Anyone tuning in to ITV1 late on Saturday afternoon will have been greeted by the sight of grown men sporting silly hats in a sea of similarly dressed people and empty red seats. This, apparently, was Wembley's pre-match atmosphere in all its glory ahead of England's friendly with Slovenia. The St George Cross hung from every ledge in the famous (new) stadium as the national side took to the field and will no doubt be out in force again on Wednesday night when Croatia visit the capital.
However, the nation's symbol does not fly proudly on the streets of Merseyside nor does it feature every other week on the world famous embankment situated on Walton Breck Road. Whilst devotees of the national side will point out that Anfield has been used in recent times for Three Lions’ friendlies, thus being filled with St George Crosses, the majority of Liverpool supporters have a lack of interest in all things England.
In the late seventies and early eighties, Union Jacks adorned terraces across Europe as the Reds reigned supreme on the continent. It was more a sign of cultural identity than anything else. Margaret Thatcher's iron grip on the country, especially in traditionally left-wing cities like Liverpool, combined with the English disease saw Kopites shed their national allegiances and adopt a separatist, club-only stance.
Another contributing factor is the traditional clientele who hang the national flag with pride at Wembley and beyond. Whilst the names of Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea are proudly emblazoned on St George Crosses, they are outnumbered by the likes of Bradford City, MK Dons and Peterborough United. The reason being that England's most ardent supporters come from the lower leagues. There is no correct reason for this but a common view is that it is the closest they will come to seeing top flight players at their peak
Somewhere in the middle of the national hysteria surrounding Euro '96, a new breed of England fans arrived; ones who will don the fancy dress and provide the FA's marketing department with the ideal unique selling point to entice more gullible masses to brand England. The fans inside Wembley on Saturday belted out their own renditions of 'Ring of Fire' and 'We're gonna bounce in a minute'. Interestingly, both originated from the upper echelons of the Kop and the latter is an overture to the chant for Liverpool's current number nine who incidentally is a Spaniard.
Fortunately, Wembley is not Anfield. There is more than one flag that has been waved to show support for Liverpool Football Club. Creativity, diversity and innovation are at the forefront of every matchday as supporters flood the terraces with colour and sound. There is certainly no need for a makeshift brass band to add an out-of-tune backing to ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ or any other chant for that matter.
However, the nation's symbol does not fly proudly on the streets of Merseyside nor does it feature every other week on the world famous embankment situated on Walton Breck Road. Whilst devotees of the national side will point out that Anfield has been used in recent times for Three Lions’ friendlies, thus being filled with St George Crosses, the majority of Liverpool supporters have a lack of interest in all things England.
In the late seventies and early eighties, Union Jacks adorned terraces across Europe as the Reds reigned supreme on the continent. It was more a sign of cultural identity than anything else. Margaret Thatcher's iron grip on the country, especially in traditionally left-wing cities like Liverpool, combined with the English disease saw Kopites shed their national allegiances and adopt a separatist, club-only stance.
Another contributing factor is the traditional clientele who hang the national flag with pride at Wembley and beyond. Whilst the names of Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea are proudly emblazoned on St George Crosses, they are outnumbered by the likes of Bradford City, MK Dons and Peterborough United. The reason being that England's most ardent supporters come from the lower leagues. There is no correct reason for this but a common view is that it is the closest they will come to seeing top flight players at their peak
Somewhere in the middle of the national hysteria surrounding Euro '96, a new breed of England fans arrived; ones who will don the fancy dress and provide the FA's marketing department with the ideal unique selling point to entice more gullible masses to brand England. The fans inside Wembley on Saturday belted out their own renditions of 'Ring of Fire' and 'We're gonna bounce in a minute'. Interestingly, both originated from the upper echelons of the Kop and the latter is an overture to the chant for Liverpool's current number nine who incidentally is a Spaniard.
Fortunately, Wembley is not Anfield. There is more than one flag that has been waved to show support for Liverpool Football Club. Creativity, diversity and innovation are at the forefront of every matchday as supporters flood the terraces with colour and sound. There is certainly no need for a makeshift brass band to add an out-of-tune backing to ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ or any other chant for that matter.
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