LAST night, during Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Sion, I responded to a tweet from Rory Smith, my colleague at The Times, in which he stated that “the utter silence of English grounds in Europe has to be a small factor in poor results.” Sat at a near mute Anfield, I saw Rory’s point and raised it, replying “the culture of creating an atmosphere is dying,” an opinion that I have held for some time, and one which is hardening all the time.
What followed that exchange was a journey into the increasingly dark heart of Liverpool supporters and their often conflicting, polarising ideas of what is causing the atmosphere at Anfield to decline. One of the more pertinent suggestions — and one of the few put forward that will unite most, if not all — was that the standard of football being played by Liverpool is anything but conducive to making people want to sing or make any kind of noise beyond that caused by biting fingernails and tutting.
The problems started when Adam Kearns, a local Liverpool fan, put it to me that this is “what happens when clubs prioritise glory-hunting tourists instead of local kids.” I agreed, tweeting “Exactly” and then watched as tweet after tweet arrived accusing me variously of xenophobia, double standards or myopia. One of the more prolific critics even went as far as suggesting that I’d “disappointed a lot of people.”
@RorySmithTimes @JohnBrewinESPN The culture of creating an atmosphere is dying.
— Tony Barrett (@TonyBarretTimes) October 1, 2015
Who are these people I wondered and what have they been disappointed by? Has the idea of football tourism become so accepted that people now believe that tourists should be given priority? Does having access to a travel agent and the funds to make a visit to Anfield possible mean you should be given preference over local supporters? The conclusion that I came to — and no apologies to those who were disappointed — was that the outrage had emerged because people had somehow decided that tourists = foreigners = xenophobia, an absolute head wrecker of an equation that bears no relation whatsoever with the stance I had taken and continue to take.
First and foremost, Anfield is a public place. No one, regardless of place of birth, age or gender, has any more right to be there than anyone else. Liverpool is also an internationalist club with the mentality of the port city in which it is based and that means those from outside its boundaries will always be welcomed. The culture of its fan base has traditionally been Scouse but seeing as Scouse itself is a mixture of countless others from West Africa to Scandinavia and North Wales to Southern Ireland, it is a culture that always has been subject to outside influence and always will be.
Liverpool are a club of the city of Liverpool and its people but it also belongs, sometimes in different ways as a result of distance, to people from much further afield and anyone who pays not insignificant sums and travel thousands of miles to visit Anfield should be treated with the respect and comradeship that they deserve.
But, and this is where I go in a different direction, they do not deserve any kind of priority. Access and opportunity? Yes. Priority? No.
A combination of all-seater stadia, prohibitive ticket pricing and Liverpool’s own ticketing policies have made it difficult enough for young people from the city it is based in to support their team. Changing that has to be the priority, regardless of how much income is brought in from the thousands of tourists who now travel to Liverpool home matches. Match-going culture is not developed by going to one or two games a year; it grows out of repeated attendance, through regularly congregating with like-minded individuals and becoming comfortable enough in your environment to feel that your support makes a difference to the team.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – Saturday, September 25, 2010: Liverpool’s supporters on the Spion Kop stage a protest against the club’s American owners Tom Hicks and George N. Gillett Jr. after the Premiership match against Sunderland at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
As long as this type of fan remains disenfranchised, Liverpool Football Club will run the risk not only of alienating those whose support they should be able to take for granted, they will also undermine the atmosphere at Anfield and the idea of the twelfth man that they market because the customs and rites of passage that made all of that possible will be damaged, possibly even beyond repair. That process is already underway with many local regulars giving up on home games because they feel Anfield no longer represents them, while others have been priced out of going, but it is not irreversible.
When the Main Stand conversion is completed, Liverpool will have additional capacity on their hands for the first time in a generation and that means the chance exists to do something that can both preserve and protect the very fan culture that is in danger of being lost while at the same time serving the club’s best long-term interests.
One way or another — and I appreciate this is easier said than done — local youngsters have to be the ones given whatever priority is possible. Even if that means providing subsidised tickets to local schools, community groups and youth initiatives (something that Everton do to great effect) and profits from the additional capacity are not as great as they would be if it was given over entirely to corporates, Liverpool should still embrace it.
The alternative is to allow the average age of those regularly attending games at Anfield to get higher and higher, for the atmosphere to continue to deteriorate and for the fan culture that made Liverpool special to be lost for good.
None of this means supporters from abroad should not be as welcome as they always have been but it does mean that tourists should accept that, for the good of Liverpool Football Club, others should take priority rather than themselves.
If that makes me a xenophobe in the eyes of some so be it but I have no more hatred for foreigners than I have hairs on my head.
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Pic: David Rawcliffe-Propaganda Photo
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The problem is not tourists or new fans. The areas with these fans are the liveliest. The problem is an ageing kop. Back in the day when you reached a certain age you retired to the Kemlyn or main stand. Now kopites who were once young and exuberant are getting old and quieter whilst retaining their seats. There is no churn of support…no teenagers to give the atmoshere vibrancy. If you don’t want to sing, move out of the kop. Season ticket holder for past 35 years I’ve got old and stopped singing. The heart of the kop has gone I’m afraid.
I think yours have hit the nail on the head here.
Aging Kop deserves our utmost respect for keeping the fire burning through thick and thin before we were there.
Bring back the 2013/14 on field performance and the whole stadium (and the roads outside) will be rocking again!!!
I think despite the defence you put up here. You are simply wrong with your initial concept that the lack of atmosphere is down to anything other than what takes place on the pitch.
Liverpool have had “tourist” supporters for along as I supported the club from the 70’s. In fact coming from the West Midlands, I would be classed as exactly that by you. However all Liverpool fans are e same, they are Liverpool supporters whether they are from Hyton or Hawaii.
The reason the atmosphere has been so poor at Anfield recently is the distinct lack of passion in the players. In the past even against better teams the crowd would raise the roof at any given opportunity if the effort and desire was there from the team. Perhaps I’m getting old, but I cannot understand why the team is so lifeless on the pitch, I think it has to stop at the door of management, every single fan would sacrifice body parts simply to have had the chance toull on the shirt. Clearly this is not apparent to many of the players. There is simply no hunger. I get the impression even Brendan Rodgers doesn’t have the passion.
Blaming some obscure “tourist”phenomena is really a bit odd
Tourism in the 70’s was far less corporate and if joining The Kop, those newbies joined shoulder to shoulder. It was a lasting, longing impression.
You mention lifelessness on the pitch whilst denying it in the stands. That is patently false.
Despite the upturn in pressing, attacking intent and chances created – even when from kids in Europe or imbedding a striker – the crowd has been distinctly flat.
It is unfair that their misgivings about the manager should translate to our players, particularly if they are struggling for form.
Carlisle and Sion supporters were fantastic in a way only our away supporters are but they shouldn’t be out-singing Anfield.
fully agreed. If i were in the stadium last night against Sion, i wouldnt know what/who to cheer because the team played such a passion-less, flattest match.
Bring back the performance and the noise will be back automatically.
Or maybe bring back the noise and it will inspire great performances? I love the one-way street on this website.
Hi David,
Logically, starting point has to be on pitch performance, and the stadium noise will follow naturally.
because we cant artificially ‘create’ the stadium atmosphere.
i attended some 2002 world cup matches in Japan and Korea, where some empty seats for less popular matches were filled with school kids, holding red and blue plastic balloons and plastic flags. I would prefer a natural atmosphere other than artificially created noise (Senegal vs Uruguay match wss one.of them, where i saw first hand performance of our very own Diouf and Diao :)
There’s nothing more or less logical about performance begetting noise or vice versa. Sure, it’s easier to build it when the team is winning, but that brings us back to the fair weather fandom comment. The 12th man should always be present, winning or not. And Liverpool’s isn’t. Additionally, the Kop’s legend existed before Shankly and before it was even named the Kop (i.e. between the success of pre-WW2 and the Shankly resurrection). There were long stretches where Liverpool were shit during that time period. How then do you propose that such a famous atmosphere was cultivated without winning to nurture it?
u pointed out rightly that the Kop (and Anfield) had survived the test of time.
No doubt the culture and Noise Level will continue till after i am long gone for sure.
however, it is ingrained in our human nature that fans reciprocate with the louder cheers and songs when the team is winning, and it is quieter in the stand when the team was playing like headless chickens.
the support had been faultless over dacades, that’s the bigger picture if course. no doubt there must have been much quieter periods in that glorious past when team were playing a terrible football, but the historians failed to recorded it?
the fact is noise level was excellent in 2013/14, no so now, but we all know it will be back again soon bbecause the tradition and support of this club has outlast generations and it will continue to do so. it is just going through a quiet patch in a cycle.
I’m curious of something. Are drums banned at Anfield? You can hear them on broadcasts of the MLS(since I’m an American) and the Bundesliga. So other teams/stadiums allow them. It’s just interesting that you never hear them in the EPL. Is hating on drums an English thing?
I wouldn’t like to speak for every englishman, but I personally cannot stand them! As a bit of a traditionalist, fan noise should be thousands of voices, not drums, trumpets, vuvezelas or anything else.
Liverpool have been an internationally renowned club for decades and OOT fans have been going to Anfield for donkey’s years. That’s a side show.
The real issue is how LFC have been alienating the core fanbase. This is nothing to do with local v OOT fans, more to do with ticket pricing being so insane that it’s driving the atmosphere out of grounds. There are loads of out of town fans who are loud and local fans who are quiet. But everyone is getting ripped off.
Unfortunately the expansion won’t do much to help, I reckon that’s a band aid on a bullet wound.
ExactLy. Contrast the away support with the hand-wringing at home.
Sitting with your mates and getting a song going together is easier away then at Anfield. Unless we change this and price accordingly, we’ll gravitate towards apathetic defeatism.
As has been stated before, it’s usually the hardest of hard core that goes to the away games. So of course it will be easier. I’d venture to say that the traveling supporters are probably on the younger side over all. So they have more energy and what not.
There were 100s if not 1000s of empty seats last night at Anfield. I would hazard a guess and say there were very little “tourists” last night compared to a weekend and tickets were available for £20 (I think). So where was all the local support last night?? Where was all the noise from “local” fans?
A question I’ve asked a couple times on here and no one seems to answer is, if the “local” fans blame the lack of atmos, the singing of the “wrong” songs or starting the “wrong” chants on “tourists” then why don’t the “locals” educate them and start the “right” songs and chants??
There is no way the “tourists” out number the “locals”. So what’s the problem?!
It’s always very easy to point the finger and blame them’uns!
This is spot on. Foreigners with double scarves and cameras are a convenient scapegoat for the fundamental problem: fair-weather fandom. Locals upset over the recent turmoil and lack of results at the club are turning their backs on…what? Brendan? The players? FSG? It increasingly looks like it’s the club in general and that’s the real shame. The atmosphere during 13-14 was immense because we were winning. Where is it when we’re not?
Exactly David! Was there some sort of ban on “tourists” in the 13/14 season when Anfield was fucking rocking?? Was just “locals” going then??
Perhaps the dire football we’ve been subjected too these last 12-14 months has an impact on the atmos, no?
Still no one can answer my question I posed in my original post.
the real/biggest reason i can think of is ~~~~ because of such a low quality on pitch, the crowd naturally is quiet.
When the 8 piano carriers and 3 players on field play church music (with all due respect), the fans will respond like congregation in church.
when the same 11 guys play rock and roll (or heavy metal), the fans and stadium will rock as well.
The thing that infuriates me most is the huge mark-up these companies are making. I could decide to use these companies too and then get to more games but why should those companies benefit? I would rather pay LFC additional money than some faceless corporation
Just stop coming if your not from here thanks, you do everyone’s heads in, you weird creatures. Yes – he means YOU.
I’m an out of towner, although I used to live just round the corner from the ground. I rarely get to go these days, as it’s hard to get tickets, but when I do it’s a 7 hour round trip. So when I get there I want to sing my head off. It’s hard to keep going though, when the rest of the crowd is silent.
I used to go all the time in the days when we queued to stand on the Kop. I couldn’t believe the change. Perhaps it’s because the season ticket holders don’t need to queue half an hour before, or put themselves out. Just roll up at kick off time. Maybe it is the average age, or the socio-economic demographic. Whatever; it’s such a shame
I found myself in Marseilles, at the weekend. I decided to check-out a home game, as they were playing Angers on Sunday.
A gleaming 67,000 capacity stadium, tickets from 20 euros and I didn’t hear one voice that wasn’t French other than my Dad’s!
No shortage of lads in their late teens and early 20s, either. It’s what we all want to see at Anfield.
Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to make any difference. The stadium was deathly quiet, apart from the occasional moan and the chants of the 300-odd Angers fans who had made the long trip.
Everybody was just messing around with some kind of electronic device. This is the real problem. It’s why every music gig lacks any genuine atmosphere, as well.
Perhaps it’s best if we never get to see cheap Anfield tickets and the return of forgotten sons. As things stand, we can comfort ourselves that the true fans are really locked out of the ground and that those who afforded tickets are unrepresentative of how we like to see ourselves.
The problem goes much deeper than ticket prices and the days of raucous crowds may be well behind us. You need more than just young men of a certain demographic. They need to be bored out of their minds for 6 days a week and be utterly focused on the game when it is being played. That was life in the 1980s.
If the match is just another opportunity to take photos and make another social media update, don’t expect anyone to be especially excited.
The internet has blunted us from both joy and despair.
Well said, it’s unfortunate that you had to write that to defend yourself. I believe if you are going to comment on something at least educate yourself before coming to a conclusion, which, unfortunately social media and our ‘dark heart’ don’t do.
As for the atmosphere, ticket pricing I think is the main issue, less money for beer.
Hate to say it but the problem is not who is in the crowd but how the crowd is seated. Watch any Bundeslega game and look at the safe standing areas behind the goals. Brilliant ! If we want The Kop back in any way it used to be this has to be considered.
PS – I was at Hillsborough so realise this might be a touchy post but if we want atmosphere we need safe standing like in Germany…just my opinion. I live in Australia now and can see how much Anfield has changed over the last 18 years watching on tv. 12th man long gone.
I’m all for safe standing Eddie, I defo think it will help. Celtic are bringing it in in 2017 I think so should we should get a close look of how it will work however I don’t think it will solve the problem of being able to stand with yer mates as you’re still allocated a no to stand at.
Tony I think it’s fair to say a few wools (like me) were a bit sensitive towards you on twitter. That though is perfectly understandable when you see and hear the abuse, the put downs and disdain looks many scousers have given wools in the last few years. I’d imagine they felt you were doing the same, but more implicitly.
Scousers in particular have taken criticism of the Anfield atmosphere to heart, and seeking someone to blame, they’ve pointed to the OOT fans. Sad to say there is a definite scouse vs wool divide among the fanbase (totally at the fault of some locals it must be said, given there are so few wools that would ever disrespect the city or its people, otherwise we would not support the club) as well as – until recently – a pro and anti Rodgers divide. What’s funny is I never heard many scousers complain about the wools bringing the atmosphere down from January to May in 2014. Therefore that might suggest to such people that wools have in fact fuck all to do with a quiter Anfield.
As well as the above factions at Anfield, we have the modern football fan found at all grounds now – older, wealthier and a bit too cool for school than most fans years ago. When you combine all this with the miserable performances and results we’ve witnessed in the last year, it is easy to understand why our atmosphere is beyond poor.
All these groups blend into one when we are winning though, as 13/14 showed. There should only be one group – LFC fans. But when things are going badly, blame gets thrown around and as always, in every situation in the world from time immemorial, it’s the “others” or the “differents” or the “out of towners” that get the blame.
“the abuse, the put downs and disdain looks many scousers have given wools in the last few years”
Cry. Me. A. River.
Did you ever stand on the Kop.? Have you ever been for a bevvy in the ale house before a match.? Ever go to any away days.? Is your support purely online and from home.? Did you go last night.? Serious questions…
“Sad to say there is a definite scouse vs wool divide among the fanbase (totally at the fault of some locals it must be said, given there are so few wools that would ever disrespect the city or its people, otherwise we would not support the club) ”
Narrow minded and blinkered. How ironic that you mention a divide, totally blame it on “the other side” and then end your whinge with how all the goups should blend into one instead of blaming one another..!!!
Well done for being part of the problem.
Some of you permanently offended lot need to get a grip and ACTUALLY READ WHAT TONY WROTE about the matchday culture and its demise.
Urgh.
I read exactly what Tony wrote. I understood it inmediately. I blamed the row he got involved in online on wools being too sensitive. I then gave reasons for that sensitivity. After that I explained my thoughts on the poor atmosphere at Anfield, including the scouse vs wool divide, who is primarily at fault. I provided anecdotal and logical evidence to back that up.
I am fully aware this has (a) gone over your head or (b) you understood perfectly well but wanted to pick an argument with me because I took apart an argument you put forward on another thread.
Either way your response is sad and infantile beyond belief.
Im not part of the problem when I am trying to start a song and am sneered at by locals. Im not part of the problem when going to the match costs me 4 times what it costs locals and I am more vical than many scousers there. Im not part of the problem when work takes me to the other side of the world and I stay up to watch a 2am kick off. Im not part of the problem when Im spending money on LFC jackets, jerseys and merchandise allowing our club to be the 8th richest in the world, keeping so somewhat relevant at the top tier of English football. Neither are scousers of course. Then again Im not blaming scousers for anything, where some scousers are pinning the blame if some things solely at the door of wools. Simple argument really although perfectly understandable if it goes over some heads too.
Ugh..??
I’m certainly not in the habit of pulling someone apart because they feel they may pulled me apart on a different thread. Grow up fella.
You absolutely tried to justify the sensitivity of wools on the abuse they get from scousers – and attempted to shift the blame. Not so sure if that was anacdotal or logical but I sure couldn’t care less.
You do sound a lot more bitter than many scousers with regards your support and you certainly come across like you think you’re a cut above the rest.
I notice that you chose to ignore the questions I presented to you which leaves me to assume that the majority of your support is done from around the world and you go the odd game, I therefore standby the comment that you need to stop being so offended.
What you completely failed to do in your original comment (whinge) was address the central point of Tony’s article which concentrates on fan culture, its demise and the many reasons for it.
But then maybe it went over your head. You must be jet lagged..
So when I spoke about the scouse/wool divide, the anti/pro rodgers divide, the older, wealthier too cool for school modern football fan and the fact fans arent enthused by awful performances….that was me NOT talking about “fan culture, its demise and the many reasons for it” was it?
Not only did I specifically address that, let me also point out I didn’t have to. There are many comments under these articles that are irrelevant to the article. And as I pointed out above, many people have made the exact same arguments both before and after me but it was my comment you decided to reply to, putting on display your vindictiveness.
On another thread you said fans hadnt mentioned a suitable replacement to Rodgers abd they call for Klopp as he is on sabbatical. I pointed out both the sheer idiocy and the contradiction of that statement as well as the names of other managers regularly linked with the LFC job. You clearly didnt take this too kindly and are looking a row. Unfortunately for you my first reply to you here put you firmly back in your box. Again.
PS: I was under no obligation to answer your questions because they were irrelevant to the points I raised. Whether I went to see us draw with Sion (I didnt) or go to aways (I do) or go for a pint with scousers in the arkle or the sandon (I have and do) has nothing to do with SOME scousers pathetically blaming wools for bad atmosphere at Anfield. Although when I say Im sneered at by locals when attempting to get songs going, a person with even the most limited of intelligence would be able to infer from that that I do indeed go the game regularly, although not always on the kop. And to be honest I am a cut above many fans (not all) when it comes to my knowledge on the game – thats been put on display by demonstrating for nearly a year now, using only football reasons, why I thought Rodgers was out of his depth, while people like you defended him and helped allow him to remain in situ, dragging our once great club down to what we are currently seeing. Well done lad.
I’ve just read Michael above make similar arguments to mine, ie 13/14, and you haven’t responded to him with such ignorance and rudeness. So I’ll give you the benfit of the doubt and say your reply is definitely (b), which is no less sad, but at least shows that instead of being thick, you are just childishly vindictive. Catch a grip of yourself lad.
“Catch a grip of yourself lad”
Michaels comments were far removed from yours.
La
Michael
2 October 2015 at 4:46 pm
….Exactly David! Was there some sort of ban on “tourists” in the 13/14 season when Anfield was fucking rocking?? Was just “locals” going then??….
Michael Pearson
2 October 2015 at 3:44 pm
….What’s funny is I never heard many scousers complain about the wools bringing the atmosphere down from January to May in 2014. Therefore that might suggest to such people that wools have in fact fuck all to do with a quiter Anfield…..
Reply
Yes mav, they certainly appear to be “far removed”
“Did you ever stand on the Kop.? Have you ever been for a bevvy in the ale house before a match.? Ever go to any away days.? Is your support purely online and from home.? Did you go last night.? Serious questions…”
Serious, honest answers:
1. No, not ever.
2. Yes, in AN ale house. Not “the” alehouse you’re apparently referring to.
3. No, not ever.
4. Yes and yes. I live thousands of miles away from the UK.
5. No, again.
I have some questions for you:
1. How many times, on average do you RE-watch each and every LFC match that happens to have been televised anywhere in the world?
2. How many football matches a week do you watch, so that you can have an effing idea of the clubs, the players, etc. that LFC might a. face in Europe or b. the level of competition in other leagues or c. what this or that player with whom we’re being linked or whom we actually get actually plays like?
Going to matches doesn’t automatically make one a knowledgeable, proper, LFC supporter. Not even close.
I came in contact, online with more clueless match-going LFC supporters than I care to remember. There’s no wishing stupidity and ignorance away, and there’s no making it go away by going to the match.
I agree with the article in that the one, single most crucial factor in remedying the atmosphere, as well as the culture of the city within Anfield, is local youth. But this oft-repeated accusation about tourists simply misses the mark in my opinion. Sure, those brandishing half-halfs are bemusing and not going to add much vocally in most instances. But let’s really not kid ourselves that they’re in the majority.
I agree with much of what you say Michael, too. Those booing at the end last night certainly weren’t the tourists – of which there were less than usual anyway.
Obviously you won’t need telling that Liverpool is a proud city. We are proud of our culture and our people. The uniqueness of Anfield was not some selling-point for the city’s tourism; it was a source of – and then developed as a result of – our success. At once a symbol, a temple and a weapon. One sometimes romanticised but not without some justification. It’s obviously now a sensitive point of its own for many. I know you’re aware of this and don’t need a history lesson, but the context is relevant to the precious attitude that many take.
More and more though, this sensitivity is displaying itself in a parochial mind-set within the local supporter base. It has unfortunately become about someone to blame and I doubt any other ground in the country makes oots feel less welcome in general. That’s a atmosphere-killer right there isn’t it. I’m with you on that. We simply have far too many middle-aged/oldies meeting their mates for a chat in the ground and being beyond the stage of life where they want to exert energy on vociferous, passionate support. Some sit quietly, some hurl abuse constantly. Few sing or support.
Most of the actual tourists are scared stiff … It’s almost funny in its way. They come to support this club they’ve loved from afar and sit in the storied stadium, only to end up anxiously suppressing any urges to cheer the players on. Definitely, some are dressed interestingly while others are genuine sightseeing tourists, but would that matter in the end if the kop and Annie rd were full of vocal supporters.
The average age of Anfield is the biggest factor but it’s hard for people to highlight that because there’s an implied criticism of fans who have been there years and in many cases spent huge sums and long hours watching games.
We possibly have the consistently worst atmosphere in the league. We also have the expectations most detached from reality. No coincidence is it. If we’re going to even come close to reaching some of those expectations then we’re far more likely to do so with a proper support. Why would Coutinho, for example, want to stay to play in those environments. The ones like last night. More youth is the key for lots of reasons, not least because it’s younger supporters who will have the zest to get behind the team in trying times. It’s the moaning, miserable regulars who need to be moved from the kop to accommodate the youth.
Weirdly, I think I have a foot in both camps of this discussion. On the one hand, I’m a South African born, London based LFC fan. I only make it to the match 2-3 times a season if I’m lucky, so by most measures I’m a tourist at Anfield.
That said, I’m also a young (mid 20s) LFC fan on limited income (the main reason I only make it to Anfield occasionally) so between tickets, trains and sometimes unavoidable accommodation (depending on the fixture), I know the barriers young fans have to getting to the game regularly.
I agree completely with the sentiment that rising ticket prices results in a gap of supporters missing from the stands, too old to accompany their parents, and too young to afford rising costs on their own – I am one of these people, but I am also a ‘tourist’ by most definitions laid down.
I applaud the desire for cost-effective solutions to get young fans in the stands and that management’s desire to prioritise appealing to the highest bidder rather than the hardcore fan base is a serious issue, but there is no evidence that I can really see, other than the odd unreliable anecdote, that supports the idea that tourists are the ones to blame for bad atmosphere. How could you possibly know who is and isn’t singing and therefore is absolutely to blame for a bad atmosphere? It just looks like a bad case of spotting correlation, not causation – more ‘tourists’, well it must be their fault the atmosphere is shite.
When you frame the argument in terms of locals vs outsiders it might not equate to xenophobia, but it does marginalise outsiders like myself. Can you understand how I, as someone who isn’t from Liverpool, and is regularly accused of glory supporting, might react at the insinuation that I’m also at fault for a dearth of atmosphere at the match, absent not a jot of evidence to support it? I’m not up to scratch; somehow less of a fan.
Why not discuss the point in it’s most important terms, omitting the ‘local’ tag from the debate – this is about finances, marginalising the young and the poor in favour of profit. When you use these tags all you do is create an us vs them mentality, where outsiders are the ‘other’. To be local is to be better somehow. I can’t possibly support my team as well because I didn’t have the luck to be born & raised within the city limits.
It detracts from the real issue and deflects from what matters, which is not about where you were born, or where you live, but how much money you have.
At least u can still attend 3~4 matches a season, but i am in half way other side of the world.
But it does not make us less of Reds fans just because we are OOTs, in my opinion.
It’s like blaming Non-Finnish OOTs users of Nokia brand for the declining popularity and ‘sexiness’ of Nokia, instead of blaming the lack.of innovation, design and quality software inside.
It’s absolute gibberish to say that the foreign supporters don’t know how to contribute to the atmosphere.
When you watch a game in Tokyo at the bar where the Supporters Club regularly meets, there are songsheets on the bar. Most don’t need them as they’re word perfect.
The atmosphere on the tours in Asia or Australia has hardly been lacking, has it? If you know it’s your one chance to sing at real players instead of at a screen you make the most of it.
When I first got to Japan, I met a woman who flew to the UK ON HER OWN. On the Kop, holding banners, singing all the songs, chatted to loads of people before and after the game. Cost her thousands. She’ll never get to do it again in all likelihood. She is not the problem here.
I’ve been going to Anfield for about 20 years and I remember hearing similar stuff all the time. There was a Man City game a few years back which kicked off at 11:30 on Sunday. They sang ‘It’s just like being in church’ at us and they were right. You could hear a guy fart in the other end. No one was up for it at that time of day.
Problem is that too many of us are waiting for others to get it going. We’re sitting back, waiting to be entertained. We’re on our mobiles because we do that all day everywhere now. You could let all the 20 year old lads who live in L4 in for half price and who’s to say it would be any different?
Yea exactly!
Melbourne was rocking the MCG the other year. How many non scousers were there that day?? Their silence made one hell of a racket.
Yeah, same in Malaysia and Thailand as well. Seem to remember a lot of pyro going off.
Silly foreigners not understanding that our traditions include sitting down and moaning that it’s not as good as it was in 1972!
i dont think its down to were your from as there are a lot of irish people going the game and singing away ,its more down to how the team is doing which at the moment is useless last night was dead ,people tryed singing but nobody joined in ,as nothing was happening on the pitch to make you happy and sing,the team was almost reserves in a way,dont get it its a CL place and a trophy for winning it which is just as important as 4th to me yet we didnt put out a team to stir us or win comforabley why not put a good team out get it won then take them off ,then maybe the atmosphere will return when were winning,get we carnt win every game but should be winning mostly at home
Spot on Tony,whilst the fan base should always be predominantly local there is of course always room for out of towners. The problem is as mentioned people coming as a one off becoming more and more prevalent and arriving to experience the atmosphere rather than creating it. Unfortunately these fans are a massive money earner for the club so will therefore always be prioritized and here lies one of the main problems.
No offence Si but that’s a terrible excuse for lack of atmos.
Do these “experience tourists” out number the “locals” so much that their silence drowns out the locals songs???
It’s only one of the reasons Michael and I take your point but it definitely makes a difference. As Tony points out an ever increasing age group and poor results recently are also factors and atmospheres in general are poorer in the Premier league games,but my point still remains that when the percentage of tourists coming to the game is increasing as it is the atmosphere will become diluted.
Where was the atmos last night Si???
Couldn’t have been many “experience tourists” there as it was mid week. There were tickets available so that excuse is gone. The tickets were reasonably priced so there’s that excuse out the window.
There was no block by OOTs, tourists or whatever other label you wanna put on them taking tickets last night and yet not only did the “locals” not take up the 100s/1000s of tickets available, those that did still didn’t sing/create an atmos.
Who’s fault was it last night then??
Fair point Michael although I think some fans are voting with their feet at the moment as it seems Brendan has lost the crowd.37000 all things considered isn’t a bad crowd really. Again tourist fans is only one of many factors to Anfield being so quiet but if you disagree that it is a contributing cause the fair enough. Apologies for the labels but not sure how else I can describe this particular set of fans.
Si that’s a major part of it.
The crowd feed of the team and the team feed of the crowd. It’s a symbiotic relationship.
It’s not locals fault and it’s not tourists fault. At the min, a major part of it lies with the dire football were having to endure with the pathetic results and a fans disconnect with the club. What’s there to cheer?!
That football clubs together with the FA can’t offer “safe standing” in 2015 is just stupid. Is there a better way to give fans a affordable way to watch games in massive numbers? By default you’ll attract what can be seen as the “core fan base” of the supporters. Not only local support but fans, it would also be attractive to overseas fans that have a strong relationship with the club and isn’t just there for a holiday.
Make it affordable and you’ll fill that with 25000+ fans and voila. Atmosphere.
It’s just a small part but safe standing could and should adress many of these problems i feel.
None of your article makes any sense, I could pick it apart line by line!
It’s suffice to say the easiest way to get the Kop singing again is to allocate a proportion of it’s seats for singing and chanting that acts like a cheering section for the rest of ground etc. I also remember there being a boys pen that I used to stand in, that was the safest place at the grounds and was for 16 and under….I also remember song sheets and if you did not want to sing you did not go to the Kop end…..There should be passes for the locals who want to be part of the entertainment. Hey, they are a big part of why Tourists etc. go to see LFC home games…..There should be reduced prices for those people that entertain in the Kop end and go to the away games etc, they are the true supporters, also a Scouser is someone that is born in Liverpool, not necessarily a supporter of LFC or Everton, also there is a difference between a supporter and a fan, you should do a lot more research before spouting off like a grade schooler.
It’s the entire culture of the place. Let’s not pretend it’s because of this person or that person.
We don’t sing a word unless we are being entertained on the pitch. We haven’t done since about 1994. The myth of anfield having an atmosphere is rooted in history and that’s where it belongs.
Our away following is very different. We sing a lot. You can start a song without feeling like an escaped mental patient (which is how you are looked at if you do so at anfield).
It’s a mystery as to why. My two cents – standing and age. Stand up and songs get going. Sit down and they don’t. Old blokes – Scouse or wool – sit down and groan and mumble about how crap we are. They tell you to sit down if you’re blocking their view. But cos they’ve been to 7 European cup finals they have the right.
Anfield’s noise is dead. Unless they put standing back in (which we all know will never happen), it’s not coming back. Stick to the aways.
I would appreciate an answers why you did not post my replies, there were no swear words or vitriol in them, is it because you cannot stand the truth?
No, it was because I hadn’t pressed approve. Don’t accuse people of reading The S*n either please. That’s not going up. GR.
I’ve long thought that this is the case. For many people football is just a consumer choice now. I realise how it can sound xenophobic, but for many (not all) people who come from abroad it’s a chance to tick something of the ‘to do’ list, sing YNWA, take a few pictures and disappear. 100,000 foreign fans attended last season apparently. I’m sure these people don’t go every week. They can’t possibly be steeped in LFC the way we once were. I say once because superstar, overpaid footballers no longer have that same relation with the fans. I don’t think it is racist or xenophobic to say our identity has been weakened.
Fuckin hell. It’s not hard to work out. The team are doing shit. The Kop is full of pensioners and it seems there’s a trait amongst ageing Scousers that they become whinging, miserable bastards. What do you expect?
There’s 200 people on the Kop who sing regularly. What’s happened to the voices of the rest of the Scousers? Answer that and you’ll have your answer.
Make an offer to a certain amount people in the Kop with season tickets that they can move to a new area in the main stand extension for the same price. Fill those spots on the kop with tickets specifically for young locals.
Too many people in there who are just happy to sit on their arse for 90 minutes.
And somehow give people a bit more of a chance to sit by their mates.
I’ve always wondered is it possible to have some corner of the ground set aside, say 250 seats, where tickets can be purchased on match day by under 25s only for a reasonable price. You could get groups of mates going up on match day to get in a sit together and sing. I’d say that wee pocket could generate some noise. Have it away from the Kop so there’s another area that generates songs and chants.
Michael, since u made some viable suggestion, here is another one~
All of us agreed that having Anfield rocking is extremely important. And probably we cant let the club be 100% responsible for this.
Instead some ex players can start a foundation/charity org. soley for this purpose. And register as tax deductible for all donations since this is part of community project. Fans around the world will definitely participate in this project as well. The funds can be used for ticket subsidy for local teenager and youth groups to keep the flame and noise going. (i would be honor to be among the first donors for this project, seriously).
maybe TAW can start this foundation?
I became a red in 1973, as a 6 year old in Stokenchurch, nr High Wycombe. I have since supported Liverpool every day of my life. I have only been in the city twice, visited the grounds but never seen a match at Anfield (been to a few aways and some US summer tour matches). In my heart I know I love the club as much as anyone and have never been made to feel like an outsider by a fellow red. But my favorite current player is Jordan Rossiter, before him it was Carragher, and my favorites have always been Scousers, because to me, LFC is first and foremost a locals’ club and I somewhat confusingly think of the local lads as “one of ours” when I’m not sure quite how I can apply the term “ours” to my own situation. I agree completely that supporters like myself should have an opportunity to get to matches, and that so-called tourists are not the cause of silence. But who among us didn’t feel literally sick watching the squad at the end of last year allow Stevie to go out on such a tame, lifeless note after all he has done for and meant to our great club? As an American tourist television and Internet supporter, I think a huge part of the answer has to be Keep LFC Scouse. And an easy solution for anyone who thinks that sounds xenophobic is to think of themselves as Honorary Scousers, which is an approach that has worked for me for decades. And the twitterverse can disagree, but I’d have Jordan Rossiter’s passion in midfield over Can, Milner, or Allen very week. Then all scousers, honorary or not, will again feel like there’s someone on the pitch whose heart and soul live and die on the pitch just like ours. And someone please tell John Flanagan to hurry the fuck back, preferably as a left-footer!
I am not a Liverpudlian, and though I was born and spent the first eight years of my life in England, many wouldn’t even consider me English. On numerous visits back to the U.K. I’ve been lucky enough to get tickets to games, and have saved the whole year through to do so. It has been meaningful to attend these games in ways that I cannot qualify with words. However, when I attend games at the Kop, I do it with the view of visiting the city of Liverpool and immersing myself in it as much as possible. It is a magnificent place and I could never simply attend a game there. In many ways these visits, for me, are a pilgrimage of sorts. That said, I believe that the one priority for selling tickets should be to local families and youth, as the author stated. Indeed, in an age of globalization and ‘tourist’ football, outsiders, I’m sure, bring loads of money. However, as a local institution shouldn’t the focus be on those who have been there for generations? As a ‘tourist’ visitor I surely would have no qualms if less tickets were made available for the sake of allowing more youngsters the chance. However, the bigger issue here, for Liverpool — and other clubs, is the pricing out of tickets. And though I hope I’m proved wrong, this just may be the direction of things for some time to come.
Out of curiousity, what priorities are given to out-of-towners vis-a-vis locals?
If every home game mattered as much to the fans inside Anfield as a European Cup semi-final 2st leg against Man Utd, there’d never be a shortage of atmosphere. Which begs the question: why do so many home games seemingly matter so little to so many of the fans inside Anfield that the atmosphere is generally poor?
Answer is several reasons, including:
– fans/people generally these days have greater sense of entitlement than in the past, and so are generally less accepting of not getting their own way (ie less accepting of team not winning)
– partly due to past achievements / recent relative lack of achievement, Liverpool fans in particular have greater sense of entitlement / higher expectations than fans of most other professional clubs in the top 4 divisions (eg there’s usually good atmosphere generated by home fans at Swansea, Crystal Palace and most clubs outside Prem)
– widening financial inequality in English football means there’s a greater number of uninspiring ‘David v Goliath’ Premier League games and more fan resentment of players these days (eg astronomical players’ wages, far fewer players with local ties to club they play for)
– Champions League and Europa League replacing European Cup and UEFA Cup means there’s a MUCH greater number of uninspiring ‘David v Goliath’ Euro games these days
In short: as John Cleese said, “Money ruins everything.”
With the expansion to the main stand would it not make sense to give the new seats to the existing older kop season ticket holders and put a reduced price ticket for 18 to 25 year olds in the kop . I think if u get 4 or 5 thousand young people grouped together they will create the atmosphere which would create a much better match day experience for both the regular match goer and the couple of times a year goer. Living in Ireland I only get over a couple of times a year if all is going well because of the expense of it . I was over for the Norwich game with the wife and it cost over a thousand Euro for the weekend, all do well worth it can’t be doing it every other week unfortunately
Let’s all be honest here, going into the stadium spoils a perfectly good day out at the footy.
Meeting your mates before for a bevvy, get a few songs going in the pub before going in. Then when you get in you’re all split up.
Agree with the article though, a club’s fan culture can only come from it’s local base. Getting a song going on the Kop used to be a rite of passage for the young fan. Now they can’t get in. And if they could, they can’t sit/stand with their mates.
We shouldn’t be so hard on ourselves. I’d rather have the Anfield library than be spewing out the kind of bile they do at OT. Sure every team has its fair share of idiots but we should be proud that for the most part our fan culture is based on a positive reinforcement of our identity rather bordering on sectarianism. As well as age and affordability, I think atmospheres have probably suffered as grounds have become more politically correct arenas. I’m sure most of us would probably welcome this, but if you think back to some of the behaviour on the Kop of old it was nothing if not spontaneous which is something that appears to have been lost. Ultimately while the clubs have done a lot to stamp out negative behaviours, little has been done to reinforce the positive. Of course we don’t want plastic flags being handed out and I’m sure some will always feel that any sense of “stage management” is fake and fraudulent, but I think we have to accept that football has changed. Probably much for the better and I’m sure we can learn from leagues like Germany where the atmosphere is still noisy and intimidating if only for the opposition team.
I was at the Newcastle game last season, left my house at 11am and did not get home until 4am the following morning. This was a trip I have completed several times over the past 5 years. I was at the Spurs game the year we came second surrounded by all nationalities and the atmosphere was awesome. At the Newcastle there seemed to be two of us that we’re trying to get the atmosphere going in the anfield road end compared to the Geordies who were in good voice only to be told because of my southern accent to F off and support West Ham by a Liverpool supporter. Do you know what I don’t need to spend £300 on a day out to walk into that, and I won’t be for the foreseeable future. Some of you will be pleased by that but I don’t see the atmosphere getting any better if that is the attitude of “local” lads
Been reading Tony Evan’s book on the 83-84 campaign. Throughout the book he details the incredibly sparse crowds turning up at Anfield. Less than 15k for a League Cup game. Low 20s for league matches. This was a period of intense economic recession in Liverpool granted, but I suspect tickets were much more affordable comparatively.
I found the comment about the old timers not churning over their seats as had been customary. Maybe the club should work up an incentive plan to facilitate this happening.
many have said what i wanted to say. Anyway, i will say my version again.
~ i am fr Asia Pacific, have been supporting Reds as long as i remember
~ have not been to Anfield yet,but it is a lifelong plan to be there in the bext year or so with my son.
~ when i do, i dont expect any priority treatment. I just want to enjoy my once in.a.lifetime pilgramage of the city, the shop and the match.
~ have been to nearly all Liverpool matches in HK, Bangkok, Malaysia and Singapore and attended prematch training too. All new shirts are duly bought to stay up to date. Used to drink Carlsberg because it was our shirt sponsor. have banking relationship with StandChart because the bank sponsors Reds.
~ every city that i travel to or live in, i try to watch the match in official Reds pub.
Just because i was born and live somewhere else, does it make me a less of a Reds supporter. I never feel that way.
Liverpool BRAND is a global brand and in order to continue to push this super brand acriss the world, we need to overcome that ‘small town’ mentality of Us against Them.
I have veen to probably about 50 different Reds pubs aroind the world on match days. And admosohere inside thise pubs are excellent ~ all strangers, of all ages, colours and background, United because we are Reds at heart. (to me, that is the real Global Brand Liverpool that I know, respect and love.)
~ get the performance level up.to 2013/14 level and atmosphere inside will be back naturally, plus along the roads leading to the stadium!!!
Such a multi faceted argument and you will not solve the “tourist” problem until you solve the ticket tout problem. There are many season ticket holders who don’t go but sell their ticket for a profit. Also some season ticket holders sell the top 4 tickets at a premium (maybe in some cases to pay for the season ticket, sometimes just for profit)
The club owners selling out for profit is one thing. When it comes to a season ticketing holding fan base doing the same, you will never get the fan culture back.
Sure make it affordable , charge everyone 20 quid to get in. Then watch the touts retire as their profit margins widen. Because if the teams doing well , the ground is not doubled in capacity demand always outstrips supply.
Everyone who owns the tickets has The power to exercise this choice without regulation.
I fully agree with the sentiment behind this article Tony.
But I don’t think the men in suits give a fuck (although they definitely should) as long as the money is rolling in. I agree with your new Main Stand suggestion but it ain’t going to happen, they simply don’t care I believe.
It’s probably my biggest bug-bearer, after on the pitch success of course. I don’t have kids, but I’d love to have them (I’m at that stage), and I wonder even now how the fuck I’m going to get them as enthusiastic about LFC as I was. Let’s face it, my dad could have educated me all he liked, but it was my early and fairly regular match going experiences that got me hooked. If I could give them what I had I’ll be astounded, pleasantly astounded.
i think the lack of atmosphere comes down to the individual rather than their postcode (within reason) too be honest. I’m not from liverpool myself but my dad his a scouser but unfortunately i was born in wigan due to my mum being a wiganer. I’ve been brought up an lfc fan since i was born and been going the game since 1987 (I had to ask my dad that mind) and i have always been greatful towards my dad that he has brought me up a red. I have always sang and always will although i would never start a song myself as some fans do. Although i’m not a scouser i feel more scouse than say an oot due to the games i have been going to for the last 28 yrs, my liverpool connections through my dads side of the family and all the shit i’ve had to put up with all my life mainly through my school years because i supported lfc. Don’t get me wrong i get annoyed by certain accents in the crowd but like with me you don’t know their reason for supporting lfc. I’m not defending scousers or oot’s like i said at the beginning it comes down to each individual person whether they can be arsed singing or not. I was in top tier of annie rd on thurs mainly surrounded by scousers no one was singing at all, you had some fans playing musical chairs during the game constantly because there was spare seats, fans constantly on their phones and i seen a family leave with 25 mins to go which i couldn’t believe
I even saw 4 guys from an unknown country (I couldn’t make out there flag) having there photo taken with there flag aloft with there backs to the pitch while the game was going on in the lower main stand, that pissed me off and i was in the annie road.
Like many have said on here i think one of the easiest ways to try to regenerate the atmosphere is if it was made easier for mates to sit together and obviously cheaper tickets
Ps….Also i don’t have any sympathy for anyone who moans about how long it takes out of there day/life to get to the game and travel home. You’re not being forced to support lfc so don’t bring that up in your argument about how hard done by you
Cheers
Just wrote one of my longer comments and lost it because I entered the wrong code then pressed the back button twice. Not writing it again. My earlier comment was more a reply to the theme of the comments on the thread. I find it infuriating. I agree with this article. I thought it was spot on although I don’t necessarily agree with it in relation to Sion in the Europa. I had wrote why I think the whole environment of football has changed imo but it wasn’t anything we don’t all know.
Robin , Top tip I copy my text before doing the code shite . Then you can paste it back if it messes up.
Name a club the size of ours in Europe that is as disenfranchised to its local support as we are currently? How many weirdos do we have following us that have absolutely no connection to the city? To be honest I’m envious of Everton who have 16 year olds as season ticket holders whilst we sit surrounded by the latest flight from Ireland/Japan/Norway/London/the Wirral. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FOOTBALL TEAM.
Those ‘weirdos’ are the ones that keep the current misconception that liverpool is still a big club alive, with out them you have a pub team.
Three Star..tell me this….there were 100s if not 1000s of tickets available on Thurs night there. The tickets were priced at a reasonable £20 approx. As it was midweek there wouldn’t be as many of these “weirdos” from abroad in attendance.
So where was all the “local” support that night? Why didn’t they take up the leftover tickets? Why didn’t the “locals” that did go make much noise??
Last weekend v Villa there were tickets available on the morning of the match. Why didn’t the “locals” take these up??? There is no way these “weirdos” out number “local” support in the ground. So did the silence of the “weirdos” drown out the noise of the “locals” singing??
Awaiting your response.
agree with the article but fascinated that Tony Barrett has managed to make it all about him – it seems that professional journalists feel free to say or misinterpret what they like in the public arena, however damaging, but then get all upset and sensitive if people disagree with them or question their motives.
HAHA i can’t believe this article and the comments. Don’t worry all of you, soon no one outside of liverpool will be coming to your games and you will truly be a mid table and no longer a big club. Yep smart idea push out the last remaining factor that make you a big club, the world wide support. I really can’t believe this article and the comments. You can have your ‘LOCAL’ club, buts that’s all it will be dont ever expect to be in the european football or ever win anything again besides a fa cup if lucky. All ‘those fans’ from asia, america, europe etc. are already looking for an alternative club to follow, so your decent into mediocrity and a ground with only locals looks like a real possibility. Who would stay supporting this club when your not from liverpoool and those fans who are are telling those people that make liverpool a big club to leave. Have fun with a relegation team and a manager who was sacked by reading. Most people dont want to watch this sleep inducing team play on tv and are bored out of there minds so why would those who have paid more to watch them live be any different.
If anyone is looking for an alternative club to follow, how can they be a Liverpool fan? Mad comment.
Real football fans do not change club, it’s a tribal thing and we are stuck for life with one club, through good and bad times, till death do us part.
therefore, u mentioned ‘alternative club’… ur view does not represent any real fans’ view (not just Reds fans, but any club)
If they’re looking for other clubs to support then I’ll be happy if they fuck off.
If you actually read between the lines of the article, it was more of an attack on the club’s ticketing policy and how it can be improved, not an attack on the people who attended. No need whatsoever to get all hormonal and sensitive about it.
We are a worldwide club yes, is that the the only reason we are a big club? I don’t think so. Personally I’m grateful we are a club with a worldwide fan base, but there is a danger the ‘locality’ of that fan base is gradually eroding in terms of numbers in the ground and ticket accessibility.
I don’t even mean LFC when I say this, but I think the local support is the true soul of any football club, because it the club that represents the local people. Everton do it right I’m afraid to say, we don’t.
Why didn’t the “locals” take up the 100s of tickets available on Thurs night?
Perpetuating the urban myths does not help either. I can remember in the 70’s when the kopites’ lament was that the atmosphere wasn’t as good as the 60’s, and then in the 80’s when they said it wasn’t as good as the 70’s. I can remember Phil Neal bemoaning the fact that the Kop had been comfortably outsung by 2000 travelling Leeds fans, and others, and how that wouldn’t have happened yesteryear. It’s when you start to believe the hype that you lose the reasoning. The old Kop has long gone and has never been suitably replaced….. how could it be in the seated era? Even then the “magic” of the place wasn’t something mystical or phenomenal as it was always readily undermined by a disinterested fanbase……. it wasn’t always the cauldron it was well set up to be. Far from it. Now it isn’t even that….. it’s just a fairly large and very basic end stand full of old arses….. many of whom spiv their tickets to the more willing tourists, or rent it off someone else who hasn’t been near the place in years……. The locals having long since retreated to the pub or their armchairs, with no intentions of ever returning, and certainly not to watch the current crop. The atmosphere has gone because the fans have lost interest, they’ve lost interest because the team is poor….. simple really.
I am a Liverpool fan of nearly 20 years from India who only had the opportunity to visit Anfield during my uni years in the UK and Tony is absolutely in the right. I have not read other comments, but a football club belongs first and foremost to its immediate community. Us foreign supporters should be a welcome addition once the club does what is right and enfranchises local supporters. Those that do not get this and buy into the whole “global football” market are part of the problem. I do not want to speak for other overseas fans but I humbly accept that no matter how strongly I feel for the club, I would never feel what the “locals” do.
However, some local fans may consider less belligerence. This discussion has been taking place in forums for a while now and most of the “foreign” fans I know agree with what I have said. “Go and support your local club” or “your only connection is the purse” helps no one.
I don’t think this problem is particularly isolated to Liverpool. All the big clubs in England seem to have fans disgruntled by the lack of atmosphere.
I do think Liverpool FC historically has a stronger link to its city and local community, so the more recent influx of PL tourists may feel more significant perhaps.
I’m a Spurs fan (yes I do see them as a big club still) post the Redknapp years atmosphere has been poor at many games. Even under Redknapp against lesser teams the expectation to win and that fans were waiting to be entertained was an issue.
This season (albeit it’s still early) seems a little different. The standard of football has improved but the results similar.
For me the difference is the squad is now far more youthful and the bigger name players are not perceived to be overhyped and overpaid. We also have a core of players who have come through the ranks.
These players are well supported by the fans and the lack of super stars closes the gap between fan and player.
Now the likes of Gerrard and Carragher have moved on, Liverpool’s squad has little identity to it. Like Tottenham after Bale the squad has too many average performing players who are perceived to be paid too much. This for me increases fan apathy towards the club as a whole, leading to a flat atmosphere.
OOT myself, perfectly reasonable piece. I do think that there’s a myriad of reasons influencing the atmosphere at Anfield and load of us here are clearly happy to argue with eachother what they might be. Nevertheless, I happily accept the premise that youth be prioritised. The Dortmund ticketing system is superb and the main stand extension hopefully gives us some breathing space to address that. Lastly, I’d like to see a study by the club with its Supporters and suitably capable organisations to start looking at safe standing. Naturally, this is an extremely emotive and sensitive issue. Priority in this case should be with the thoughts of the match going families and individuals so tragically effected by Hillsborough. YNWA.
Play decent football, win games, give the fans something to CHEER instead of what they’ve been presented for the last 10 games and ‘ THE ATMOSPHERE’ will return.
The Job of the LFC Manager, and players is to give us something to cheer for.