founded upon the talents of homegrown 'proper scousers'. *All* of Liverpool's success in the modern era has been created by managers and players born outside Liverpool. Hardly any homegrown players featured in the all-conquering sides of Shankly, Paisley, Fagan and Dalglish, which again makes a mockery of the idea that scouse fans should take precedence.
This should be reflected and *is* reflected in the worldwide fanbase, and to suggest that 'proper scousers' are better fans or should have priority on the kop is arrogance and ignorance in the extreme.
The fanbase is representative of the historical demographics of the club…and that’s the way it should be.
For more hard-hitting Liverpool opinions, please visit Jaimie Kanwar's Liverpool FC Blog: http://jaimiekanwar-
