There are arseholes of every kind in every fanbase, Liverpool included. Judging people on the team they support is a really clear example of basic stupidity. So, in many ways, I understand this piece is layered with hypocrisy. Before you read on, then, please accept that I’m fully aware, ‘It’s not all Chelsea fans’.
I have some mates who support Chelsea. They’re sound. I know people who support Liverpool who definitely are not. Before the game on Sunday, I overheard a Liverpool fan say to his friend, ‘Shall I start the rent-boys chant?!’
His pal recommended against it. I stayed silent. So, again – I’m not coming from a place of superiority.
More than anything, I want to know why Chelsea fans, in large groups, seem to hate us so much.
I’ve been to Stamford Bridge lots of times. From my perspective, it’s easily the most vitriolic stadium in the country to visit as a Liverpool fan – especially one who on two occasions has hidden in with the home supporters. ‘Victims,’ ‘Murderers,’ ‘Sign on,’ etc. All the time, during every game.
But it’s not just the lyrics, it’s the delivery. Chelsea fans spit it out of their mouths with genuine, real hate. It’s horrible. There is enough information regarding tragedies in Liverpool’s past that there is really no excuse for the ignorance that still surrounds them. Perhaps it’s not ignorance – perhaps it’s an understanding which then makes it an even better opportunity for them to point-score and rile.
The homophobic rent-boys song is unacceptable, too. But in fairness, Liverpool fans have recognised this and you don’t hear it anymore. The young lad I saw before the game didn’t start the chant…
Journalist Daniel Storey pointed out how widespread and vicious the Chelsea fan behaviour was on the way to Wembley.
’97, we wish it was more….’ That has to be the most heinous of the lot. But it was chanted loudly and proudly outside the national stadium.
Liverpool have a rivalry with Manchester United, but I’ve always found there is a mutual respect between the groups as a whole, even if there is a long history of horrible chanting between the two clubs as well.
Manchester City still have a small fanbase and the rivalry is more of a sporting one. Everton are Everton and live in the same city; there can only be so much anger aimed at friends and family members from the same postcode.
But with Chelsea, it’s different – and pretty one-way…
Perhaps it has something to do with the South/North divide. Tory v Labour. Right v Left. Leave v Remain.
Just look at the hate when Liverpool fans booed the national anthem, in protest to the establishment’s treatment of the city over the years.
You can hear in the video below, tweeted by a Chelsea fan, the number of times Reds were labelled ‘Scum’.
What’s strange is that on the whole, people from London have much more in common with Liverpool than Scousers care to admit. The city is multicultural. It has more Labour boroughs than Tory ones.
But there is definitely an increasing nationalistic, right-wing element to many English football fanbases, which obviously makes the traditionally socialist Liverpool a target for abuse – emphasised by the fact we’re really good at football and probably quite annoying in how noisy we are about it.
The lad below, in a much shared and laughed at clip, is halfway through a post-match head-loss. He seems pretty angry about the game. He’s chatting nonsense obviously, as Liverpool won via a penalty shootout, not by cheating – but his mood is defined as much by the result as an ingrained hate of Liverpool.
‘Fuck every single fucking one of you,’ he says. It was a good game of football, lad, and it was decided in the only fair manner after 120 brutal minutes. Relax.
Paddy Power even picked up on the fury and made a compilation of the funniest stuff. In fairness, there’d be lots of drivel on various Liverpool forums had we lost – so there isn’t any harm in this.
I just find it… all a little odd. The best thing about the Final on Sunday was being around loads of Reds having fun. Singing for the team.
Nobody was acting like they were going into war. Battle-lines weren’t drawn.
The Chelsea lot who espouse so much hate should try it. It makes for much lower blood pressure and a much better Day Out.