Why do you back Liverpool?

[hubbabubba]

LOL, oh these are the days when all liverpool supporters rejoice!

I think its a requirement for our success to be tinged with unease... can we keep up the form? Can we REALLY compete and beat the best?! Personally, I agonize over our defeats... but I think I'd actually get bored if we were guaranteed a win all the time, or if we won just because we had the money to buy our team... So, for me this year has been utterly frustrating! But also utterly captivating as well...

I first got the red rash, and began supporting this team as a 14-year old immigrant from the US to the beautiful game in Cambridge in 1984. Not knowing any better I cheered our lads on to their European glory not knowing anything of why Liverpool winning the European Cup was so special that year. In fact, mostly I remember the travesty of the stand fights before the game... My family moved back to the US in 1985, but it didn't matter, I was a red, even though I wouldn't see the team on the TV again until the days of McManaman and our forays into the UEFA cup in the early 90's.

Fast forward to the years under Houllier, and the frustration of seeing a team with history struggle with the question of whether the occasional foray into Europe was good enough, and I've been very happy with these last couple of years...

I'm not here because Liverpool has been dominant in the Premiership... I'm not here because Liverpool beat AC Milan to win the CL trophy... I'm here because in 1984 the working man was getting the shaft (don't think because "you can take your hat off" it's all okay again, 1984 was the year of the coal strike and Thatcher was screwing the working man...), and the club from the the "working man's" city was giving people hope, and THAT is why you have a team with the name from a city play...

And you can see it in the heroes of the team, and in the way the Kop decides if our latest "top signing" is gonna fit or not, that psyche, what it means to be a "Red" still lives on...

That is why I back this team, and why I'll keep backing them regardless of whether Benitez is the boss, or if Gerrard is still here... It's because when Kenny Dalglish looks at Torres, he says to him, be true to the Kop... and they'll always have your back...

It's not about whether they win or not (although I'd prefer if they win...), it's about whether this is the "working man's team" and if they show up all these other clubs who cater to TV markets, and jersey sales, and profit margins.

So why do you support Liverpool? And how does this inform your take on how things are going right now this year with the reds?

[el-capitano]

Good post mate- there's another good thread on this just over .......... here (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=314633)

;)

YNWA

[LiverpoolFanatic]

This should be stickied. We end up having one of these every six months to a year. Personally I find them interesting since we have so many Reds from all over.

[el-capitano]

Maybe stickied and merge all of the old threads into one? I think 26 should trawl back through all of the threads, & find them all for a big merge? He's got nothing else to do! :D

[RCCook]

A buddy of mine convinced me to start following the EPL at the start of the 2005-06 season. I decided to watch every match I could, and read up on as many teams' histories as possible, before deciding on a club.

After a couple weeks, I decided to narrow it down to three clubs whose history I found interesting, and who had players that I had enjoyed watching- Villa, Arsenal, and Liverpool.

Then I watched the Super Cup game against CSKA Moscow, and Liverpool's brilliant comeback win. That match, along with the incredible history of the club, and their wonderful fans (among which I now count myself) won me over, and I've been Red ever since!

There was also one other factor- the fact that Liverpool has players from England, Ireland, Holland, and Spain, and that a number of their past stars were Scots- those are the five nations I claim ancestry from.

[Navieko]

Liverpool is the first team that I've seriously began following in the EPL (2005/2006). Before that, I'd occasionally watch Aresenal games just because I loved their style of play -- but at the time I was young and didn't really know any better, or any of the other teams other then that of Manure etc...who for some reason I've always hated. It was then I found out that my boy 'Arry was playing for Liverpool, so thought I'd see how he was going. From that first match, I was hooked. Ironically the commentator went through a lot of the teams history in that match -- which helped make my decision. Liverpools just my type of team. Always seem to be underdogs, yet consistently come out as topdog when it matters. That shows the amount of spirit the team has -- and over the time I've become more and more pulled in. I wake up every weekend at around 1-3 am to watch the match...haven't missed one yet, and never plan on doing so.

YNWA

[liverbird]

Because it is the best football club in the world --full stop.

[StiltonFC]

Oh, maybe I support Liverpool because I'm not an utter tosser...

[USvsIRELAND]

Raised by my dad to be a supporter, although I've never been to Anfield, or Liverpool for that matter.

I had my first kit when I was 6 :D

[Twenty26Six]

Maybe stickied and merge all of the old threads into one? I think 26 should trawl back through all of the threads, & find them all for a big merge? He's got nothing else to do! :D

Leave it to another moderator to find work for another moderator!!!

Maybe if I have time I will do it over the weekend. And, then I'll solve world hunger. Right after I e-mail Rafa he tactics dossier for Sunday. ;)

[AnyLuckForEngland?]

Even though I was born in England...I had a bad experience playing football in NYC, had a horrible coach, got picked on by his son...and when I fought back he benched me the rest of the year.

So I casually liked football (but not a big fan) until I went back to England during the summer of 1998 and spent time with my family in Essex. I watched the World Cup and fell head over heels for the play of a young Michael Owen.

I latched onto the club then casually...but even before Michael Owen left...a boy named Steven Gerrard caught my eye. Liverpool were cemented as my club from then on.

Brought to the club's doorstep by Michael Owen, but kept there by Steven Gerrard. When Michael Owen left for "glory" (snort), I stayed and never left.

Liverpool for life.

[ForeverRed]

I started watching English football in the late 90's. My brother's favorite club was the mancs. I had been a Bayern fan but when players like Ziege and Hamann moved England and eventually to Liverpool I started paying more attention to the club since they were two of my favorite players And when the mancs beat Bayern in the CL final in 99 I was even more adament about supporting the club that they have a traditional rivalry with.

Also, being that I play as a defender, I became a huge fan of the Henchoz/Hypia partnership, particularly Sami who I thought was a monster defender.

[CCSC_STRIKER20]

Like someone brought up before, but I will tell my story once again.

I was ten years old the summer of 1998. I had first started playing club soccer this summer, and it happened to be the summer of World Cup 98. Since the USA were very disappointing in France, I watched two other teams, England and the Netherlands. England because we housed English coaches at our house during the summers, because they came over to coach our club teams. And the Netherlands, because my dad was a huge fan of them. Two players caught my eye, Michael Owen and Dennis Bergkamp.

After that I saw the occassional game on television for the next couple of years, but mostly just national team games (USA friendlies and qualifying, Euro 2000). I got to watch Liverpool and Arsenal games more regularly after 2000, and I had to choose. I chose Liverpool, but I was still young and didn't understand true support. But Liverpool was my team, my parents bought me kits, posters, dvds, and I would play with them on my FIFA video games.

I have gotten to see Liverpool win a good number of cups in my short time as a supporter. But I would really like to see them win the league, then I could have stories like the older supporters who have seen Liverpool win the league.

My favorite players over the years have been Hyypia, Finnan, Fowler, Gerrard, Owen, and Garcia.

YNWA

[Kilteddj]

Being from Scotland, when I was a wee nipper I idolized a certain Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish, I was positive that I had the dribbling skills and sublime shot skills that Kenny possessed, but at around 7 years old, you always do. I always supported the National team and at that time (early 80's) we had a whole host of Scot's in the Liverpool team. Besides King Kenny, there were Hansen, Souness, Nicol, Gillespie, and Wark to name a few Scottish ex-reds. Aside from the patriotic effect, I used to watch in awe as Rushie used to score goals for fun and IMO he was probably the best marksman in the world around the latter part of the eighties. Growing up I have held LFC close to my heart and have learned now that it's not being the supporter of a football club, it's a way of life......Red blood through and through, til they put me in the ground to rest.....YNWA

[liverbird]

Being from Scotland, when I was a wee nipper I idolized a certain Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish, I was positive that I had the dribbling skills and sublime shot skills that Kenny possessed, but at around 7 years old, you always do. I always supported the National team and at that time (early 80's) we had a whole host of Scot's in the Liverpool team. Besides King Kenny, there were Hansen, Souness, Nicol, Gillespie, and Wark to name a few Scottish ex-reds. Aside from the patriotic effect, I used to watch in awe as Rushie used to score goals for fun and IMO he was probably the best marksman in the world around the latter part of the eighties. Growing up I have held LFC close to my heart and have learned now that it's not being the supporter of a football club, it's a way of life......Red blood through and through, til they put me in the ground to rest.....YNWA

Damn good post.

Another Liverpool supporter:


http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/71159681.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF193875DCB1DD8387ABBB948BCB7D92D66DBA40A659CEC4C8CB6


"Do you actually like haggis?
= No, I think it's repellent in every way. In fact, I think most Scottish cuisine is based on a dare."


"You know, Scotland has its own martial arts. Yeah, it's called ******** You. It's mostly just head butting and then kicking people when they're on the ground."

[liverbird]

Being from Scotland, when I was a wee nipper I idolized a certain Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish, I was positive that I had the dribbling skills and sublime shot skills that Kenny possessed, but at around 7 years old, you always do. I always supported the National team and at that time (early 80's) we had a whole host of Scot's in the Liverpool team. Besides King Kenny, there were Hansen, Souness, Nicol, Gillespie, and Wark to name a few Scottish ex-reds. Aside from the patriotic effect, I used to watch in awe as Rushie used to score goals for fun and IMO he was probably the best marksman in the world around the latter part of the eighties. Growing up I have held LFC close to my heart and have learned now that it's not being the supporter of a football club, it's a way of life......Red blood through and through, til they put me in the ground to rest.....YNWA

Damn good post.

Another Liverpool supporter:


http://estaticos01.cache.el-mundo.net/elmundo/fotos_gente/2006/06/09/1149874754_extras_fotos_gente_0.jpg


"Do you actually like haggis?
= No, I think it's repellent in every way. In fact, I think most Scottish cuisine is based on a dare."


"You know, Scotland has its own martial arts. Yeah, it's called ******** You. It's mostly just head butting and then kicking people when they're on the ground."

[Kilteddj]

[quote=liverbird;13478799]Damn good post.


Watch them, they only come around but once a year....