A Common Bond

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By Brian Reece
twitter @oldfattoad

Liverpool football club is one of the most supported clubs in the world, it has a branch network of supporters that most football clubs can only dream of, and its getting bigger every year.

The LFC brand is expanding in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, USA and the Caribbean, LFC are huge in Eastern Europe and the Middle East also South Africa, but what is it that brings us together as one, the one thing regardless of culture or beliefs, A Common Bond between us, the answer lies within all of us, our unconditional love for Liverpool Football Club.

I have been fortunate enough to travel in my life not by choice, but through my wife’s increasing obsession to interrupt my football season with pointless trips overseas, and to places where she believes no one watches football.

The most memorable experience I have ever had with Liverpool fans overseas was in Barbados, the supporters there are just amazing I remember going to a bar to watch Liverpool play Man Utd in the Worthington Cup Final in 2003, it was still morning time in Barbados when we kicked off and by then the local chaps already had me drinking Rum and Pineapple from 9.30 in the morning so when kick off did happen I was very upbeat but barely standing, but what was striking was the passion from the local lads for Liverpool Football Club, the bar was a sea of red and white and was packed to bursting point.

I remember Stevie G scoring after about 30mins and there was people going absolutely crazy inside and outside the bar, it was also the most strangest version of You’ll never walk alone I have ever heard in my life but also the most happiest, here I was thousands of miles from the UK but still I felt at home amongst friends, amongst family even.

After Owen scored a few moments before the end it was like being at some all day party that will not stop until your either out cold from drunkenness or your just incredibly greedy, in my case it was the latter, the most memorable part of the day was stumbling back to my mother in-laws Rum Shop ( or Bar as we know it ) about 11.30 in the evening and my wife looking at me like it was the first and last time I was ever going to be let out on my own.

Liverpool fans all over the world have their own little adventures and stories to tell you when you meet them but the thing that makes us different to others is that we are loyal to the badge come rain or high water, when you speak to other clubs supporters like Chelsea for example you always tend to get some random response from them and nothing really gives you a feel of passion from their voice or mannerism, just a blank expression, ask them to talk football with you is like asking them how much was you paid this month, most of all Chelsea supporters I know or have spoken to only started supporting them from when they inherited a fortune, in contrast to a middle aged LFC fan who will tell you that he never had a choice it was his destiny as his father was a fan and that the first bib, dummy and bottle all had LFC on them.

Also as fans we can debate about everything about Liverpool even if we don’t agree, we will still make our point and then listen to others, we might have disagreements about players or signings, but when the chosen 11 go over the white line we back them no matter what, even if we don’t agree with the selection we just get on with it, if we score we jump up and down like lunatics the same way, these are the things that make us what we are, but the most important thing is A Common Bond, its the one thing that makes us Liverpool fans the same all over the world.

7 Comments

  1. Here in nigeria, we don’t have much supporters but the little we have are passionate unlike fans of you know who!

  2. Thank you for your response..I going to take a wild guess and say your a chelsea fan… shouldnt you be looking at chelsea posts and web sites..just a thought

  3. So true. I would go as far as to say Chelsea fans have an aloof attitude to their team.. We on the other hand are passionate, want to talk about our team, because we are proud no matter what.

  4. I lived four years in Barbados (2006-10) and used to go all the time to Bubbas Bar. I particularly remember the CL semi against Chelsea in 2007 and left an amazing atmosphere thinking, now how am I gonna get a ticket for Athens. Took me three days of chasing, hassling and haggling – but made it.

  5. You should came to zimbabwe liverpool rules here since the days of bruce grobler. I believe we can compete when it comes to support with 2/5 reds.

  6. Great read, I will say one thing: As a proud Liverpool supporter here in Australia (Adelaide if we wanna get specific), I can tell you that the brand isn’t really expanding here…it’s been massive for a very long time. Walking down a street over here you will see a hell of alot more replica shirts from our beloved club than you will any other team. In fact, I can tell you that there are at least 4 or 5 others in my street (not including my family) who are passionate Reds. Sure there are some fair-weather fans who’ve jumped on the Chelsea bandwagon, but most people who know about football support Liverpool.

  7. Liverpool supporters as rightly said by Dayo may not be popular here in Nigeria but, the few fans you would find bear the same passion as those watching the games in anfield.

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