While Liverpool might not be a force to reckon with that they were in the mid-70’s and 80’s, the club boasts of some of the most passionate and vocal fans in the history of the game. The club might not be such a dominant force at the moment but with the boisterous and uplifting Kop behind them, they can take on the best in the business and come out on top.
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If you are a Liverpool fan, you must have endured some tough times over the last few years. However, these are the moments that tests the resolve of Liverpool fans and make them worthy of the institution that is Liverpool FC.
In this segment, we take a look at eleven sure shot ways of knowing that one is a Red for Life.
#1 5 times mate! 5 times!
You leave no stone unturned into letting the world know that Liverpool remains the most successful English team when it comes to European competitions with five European Cup/UEFA Champions League victories.
The Reds might not be the latest English teams to have won the competition, with Manchester United and Chelsea having won the title after the miracle at Istanbul. However, you would miss no opportunity to rub it in the faces of the opposition fans that Liverpool remain the undisputed kings of England when it comes to European football.
#2 You love Gerry and The Pacemakers
If there is one song that can wake you up from the deepest of slumbers, it is the ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ song brought to the world by the Gerry and The Pacemakers and adopted by Liverpool fans. The song can get you singing at full throat even in a room filled with complete strangers.
And we would not be wrong to claim that you probably stand up at the beginning of each match to perform the ritual of singing the famed Anfield anthem that was institutionalised by the great Bill Shankly.
The phrase is one you carry with you all the time and leave no effort to make it relevant to the occasion when an opportunity presents itself (at least the writer of this article does so).
#3 You loathe Manchester United
If there is one rivalry that is the bitterest of them all in English football, it is the rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United. Yes, Everton remain their cross-town rivals, but nothing despises you more than the Red shirt of Manchester United. The rivalry that began as a trade issue between the city of Liverpool and Manchester in late 1800’s has now transcended to football.
You are torn right down the middle deciding the exact reason you loathe the Manchester club. Chances are that you are jealous of their domestic dominance as well as their financial muscle. It is the dream of every Kop that the club regains the glory years so you can get back to all your colleagues and friends who have bragged in the recent past about which club has the most English league titles.
#4 You cringe every time Luis Suarez scores
Millions of hearts were crushed on the afternoon of 27th April 2014 when Steven Gerrard slipped allowing Demba Ba to score and effectively end Liverpool's title challenge that season. The Reds had come very close to winning the title and one man, in particular, was at the helm of affairs, Uruguayan Luis Suarez.
Cut to the present day, Suarez has traded the Red of the Merseyside for the glorious Red and Blue colours of Barcelona and is a part of the holy trinity of the footballing world alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar. If you are a Liverpool fan, chances are that you watch each of Barcelona’s games and have a horrible feeling in your stomach each time the Uruguayan magician knocks one into the back of the net.
#5 You believe Kenny Dalglish should be knighted
For the major part of the late 70s and the entire 80s Kenny Dalglish was a force to reckon with. The Scottish striker scored goals for fun; he played a crucial role in the Reds becoming a formidable force across Europe and could be deemed as the soul of the club.
However, it has to be his undying love for the club and its community that leaves you with a tear in your eye. The Hillsborough disaster was a dark day in the history of the club and affected the club’s fans. The former Scotland striker, who was the player-manager of Liverpool at that time, left no stone unturned to ensure he reached out to the families of those affected in a bid to console them, thus permanently establishing himself as a legend.
You believe the man deserves to be knighted for his contributions to the game and the society and are left bewildered as to why it has taken so long to do so until now.
#6 15th April remains a dark day in your life every single year
15th April 1989 was a dark day in the game of football. Termed as the “Hillsborough Disaster”, 96 precious lives were lost due to a stampede that occurred during FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.
Hillsborough was the worst disaster English football has ever experienced and it has subsequently led to numerous reforms that make the current match-day experience a much safer one.
For every Liverpool fan, the 15th of April remains a day of mourning. Yes, we do not share blood and we may not be from the same country, but we are a part of the same family that is Liverpool and will never forget the 96 who lost their lives on that terrible day.
#7 You hate The Sun
One news agency that compounded the misery of Liverpool fans is The Sun. The newspaper made numerous terrible false allegations against the travelling Liverpool supporters to further rub salt into the fresh wounds of the affected families. And it comes as no surprise that we lot do not want to get near that agency ever again.
The newspaper agency ran a story as to how the travelling Liverpool supporters picked pockets from the dead, urinated on the policemen and also hindered medical staff who were trying to help - allegations which were never true and needless to say, even after 16 years, we are not in a mood to forgive them.
We could not be further overjoyed when the club decided to ban the paper’s journalists from attending the games at Anfield owing to its role in spreading false rumors about the fans. Perhaps, the current day journalist had nothing to do with the previous reports but the institution did and we could not hate it more for it.
#8 You just love Nemanja Vidic
After being the tormentor-in-chief for Vidic since his arrival in England, Fernando Torres upped that ante on one particular evening against the Serbian international in 2009 and it remains one of your favourite games to revisit.
The footballing world was afraid to line up opposite Nemanja Vidic given his imperious presence at the back end of the pitch. However, we just loved every time we found the Serb on the United teamsheet. We brought out the worst out of the Serb, especially with his tormentor Fernando Torres on the pitch and their battles proved that the Serb was human after all. Vidic was sent off on four occasions in the matches against Liverpool and endured some of the worst games of his life against the Reds.
#9 Bob Paisley was the most successful manager in the history of English football. Period.
Every Manchester United fan would love to make you believe that not only was Sir Alex Ferguson the best manager in their own history but also was the most successful manager in the history of the English game. However, you, as a Liverpool fan would love to point out that Bob Paisley was a more successful manager in terms of trophies, having won an incredible 14 major trophies, which included three European Cups during his nine years at the club.
Yes, Sir Alex Ferguson is the greatest manager Premier League has ever seen but every Liverpool would have you believe that Paisley was the greatest manager in English football.
#10 You have a poster/wallpaper of Steven Gerrard
Over the course of the last two decades, several superstars have mesmerised the Liverpool faithful with the likes of Michael Owen, Xabi Alonso, Sami Hyypia, Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez working their magic on the pitch. Yet, one particular player, who has his roots in this city has grown to be their global icon, Steven Gerrard.
Chances are, if you are a Liverpool fan, your family will be worried at the number of Gerrard posters hugging the walls of your rooms. Gerrard’s departure from the club has left a huge void in your life and unless another superhero comes along, you will probably just have to relive the glory days on Youtube like I do.
#11 You love Anfield.
If you are in love with a person, you perhaps have never caught the sight of Anfield under the lights with the Kop in full voice as it assumes the role of an entity that you will remain endlessly in love with. We have the best atmosphere when it comes to matchdays and it does not come as a surprise that most teams, in England as well as Europe, have acknowledged that Anfield is an intimidating place to visit.
The Kop works as the 12th man even in the darkest of our hours, often channelling the energy of millions of Liverpool fans worldwide.
