I changed her world for ever

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The other day in school, I did a speech about the Hillsborough disaster. I told my classmates about how the tragedy happened, the reasons behind it and how it has affected the club and formed Liverpool Football Club, and made it what it is today.

I also showed them pictures from the tragedy, and showed them clips from YouTube that brought tears to all of their eyes. Everyone in that dark little classroom, and this included the always so cold teacher, got a sad expression, seeing images that has etched in our memory for ever.

I ended the speech with ‘if somebody have a question, I’ll gladly answer it’ and that was when the chock came. Never have I seen 30 hands up in one class, almost competing with each other – which had the tallest and most visible one, so I could choose them first.

Because most of the class contained girls, many of the questions are to embarrassing to write here. But then one of them raised their hands, and formed a question I’ve been dying to answer. A question I love answering, because I always know that whoever asked it, will get a genuine and honest reply.

How is it to be a Red?

And this is how I replied here;

Well, have you ever felt alone? That nobody cares about you, that nobody listens to what you have to say and that nobody ever sees you?

Or have you had a bad day, and almost want to just runaway from everything. Just want to take your last breath of air, once and for all.

Have you ever felt misunderstood by everyone around you, uselessly trying to explain what’s on your heart, but always fail because you know deep down inside they don’t really care?

That’s when I appreciate being a Red. It is like an extra family. Sometimes, I can chat with a guy that I don’t even know, but be more open and honest with him then with my best friend. All because I know he is a Red, and that he understands me.

You probably think that I’m crazy, but it’s true. All of you guys out there, we have something in common. We are all reds. That alone, creates some sort of a band between us, a band that is hard to find these days. Nobody can take that away from us – once a red, always a red.

Some of us have been it for a long time; others are just discovering this heaven on earth. But we don’t care about that, because we know, once a red, always a red.

Here face expression was a bit confused, so I just told her the things we take for granted sometimes …

… We reds, we cry, we cheer, we yell, we sing and we enjoy everything together. We help each other to walk on, we help each other through the wind and the rain, I said with a proud voice. Can you imagine how it feels like, knowing that you always have somebody to lean on?

That’s why we sing that you’ll never walk alone. It’s because we are there for each other, at all times.

After I was done, the same girl that asked me the question, came up to me, and asked; how do you become a red

Follow me on Twitter @Nezik_Keshto

24 Comments

  1. Great post, and great to see that once people understand what it means to be a Red they too want to be part of the family.

  2. Jag gratulerar dig – kan inte vara lätt att tala framför så många om en katastrof som påverkar alla äkta fotboll supportrar på ett starkt sätt.

    Angående “Hur blir man en ‘red’?” – det låtar som om hon är redan halvvägs där eller hur?

    Det är DU som har gjort det – som en 41-årig ‘red’ från Liverpool, jag tackar dig. From my heart.

    mvh
    /j
    ynwa

  3. Regarding the above, to the mods, I wrote it in Swedish cos Nezik says she was born and raised in Sweden, so I wanted to make it more personal, since she’s talking about a topic close to my heart and for personal reasons. It basically says that I thank her for what she’s done and that it sounds like the girl who asked how to become a red is already halfway there, thanks to Nezik :)

  4. very nice nezik, you are an ambassador of lfc. we are indeed clanish and we do hate injustice and we are different even in the city we are so proud of, it was us that in the sixties (and since)sang the beatle’s songs and the other liverpool groups like gerry and the pacemakers because we were so proud of our lads taking the world by storm, yet everton fans never ? almost all of the football tunes songs and chants (in a football context) originated on the spion kop, of course youll never walk alone stuck because it embodied the liverpool way, we have grown since then to cover the whole world but we are still bonded by the love an ideal -the liverpool way.

  5. Great peice Nezik. Brought a smile to my face as well as a little sadness to my heart (bit like our performances this season), but you’re bang on the mark.

    @ Dibbler
    Have some respect Dude! This piece was written by a lady.

    YNWA

  6. Nice piece,Teach.Primary School is where it all started for me.So,it’s 1979 and my parents place me into the first year of primary and into the arms of the system and i start to find out those things,those same thoughts and feelings that you described so beautifully:Wanting to run away and having to go back every day and not fucking liking it.I didn’t like the teacher i had,this mouldy old Thatcherite bag.She was from the old school(pun not intended)all right and i didn’t like her vibe,the old shitbag.
    so anyway,i wasn’t happy.Then one freezing morning one of the other kids on the ‘naughty’ table(there were three of us,his name was James Stuttard,)came to school in a red scarf with the Legend ‘LIVERPOOL’in white.I remember looking at that scarf all day.The deep redness of it had me in a trance.So,during class that day i decided that i wanted in on this LIVERPOOL thing.And i think James became my first proper friend,i remember things getting strained a year or so later when he finally gave into his Tottenham supporting dad and older brother and came to school in a Spurs scarf.But it didn’t matter because he showed me the way.I now belonged to something worth belonging to….I wished i’d had a teacher like you,and those kids you’re teaching will never forget you.MAHALO

  7. sounds like a recruitment for a cult or religion. the only difference is that the club never asks for anything from you in return.

    its not easy being a liverpool fan abroad. before the champions league u were supporting a great club that only you understood was great.

    but like you said, u never for once feel alone.

  8. i hope you told her the prerequisite for becoming a red is simple: you walk on with us through good and bad, like we would for you.

    the bond between reds is very much true and alive. i am the proud owner of a liverbird tattoo, and one day someone noticed it, as i went to pay for my purchase.
    “you’re a red?” the cashier questioned with an abnormal new-york accent.
    “through and through” i replied, smiling like an idiot.
    the cashier rolls-up his sleeve to reveal a winkled arm covered in everything liverpool.

    his name is frank, and he was born and raised scouse. he met a lovely new-yorker named linda, which is why he left merseyside, and started a new life in america. he’s a bit older than i am; i’m 24, and let’s just say he was about my age when king paisley first took control.

    we watch a lot of games at his house; drinking a few brews, while belting out some of our songs loudly and awkwardly together. i remember on one of these occasions, frank slapped my back hard and told me, “danny, you’re better than an english-man, you’re a f-king red. never thought i’d be drinking with one of my own again.”

    “since when do we walk alone?” i asked.

    just wanted to share my experience with the only people who might understand. oh, and yeah, there are reds even in america. new york chapter, baby.

  9. Touching post ruined by sweeping generalisation of females. The liverbird is a she, King Kenny is nothing without Marina and I and many many many other Liverbirds have more respect for others regardless of their gender.
    Shame – you described LFC values so well…just failed to apply them yourself.
    No doubt I’ll get slated but that’s how i feel.
    Just as well you’re still in a learning environment – you have much to learn.

  10. Fair play to ya chick. Liverbird, get off ur fuckin perch how is this a generalisation of women when she was talking about a specific event which happened in a class room ful of girls who knew nothing about football. An lets be honest here, 9 out of ten of you are fu**ing clueless. Thats not a generalisation its just reality!

  11. Unity among us, passion for our club, respect for football they play, and support the players who play thick and through make us a family rather than a fan!

    Once a Red, always a Red! YNWA

  12. I’m so proud to be a Red when i read this and i do agree that once u’re a red, you’re always a red…

    I’m from Malaysia.. you can take me out of Liverpool but you cant take Liverpool out of me, the blood is red for a reason

    YNWA

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