My Liverpool Manchester United thoughts for which I know I will likely get stick from both sides, possibly rightfully so but I’m going to write it anyway. Agreeing or disagreeing with it and/or reading it at all a matter of choice.
I was not born a son of Liverpool. My father was. I say ‘was’ in the truest aspect of the word as he sadly passed away about this time last year following a short and very brave ‘just about the bravest thing I’ve ever seen kind of brave’ battle with cancer (it’s my blog and I want to mention him). I don’t mention it to pull on any heart strings I said it to try to disarm those who will say they’ve heard that before… ‘I’m not from Liverpool or Manchester but my father or grandfather was’. I’ve heard it myself, many times. Unlike others however I make it abundantly clear from the outset nothing ties me to the city. Any relatives are either gone or forgotten to the best of my knowledge. This is all football related and only football related but I know that fact will make me less of something in some fans eyes. An out of Towner so my thoughts and feelings on the matter watered down, possibly harder and possibly easier to understand as a result and that is totally fine with me. As I said, to agree or disagree or read it at all is viewer’s choice.
Having lived half a life already, if I am very lucky at 47 I consider myself for the most part a good person and largely a pacifist. I joined the army at a very young age (16) and being the brother of older brothers I had the notion of respect hammered in to me since I can remember. To have it for yourself as much as anything but certainly to have it for others… providing they demonstrated it towards you that is. Those that haven’t in the past have not got beyond knowing who I am and that is probably true to this day although I don’t get aggressive with it like the younger me thought I had to. Age has taught me to accept some people are just incompatible, others complete bell ends and I’m hardly perfect.
I’ve had my share of trouble and scrapes over the years but heard something in a film recently that likely sums me up now (can’t remember which but not a classic). In it, one of the characters tells friends “I’ve probably got one last fight in me and hopefully one that really matters”. That’s probably very accurate (no idea why I am telling you. I just thought some back ground information probably wouldn’t go a miss).
I understand what it means to be a man I am one, and to fight/to occasionally have to fight, I understand tribal crap, the perceived cultural differences between the people from one area and another… or at least I think I do, I don’t get the perceived differences from city to city in this case to be completely honest… I know both and both have very nice parts and not very nice parts, employed, unemployed and so on (I digress), I get what it means to be on one side or another, and I completely get passion and football… but I do think too often that word ‘passion’ becomes poison.
However long the history, level of rivalry, deep felt the emotions… Football is a sport. It isn’t really a life and death thing or shouldn’t be and therefore worth dying for or over but sadly people have.
Wrong place at the wrong time shouldn’t apply ever if you ask me, if it means some poor sod being kicked unconscious or worse but over the colour of a football shirt makes it all the more meaningless in my humble opinion. That shouldn’t need saying yet it goes on. Two tribes and just the right amount of beer and blokes seem only too willing to wade in to one another. Not an English thing, it’s the same on every continent and in some far flung corners of the world where life is considered fairly cheap anyway a few deaths before, during or after a game is the norm.
I’m going to rein it back a bit… I didn’t set out to achieve world peace or pontificate human nature but I would like to propose that Football probably isn’t worth the expenditure of REAL heartfelt hate either.
Social media is a relatively new way for fans to interact and often a lot of what is said really shouldn’t be. Grown men (most likely fathers of kid’s) acting like a twelve year old let on to the internet for the first time. Who they aren’t going to hurt and how and why for god’s sake… Get a grip of yourself.
If you want to refer to people as rats or goats or dippers or prawns or whatever, fine. I’m sure a lot or most of it is banter in many cases and between consenting adults that’s just fine. If it’s more than that however, if you’d really like to get your hands round the neck of an opposing fans throat based on geography or the team he supports I’d probably suggest, quite sincerely some professional help.
Probably relates to what I said earlier about my Dad this and more my opinion than fact but people older and far wiser than me will tell you towards the end of your life none of this shit (because that’s what it is) matters, none of it. All these things you think you hold dear you will come to realise don’t matter. All the time you spend getting fired up about the trivial is time you could/should have spent on the stuff that actually does matter.
What’s that you say… not me, I’m one side or the other, through and through. My ashes are being scattered on the turf at my beloved Old Trafford or Anfield or wherever, they’ll put a plaque up in my name or whatever?
Well, firstly I’m not sure they do that anymore and certainly not without a price attached which kind of says a lot for all you’ve given over the years doesn’t it? And secondly as a symbol of an entire life lived, the people you have interacted with and that interacted with you and all that that should mean, how sad. “Our John god rest his soul he loved his football, was all he cared about” really!? No disrespect intended but what a mong John must have been. There should always be more and if there isn’t change your life, today.
I’m getting to the point… This was what really encouraged me to write this blog.
Dippers and goats is one thing but Hillsborough and Munich is something else. That’s beyond unpleasant, disrespectful and certainly funny or in any way clever. It’s f*cking despicable. In both cases young lives were snuffed out and these were people with families and extended families and friends. How anyone can’t associate with that is beyond me. To try to make light of it and sing stupid songs about it is like pissing on a grave in terms of disrespect and if you are one of the people involved you are one of those I mentioned earlier in need of some professional help… clearly unable to distinguish right from ‘off the scale’ wrong. The same applies to things like the holocaust.
I appreciate its football and the demographic doesn’t lend its self to intellectual thinking and respect is a word banded about the game like it’s printed on the ticker tape at youth games to indicate where parents should stand, and as poorly observed these days but if football and city rivalry has completely taken over your life and become all you are about consider some would argue in many ways it’s become a greedy, murky, corporate thing. Bent officials, shady shareholders, outrageous ticket prices and way too often sh*t football. There’s very little prestige about plying your trade in the EPL anymore. It used to be about your team having a go. Now it's pretty much all about the money as a rule. Leicester’s momentous efforts which should be applauded don’t really change that.
If you want to hang on to something that does represent a bit of the good in it or the old days remember when opposing teams and fans had ‘genuine’ respect for one another and demonstrate it.
Whilst at games sing your heart out for your club, obviously.
Just an idea this but occasionally sing about them perhaps and not just the opposing side, their players, manager or what you think the fans thereof employment status might be Anyone attending PL these days is employed believe me). That might be too much to ask I know but have a bit of respect. Not for the two most decorated clubs in English football, a rivalry almost as old as football its self, and a history of titanic battles over the years and all that crap… respect for the dead though, surely?
Single out and disown f*ckwits who want to.
Of course next time two clubs face up that have needle and some kind of tragedy in their history a group of morons with cabbage for brains from one side or the other or both will see it is too good an opportunity to not start chanting hate and those around them will mostly snigger, the odd few disassociate themselves from it but nothing will be done, none will be identified and banned from any stadium as they should be, for life if it were up to me. This ugly sh*t can and will only be stopped by those attending the games and it can be done. It was not so long ago racism was the norm but the fans ‘who very much reflect greater society’ rightfully, thankfully made it unacceptable.
--Bryn Downng----