For those of you who are not aware of "The Kop," it is the main end of the Liverpool Football Stadium-Anfield. It was orginally called "The Spion Kop."
It has a history as long as the team itself and is legendary for anyone that is a Liverpool supporter. Liverpool supporters are considered some of the best supporters in the world and completely loyal, no matter how bad or well the team has done.
There is now, starting January 1st, 2007, a new campaign to 'reclaim the Kop.' Here is the charter for the new campaign.
The Kop Charter:
1. First is that we are only custodians. The Kop is a spirit, an attitude, the heart and soul of Liverpool F.C. No-one owns it, but together we are a legion, a force like no other.
2. There is no other. The Kop is a one-off. It’s the cradle of terrace culture, humour, songs - the original 12th Man. The Kop innovates. It has never followed. As Liverpudlians, we should never follow the rest of country’s trends and fancies. Whether that takes the form of lower-league grade chanting, overhead seal-clapping or the wearing of yokel-style headgear, The Kop deserves better.
3. "Liverpool FC exists as a source of pride for its supporters. It has no other purpose." If that is the club's pledge to us, here's ours to the team: "The Kop exists as a bastion of support. We will get behind the team through thick and thin. We will always give them strength."
4. It's the law of nature that fans have favourites. Let's leave the negative stuff in the pubs and schools and wherever else there's debate to be had. Once we set foot inside Anfield, we are Redmen and we have one purpose – to help the team win.
5. Let's get inside the ground earlier. This is all about playing our part in making Anfield special, and providing the backdrop and the inspiration for the team to walk tall. It's also about letting the other team know where they are. When they come out to warm-up, we want our heroes' hearts pumping and the opposition shriveling. Everyone loves a pre-match pint but let's get the Kop rocking too.
6. On 15th April 1989, many thousands of us set off to support our team in the semi final of the F.A Cup. 96 of us never came home again. We will always honour the memory of those who died at Hillsborough. In our respect for them and their families, and in our disdain for the unprincipled and unregulated hacks who scared up a shameful pack of lies out of a desperate human tragedy, we will never purchase or read The Sun newspaper, and we deplore the reading of it by any Liverpool supporter.
7. It is our custom and our privilege as Liverpudlians to welcome supporters from far and wide. We expect all Kopites of all ages, wherever they sit inside the ground, to show similar respect to the city of the team they support. It’s not endearing when visitors don curly-perm wigs and tell locals to “calm down”. It’s not clever to laugh along with away fans who sing tiresome nursery rhymes about car crime. Support Liverpool F.C, and you support Liverpool, too.
8. We always applaud the other team's goalie. But if he should fail to acknowledge that – let him have it!
9. "Liverpool FC Supporters All Over The World." We don’t tolerate racism. Everyone knows LFC, all around the globe. From Nairobi to Nagoya, we have fans, people who love us because we do things 'The Liverpool Way'. We have style, we have honour, we have principles. We are a global force with a local pulse - truly, a club of the people.
10. Our own icon, the symbol that makes The Kop a legend all over the world, is our anthem: You’ll Never Walk Alone. If there is one thing that sets us apart as fans, it’s this pre-match ritual, this war cry, our hymn of triumph, and occasional pain. We’re custodians of the anthem, and we have to maintain it and pass it on to the next generation, in pristine condition. We can never dilute the song, its message and its impact with half-measures and bursts of applause half way through. Let’s respect the anthem and do it proud, sing it slowly and with heartfelt emotion, right to the end, scarves held high. Amen.
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