Does the fact that we reside in Asia, have never been to Anfield, or have never seen a live Liverpool game, other than on the television make us any different from people born in Liverpool, brought up there and have been fortunate enough to watch a game or two at Anfield? The beautiful thing about football is that there is no language barrier. It is universal.
I walk around a mall, here in the United Arab Emirates, and I see a few people wearing the Liverpool shirt. On my way home, a car passes by with a mini Liverpool shirt on the dashboard. The driver see’s the “You’ll Never Walk Alone” banner in our car, honks and grins. Can a simple nod or smile from one supporter to another transform ones day? Certainly.
Why would an Asian support Liverpool? What is so great about this team? When Poet Emdad Rahman, spoke about Liverpool he was quoted saying “there's the sheer romance of Liverpool FC and that is just something else."
When I was on a vacation in India, I stopped by a few sports shops to see what I could come across for myself. I was taken aback to hear that the new Liverpool shirts were out of supply. No one in my family supports the side, so it was very surprising to hear that I wasn’t the only Liverpool fan there.
- B/R Ticket Guide
Phil Thompson, the two-times European Cup winner visited Asia, and said, “Club like AC Milan and Bayern Munich can say what they like but they have nowhere near the level of worldwide support Liverpool have, and these fans live and breathe the club just as much as lads from Kirkby and Anfield."
Oh how true are those words, Mr. Thompson. If I could put down how much affection I have for this team, I would. Hell, I’ve never even been close to Europe! Games are shown in Asia at ungodly hours, we have perfected the art of sneaking out of bed, pressing the mute button before the volume awakens the dead and coming up with perfect excuses as to why we fall asleep at work or school during the day. “But sir, I was up all night studying,” or “My wife locked me out,”
Here’s where I’d like to mention a friend. Someone who I have got along with so well, because she too, like me, supports Liverpool. They say friendship is when you laugh together, cry together and curse together. Liverpool is the foundation of our friendship.
The colour of your skin, your name, the place you were born, shouldn’t matter in football. Liverpool FC practically yells at you, “Look at me, Look how great I am... Watch me play!”
Liverpool FC, you look at them and think, “No, it’s not possible. They can’t win this game...” And before you know it, they equalise, score again and win and you’ll be sitting there thinking “How in the world...”
уσυ'ℓℓ ηєνєя ωαℓк αℓσηє . Four words, so much meaning. Nothing can part us supporters, it’s never going to be “Walk away,” for us it is “Walk on...”
No matter where you come from, what you do, if you are a Liverpool FC supporter, I salute you.
YNWA
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3 months ago
Here here! I salute you to Michelle!
from 3 months ago
cheers Barney
3 months ago
excellent article Michelle. you could say the same of other clubs too. well, not the quote but everything else.
potd for me
from 3 months ago
Thanks Thomas :)
3 months ago
Lucky you, you've got a friend who supports Liverpool. So far I have yet to see another supporter in flesh and blood. Everyone around here seems to support the mancs. :(
from 3 months ago
Same here dude...
from 3 months ago
haha yeah, she rocks :)
3 months ago
I salute you too!
from 3 months ago
woot!
from 3 months ago
;-)
Fellow Red...
3 months ago
i SALUTE U MICHELLE!!!
I came across a pure bred manc a couple a weeks ago and we were chatting about football. He kept on asking me how can i support liverpool when i am not even scouse. He said people not residing from the UK knwo nothing about football and that we should stick to our home clubs. Really upset me but that has gotta be the worst statement made.. I knew so much more on football than he did and his only comeback was u not a true supporter coz u not scouse ...how pathetic i was thinkin to myself. Can a footbal lfan be so narrow minded wow..just shows some a the thoroughbreds do not know the half of football.
Im glad u wrote this article...really impressed me
YNWA
LIVERPOOL TILL I DIE:)
from 3 months ago
WOHOO SAM!
I know how you feel, something similar happened to me, and i was pretty pissed off when writing this article, half way through the anger turned into admiration for my team :P
I hate people telling me i know nothing about football, just because I live in dubai and have never been to anfield.
Thanks and ...
YNWA!
3 months ago
Finally an article I can leave a worthy comment....
Being a Chelsea supporter from Denmark, living in the UK has always been a rough ride. Whenever the boys got together I always needed to justify being a chelsea fan. One even went as far as saying, being a dane in Birmingham, I should either stick to danish teams or swear my allegiance to the Brummie clubs (Aston Villa, Birmingham City, West Bromwich)..
I'll SALUTE ALL FOOTBALL FANS FOR SUPPORTING THEIR TEAM, WHICHEVER TEAM IT IS ...
from 3 months ago
I know Salomon, it gets hard doesnt it?
Its so stupid, and unnecessary to make such comments. Why would you want your team's support to only be limited to one part of the world, when they can be universally loved?
I know this article is based of LFC, but I too salute all football fans who support their teams, no matter from where ...
cheers x
3 months ago
hey mich! Zara here =)
Awesome article! s a really impressive !
Rock on! =D
from 3 months ago
Thankx Zara =]
this ones ours
<3
3 months ago
im from Liverpool but i still don't see why people say others aren't 'real football fans', just because they don't go to every game. in my view a real football fan is a person who supports a football team :) if you have a season ticket (im lucky enough to have one) then you perhaps know a little more about your team, seeing them almost every week, but it doesn't mean you love them more than you people halfway across the world!
interestingly, why did you start supporting liverpool?
from 3 months ago
good to know , Jessica :)
I'm not really sure, i started liking Fowler, then the way the played, but I think it was the "YNWA" that turned my world upside down ;)
and ofcourse, Istanbul '05
3 months ago
Mich..this article here merits an applause! very good article with insight and perspective.
Like you, I have never been to Liverpool, and haven't seen a match at anfield or to that matter seen Liverpool win the League! Coming from India, leaving in Dubai, I'm a proud fan of liverpool just like any other scouse. I love LFC, I don`t know why, I don`t know how, it had just been like that and I know that I would be never able to support anyone else. Friend of mine who is a manc asked me after last sunderland game "why do you back LFC?? they are playing shitty football?" I said, that's MY team and that's how it is at times. I would support my beloved Reds against all odds whether we're winning or losing, even if we got relegated.
I think one is downplaying the largeness and greatness of the football by limiting the fan base to those within the physical proximity of city or club. I do agree locals make the backbone supporters of the club, but In real spirit of football I don't think they would discriminate against their other fellow fans based throughout the world!
@Sam: I have to add, that manc is one of those not having an idea about the throw-in offside rule!
You'll never walk alone!
from 3 months ago
Thanks :)
I agree with you , i don't think its possible for me to support anyone else either. And they don't play shitty football... a bad game here and there really is made up for in games like the one against Man utd, or Man City.
I know Steven Gerrard said he loves the support from Asian countries, and was pretty surprised by it, read it somewhere, don't know where :) Great captain :)
YNWA
3 months ago
god bless you mich .
there are so many people here in my country support liverpool fc and so do i.
we always say it" you will never walk alone"
no matter the distance or language or skin
because we like the beauty of soccer when the ball with gerrard and his company .
it is like a chorus of song .
from 3 months ago
Thanks Mujtaba.
3 months ago
Mich.. there is a whole book on Asian liverpool fans by Mohammed Bhana, book is called 'The Asian Liverbird' and is commissioned by club, published abt month back i guess.
from 3 months ago
Yeah, I've heard about it! I'm actually dying to read that book :P I heard he interviewed gerrard and some of the players
can't wait :)
3 months ago
try magrudys ;)
from 3 months ago
will do :) going there to buy the twilight series anyway :P
3 months ago
its 4 books.. I will wait for the movie.. ;)
3 months ago
nah i prefer reading , movies ruin it :P eg harry potter :)
3 months ago
wow amazing article
3 months ago
honest to god the best article i have read in...ever..and i mean that..like honestly to find a fellow liverpool fan means alot to me and your a picture perfect fan...keep writing please its a pleasure to read your work
from 3 months ago
Thank Ayanle,
I'm guessing you're a Liverpool fan too :) which is great!
Thanks once again and,...
YNWA
3 months ago
YNWA for sure..i wrote an article bout me passion for liverpool .. not as good as yours but lol maybe u can read it and give me some pointers :)
from 3 months ago
I'll check it out Ayanle :)
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