There are so many tales, some true, some apocryphal and some downright ludicrous that surroung the most famous stand in football, I thought it about time we had a thread about it. Especially as we seem to have a nice mix on here of people with long memories of the place and other people who have yet to visit. I got the idea after seeing this extract from a new book about Don Revie's first Championship-winning Leeds side. So, this to start us off ...
Thanks for this thread Matt. I am sure usscouse and I will be glad to fill it with tales of nostalgia! Another chapter will be written this weekend as I am 100% sure Jamie Redknapp will get an outstanding reception when he runs out on the pitch.
I’d left Liverpool (And England) for a new life in New Zealand just before Matt’s tale but my cousin told me of it. And you know what? I wasn’t surprised, the old standing Kop was my second home and I knew those people. Well maybe a little surprised, Billy Bremner had ‘earned’ the epitaph “The Dirty Little Dwarf” in Liverpool. Sometimes he made Danny Mills and Roy Keene seem like todays Saints. Billy always gave 110% on the field. Football was a little more physical back then with no yellow and red card system. I used to play in goal and back then if a goalie dropped on the ball forwards would kick his fingers to make him let go…You get a yellow if you give the goalie a dirty look now...!!! Good thread Matt, good tale to start.
It's stories like that that I can pull out when people react surprisingly when I tell them of my love for the city. Some MLS supporters will yell "You suck, a-hole" when an opposing keeper takes a goal kick, but I refuse to do that, because it goes against the respect shown opposing keepers by the Kop. I'll rag on them for other reasons, but I will not join in that particular act of derision.
I was going to bring up the appreciation for goalies the kop always shows but didn't know the best way to express it or to explain it properly. It is something I have seen knowhere else and it still astounds me. When Notts Forest were our main rivals, Peter Shilton was not a favourite on the Kop as not only was he their goalie but he was keeping Ray Clemence out of the England team. But even when we played Notts Forest in the European Cup at Anfield after a terribly dodgy penalty in the first leg at the city ground Shilts got a great reception at the beginning of the game. Now throughout the game we taunted him with "Tina. Tina" chants (name of some tart he was banging on the side) but after they defended like mad and went through to the next round, Shilts got a great round of applause at the end of the match. Respect for goalies is an unwritten rule on the Kop and I often wondered how that started. As Matt's story points out respect for another team's deserved triumph is very evident too. Tony Adams' Arsenal in 1989 springs to mind.
Good for you Lanky! The Kop has a tradition for welcoming Goalies. Bert Trautmann when city beat us 2-1 in the semi final replay and Tony Schumaker? after the marathon 3 game 5 1/2 hour European Cup match that ended in a “coin toss.” But the best goalie was the one…. Well, let’s go back to the week before this story. A set of DARTS were found in one of Goodison Parks goals (Hooligans!) and the media got the story… and the people were horrified…and the powers-that-be decreed that Everton had to form a dart throwing safety area behind their goals. So, the next week at Anfield a Koppite called the opposing team goalie over just before the kick off and handed him a “Dartboard.” The goalie (Can’t recall the name) nearly bust a gut laughing and “Hung it at the back of the net” It was there for a few minutes until the Ref spotted it and even he had to laugh. Teams and goalies liked Liverpool. The media never did, we were far too coarse for them.
He he he ... it has to be said though, the one constant exception to the goalie rule is Peter Schmeichel. All he ever gets is a chorus of "Fuck off Rudolf!". But hey - what are rules without exceptions. It's also always a bit harsh on the lesser European teams that come to visit and may not have heard of the tradition. Because, of course, if the goalie does not return the salute as he enters his goal area, the Kop immediately switches from applause to abuse. I remember in that mad game against FC Sion a few years back the goalie failed to applaud and was mercilessly slaughtered for the entire half. By the end, he was slicing goal kicks into touch, dropping catches and mopping his brow with the traditional goalie towel every other minute. Poor lad was a wreck. My recollections don't go back as far as usscouse and kopiteinkc (first match at Anfield was in 1981), but obviously the folklore attached to those early years of prominence is something any Red around this part of the world is steeped in. The biggest story is always that St Etienne game in 1977, of course. Too young for that one (although I have it on video) but I was fortunate enough to be one of the few hardy souls at "St Etienne Mk II" against Auxerre in '93. And the CWC semi against PSG and, of course, last season's memorable Roma game when Ged returned. There's nothing quite like a proper European night at Anfield. Nothing. No ground in the country manages to conjure up as special an atmosphere on such occasions as Anfield. Just count the number of times it is specifically eluded to in TV coverage and subsequent media reports. And then consider how often you see similar comments made about the Library or Sold Trafford. Anfield is unique.
Was that the game when Robbie backheeled the ball over a defender's head, ran around him, and one-timed it into the goal? One of my all-time favorites.
In ’65 we won the league championship after coming up from div. 2 just a couple of years earlier. And we won in style on a glorious spring Saturday against the GOONERS…!!! The last goal was a great short corner (just down from us at the Kop end) by I think Alan A’court. It was supposed to have been touched back to him by Callighan but he let the ball run through his legs for A’court to run onto for the FIFTH goal. “The crowd went wild” the team celebrated on the field and I turned to the guy next to me and yelled “You know that wasn’t a goal, A’court played it twice” And he screeched back Shurrupyehdafttwat we’ve just won the league…!!! I shut up and celebrated with the rest. Now I’ve got that off my conscience, we only won 4 - 0 LIVERPOOL 5 Arsenal 0
I can’t let this one go by. I don’t know when the term The Kop choir” was coined, it seemed we always sang and always laughed. It was always impromptu and 'always' spontaneous. One Saturday for our pre-match entertainment “they” brought a famous band leader up from London. He used to lead the Wembley Community Singing. Even brought out a dais for him to stand and he started with “Roll out the Barrel.!” So of course we all sang along with “Yes, we have no Bananas.” (Don’t ask) Then he tried another old London pub song. So we sang “Yes, we have no Bananas” After about 5 exasperating tries he gave up, took a deep breath raised his baton and started “Yes, we have no Bananas” All 28,000 Koppites joined in with “Roll out the Barrel” Funny, it was a long, long time before we had any pre-match entertainment again. After the game we’d repair back to the pub and croak at each other. We just didn’t have any voices left. 5 countries and 4 states ago and it’s just like yesterday “Gawd. I miss those days…!!!”
The night of the 24th of Jan 1900 they in their wisdom decided that we would attack and take Spion Kop. We, the old Liverpool Kings Regiment were amalgamated into the Lancashire Brigade. It was black and misty when we set out, joking that the Boers would shyte when they knew we were above them. We were assigned our positions just before dawn and as the light dawned over the velt, we REALIZED that the stupid Victorian, toffee nosed, aristocratic, inbred, barstids for officers had stopped us at a false summit. 300 yards short and below the boers……….!!! Nah…. That was me granddad. Honest. There were times during the wandering that I wished I could have two lives during Liverpool’s glory years. You just can’t have everything, Fun trying though. Old get...!!! That'll cost yis a pint if can get my chair on the plane next year...
OK! So that wasn’t the Kop you meant. As Matt said “There's nothing quite like a proper European night at Anfield.” And that was were we were heading, four big scousers in a Freddies Icecream van..! This was a special night…this was the semi-final of our first European Cup attempt. We’d played and laughed and became honourary Reykjavicians to the tune of 11-1 in the first round. The second round brought us FC Cologne and the epic 3 game, coin toss win. But this one was real. This one was against the top club in Europe at their peak. This one was International of Milan, the cream of Europe, and we were nobodies. Just a bunch brash young Scousers who didn’t know what to expect but were going to show them our game. Or Billy Shankley’s game at least..! There were 55,000 in the ground that day and about that many locked outside. First come first served then, no calling in on your cellphone and having your tickets delivered by courier! The atmosphere before the game, was electric, un-bloody-believable, It fairly throbbed in the Kop as we stood shoulder to shoulder, it seemed you could feel the pulse of the people around you pounding along with yours. JUST THREE DAYS EARLIER LIVERPOOL HAD WON THE FA CUP AT WEMBLEY for the first time in our history and we were ready for more. And just when it seemed we couldn’t get more excited, more wound up, or louder… Inter came out onto the pitch. Simultaneously Gordon Milne and Gerry Byrne came out with the FA CUP FOR A VICTORY LAP. It was shear bedlam and Inter were in the middle of it all just standing stunned, we screamed, we yelled, we howled. I SWEAR THAT’S WHEN MY EAR DRUMS WENT…!!! A lessor team than Inter would have got on the bus right then. From the kick off Liverpool took it to them, and took them apart. Inter never had the time to settle into their game of control and make the other team run. They never had a chance. It was all Liverpool, all attack in flowing, precision, passing waves. Just a couple of minutes into the game Roger Hunt took a dainty pass from Cally and hooked it into the Anfield end goal. Inter were stunned, this was just supposed to be another stop on their way to another EC. Their eyes had that shocked stare of someone caught in a blast and they were. Just when you thought that they were going to collapse Mazolla got away from Rowdy and pulled them back 1-1. From then on it was all over. They did collapse, Cally scored from a free kick, Roger hit another that was too hot for the goalie and the Saint nipped in for 3. Liverpool had a couple of goals disallowed, I think the ref or EAFA said no more allowed, this is Inter. Liverpool and the Kop took over “Santa Lucia” was the song of the night with the words “Go-o backa to Ital-ie,” they say it was heard at the Pier Head!….and the shocked Italians did go home. And left what was arguably the best game of many great games played at Anfield and in front of the Kop. And you kids missed it...
I've not yet been to Anfield, so my impressions of the Kop are based solely on things I've read, and watching games and old goal videos. My best ever ebay purchase (and a steal at just 2 pounds) was a book from 1993 titled, "The Kop - The End of an Era." Written/Compiled after the Taylor report it marked the end of the terracing, and the move to an all seated Kop end. It is full of articles from the Echo and the like, as well as brilliant anectdotes from players and Kopites themselves. What follows are excerpts from the book. From The Liverpool Echo, Saturday 25 August, 1906. -The Ground has been completely walled in with fancy brick setting, with large exit gates on the four sides along with numerous entrances. Therefore, there will be no difficulty in either entering or leaving the enclosure. The directors' aim has been to provide as compact and as comfortable a ground as possible in which every person, no matter what position he may visit, will have a full view of the game. The pitch has been raise 5 ft with a paddock all round. Roofed-in stand accomodation will be plentiful, and at one end will be an elevated terrace consisting of 132 tiers of steps which will afford space for something like 20,000 spectators. The entire scheme is modelled on a new departure from what football grounds are generally supposed to be, adn when completed it will provide ample space for about 60,000 visitors. Some memorable quotes from the back cover... "When there is a corner-kick at the Kop end, they frighten the ball." Shankly "The whole Kop was chanting my name. I felt like a million dollars. It was terriffic." Phil Thompson "There was this aura about the Kop. They were the people, they were the fans, they were the heart and soul of Liverpool Football Club." "The Kip in its glory is an awesome thing, rising and roaring like a volcano, obliterating rival supporters and teams alike." Craig Johnston. And my favorite little story.... John Stile - Kopite A few seasons ago, when feelings between Liverpool and Manchester United supporters were at an all-time low, the two clubs dicided to try and improve matters with some pre kick-off gestures. First of all, the two teams came out of the tunnel side by side, which in itself was quite unusual, but even more unusual was that they both ran to the opposite ends they would normally go. So Liverpool ran down to the Anfield Road End, while United came to the Kop end. The intention was to wave to the supporters and kick a dozen or so balls to the fans for them to keep, before going down to their normal end. So United came racing down to the Kop end to be greeted by a wall of whistles. The then proceeded to kick all these balls into the Kop. But then, in an equally symbolic getsure, the Kop threw the lot back at them. You had to laugh, it was brilliant. One more... Phil Thompson I always remember my first game as captain of Liverpool. I was dead proud. I was a Livepool lad, and here I was captain of the side. Anyhow, that first game we were all in the tunnel ready to come out and we all got the signal to lead off. So I ran down the tunnel, up the steps and onto the pitch. I made straight for the Kop, pleased as anything. Ther was a bit of a cheer to begin with, then everybody started laughing. I couldn't understand it. Why were they laughing at us? Then I turned round, and to my horror, I saw that I was all by myself. The rest of the lads were up at the tunnel, laughing themselves silly. They knew I was all keyed up for it an really looking forward to leading the team out, so they thought they'd let me go by myself. I was so embarrassed.
Kop Humor, from the same book. Stephen F Kelly - Writer The Kop can be wickedly cruel. Tommy Docherty once felt their barbed sense of humor following a marital misdemeanor. It was after his affair with Mary Brown, wife of United's physiotherapist, had been exposed by the newspapers. When Docherty next appeared at Anfield, the Kop was in full voice. "Who's up Mary Brown," they sang, to the tune of "Knees up Mother Brown." But perhaps the most memorable was the day when Peter Shilton came, a great goalkeeper and always one of the Kops' favourites. Only weeks before, Shilton had hit the front pages after he had been caught withe a certain lady called Tina. The Kopw as ready, and they ribbed him all afternoon. As he came running out towards them, up went the cry. "Who were you with last night?" A little later it was followed by "Don't cry for me Tina, Tina!" Poor Shilton, but you had to smile. The Kop could be very moralistic. And then there's the story of one bloke who has to wee. And his mate says to just go into the fella's pocket standing in front of him. "I couldn't do that!!" says the first guy. "Why not?" says the second, the guy behind you just pissed in your pocket, and you didn't seem to notice." I would have liked to have stood on the Kop in it's heyday. I think I would have fit right in. Bryan
Just reading these stories, then I wondered why my face hurt. I had this big grin stretched across it. Great memories…!!! I have a good one but it’ll have to wait until tomorrow now.
I went with Joe one Saturday, he was an ex Irish Guardsman and I was ex para. You could tell him, he was the little guy. Anyway we decided for some reason to go in the Anfield Road end, just 'cos we'd never ever been there before. It felt so diferent, strange, almost like going to an away game to see the 'Pool. Anyway just after half time Liverpool scored the first goal into the Kop end. Jeez...What a roar...!!! 20,000+ Koppites screeched at once, it was like getting caught behind a 747 when it spooled up. People were grabbing their hats, scarves were blown straight out from their necks. What a feeling and these people CHOSE to be there week after week.
I always remember the little clump of Anny Road season ticket holders (up on the left hand corner of the old stand, right by the Kemlyn) who took it upon themselves to create their own little section of diehards. They would stand amass every game, singing “Koppites are Gobshites!” and other such ribaldry. Naturally, the Kop took it in good heart and, for a while there, it was quite a to and fro. All very enjoyable. My favourite Kop chant is actually one that you don’t hear much at Anfield. It’s an away day special that is guaranteed to tingle the old spine when 4.000 of you in the travelling end are giving it full voice, clapping it out: “We are the Koppites the famous Koppites! (clap-clap) We are the Koppites the famous Koppites!”
Aaaah. One of my faves too. Up there with "C'mon you Mighty Reds", simple but amazingly effective. My latest addtion to this thread was part of the epic semi final matches we had against Arsenal in 1979 (?) My head was never good with dates. Anyway for you young 'uns this was before the days of penalty kicks to sort out drawn matches and that year we played Arsenal 4 times in the semis before the bastards beat us at Highfield Road (Brian Talbot scored if I remember right). Anyway we drew 0-0 in Sheffield, then played two replays at Villa Park (both 1-1) and then lost 1-0 in Coventry. Lots of poor Liverpudlians after those midweek journeys let me tell you. Now, one of the matches at Villa Park, Arsenal scored in the first minute (never remember if it was Stapleton or Sunderland who scored, I think Stapleton). Anyway for the remaining 89 minutes we hammered them. We slaughtered them, threw everything at them. Kenny Dalglish was in the form of his life and was twisting and turning and causing all kinds of problems. Credit to Arsenal, they defended unbelievably well and it all looked lost. Went into injury time and the ball was down at the other end of the pitch, and we somehow it got forward and a pass came to towards the edge of the box and Kenny turned and suddenly was open with only their goalie to beat and put it in. It was like the parting of the oceans, he had got open for the first time and finished it brilliantly. Now I have seen us win the league many many times, the FA Cup, and the European Cup and the UEFA Cup, all live and in person. But I have never witnessed a goal celebration like this one, ever. We were in the Holte End and for cup semis they split it down the middle in those days. So you had the travelling Kop on one side and the Arsenal fans on the other side with big nets in the middle (didn't stop the coins coming through). Well when that goal went in, we of course all went fucking mad. My cousin leapt up and flung his arms into the air (as you do!) and caught this bloke behind him right on the chin. Suddenly as we were celebrating, there was blood everywhere, the bloke had bitten into his tongue and his face was red with blood all over. My cousin being a sensitive Wirralite asked him "Are you ok, mate?". The answer, "Kenny fucking scored!"
After the excitement of out first foray into European competition and collecting our first FA cup we were all ready for our try at the Cup Winners Cup in the 65-66 season, (World Cup year.) First off we took on another top Italian club, Juvi. It was a pretty quiet match up, they won 1-0 at home and we did a clinical 2-0 at Anfield. This was in the days when Italian teams didn’t want to score they geared up just to stop anyone from scoring on them. Liverpool's flowing passing game cured that. Next game was a totally different one, these guys didn’t seem to care about the score as long as they put somebody in hospital…!!! Shanks called Standard Liege “The Bullies of Europe!” We took them 3-1 at home and 2-1 in Liege, Belgium. But if was tough duty. Some really gruesome tackles, the tabloids had a field day and they were on “Our side!!!” Honved held out 0-0 on their ground and went quietly 2-0 on our patch. And then there came the semis and CELTIC…!!! Celtic won the first leg at home and the tabloids wrote Liverpool off. As far as they were concerned Liverpool were as good as gone. But! Not as far as the Kop was concerned, we were pretty sure we could do it. It was a real wet Merseyside day, That fine drizzly, misty, damp when you feel like you couldn’t be wetter if you were under the bloody Mersey. But the atmosphere in the ground and Kop was fantastic, it wouldn’t damp us down. A great end to end game in the first half and then we scored. 1 – 1 tie the team with the next goal was going to the final at Hampden Park. Second half they were “defending” the Kop goal. (How the away teams hated that) and the crowd and the team were in full cry by then, we could smell blood. And then Cally slipped his marker on the right wing, the full back over reached and went down in the wet grass and Cally took off like a rabbit, sped on his way by a “Scotch Whiskey bottle” that came out of the paddock. (Empty of course!) and Liverpool scored…. “And the Crowd Went Wild” unquote! 2 – 0 was the final score. 2 – 1 on aggregate. A real phenomenon occurred when we scored, I’d never seen it before or heard of it since. When the ball went over the line, the Kop “Erupted” it was like a volcano blowing it’s top and the heat generated by 20, 000+ fans standing shoulder to shoulder suddenly going wild like that and the humidity caused a ’huge’ cloud of FOG to fill the Kop end. We ‘literally’ couldn’t see more than a foot or two. Then as the cloud hit the underside of the roof (That hadn’t been cleaned since the Boer war) It came down again as rain…thick black sooty rain…!!! Of course the Tabloids got it wrong, AGAIN! They ignored the score and played on their story of how the Kop fans were setting off smoke flares during the game. Speculated on whether it was phosphorus and let the world know how dangerous it was and irresponsible we were…!!! Footnote: Joe and I with a couple of other “Pool fans took the drive (and Freddie’s Ice Cream van) to Glasgow and Hampden Park to watch the final. Not a bad match, 1 – 1 at full time and in extra time they got their second. The Saint and Cally teamed to score right on time! but the ref deemed (Wrongly of course) that St John let the ball go over the bye line before pulling it back to the centre. We lost 2 – 1. Those Glasgow police have no sense-of-humour…!!! (different story)