Its strange because I've always felt that locals have more right to support Liverpool than myself, even though I've followed the Reds since around 86, but being on this forum has taught me that OOTs can be equally fervent when it comes to supporting Liverpool, Rafa, ect
The Locals are the ones who put bums on seats, and for that reason they are more important to the club's financial well-being, not sure if they love the Club anymore than myself or other OOTs though.
Supporters in the immediate area of the club will naturally feel they have more of an empathy with LFC than those that live further afield, to say nothing of the history of the club and the family connection that sees generations of Reds support the institution that is LFC.
It would take a brave man to dismiss the depths of that support or indeed compare it with that of those living further away spoken of previously.
For one reason or the other there is some form of support snobbery at play here, emanating from the glib acronym that is 00T's, whether intentional or not a divide is created right there with suggestion that there is a tiered identifiable strata to the support base.
Essentially however we all want the very best for the club and paradoxically the effort and commitment of somebody getting to Anfield and taking five, six hours and even more to do so is quite some dedication, compared to the guy who lives on Rice Lane who could amble down there in 20 minutes.
Tiers of support are there whether you live in Rice Lane or County Galway as are the different opinions as to what is best for the club, the overriding factor is however we do all want the best for this club.
An excellent OP by CRK and two excellent posts by Orchard Red and stuey, as per usual. This will make for an excellent debate and for me there is no question.
I'm from Wales myself, i love Liverpool Football Club with all my heart. I hurt when we lose, i'm hurting now as i see the identity of the Club being totally stripped away by commercialism and the like. I cried when Kenny was sacked, i couldn't post for weeks as i felt i was betraying Kenny by even typing Brendan's name. I identify with the family values of the Club, the working class people who built this Club, we are a unit. Or as Shankly put it, a holy trinity.
As much as i love Liverpool Football Club, i wouldn't even begin to state i love the Club more than a true Scouser because that is impossible. Scousers are the heart and soul of LFC and always will be, it shouldn't be any other way. If i get to go to a game i consider myself privelidged. If i was to apply for a Season Ticket the same time as a Scouser then the Scouser would deserve that Ticket more than i would. It is their City, what happens at Liverpool Football Club affects the whole City, the community, the people.
Let's put it this way, i'm a proud Welshman and if i had to choose between being Welsh or Scouse i'd never give up my identity and pretend to be something i'm not. No matter how much i love Liverpool i love being Welsh more. It's in my blood.
If i hurt after a defeat, a true Scouser hurts more.
When i cried after Kenny's sacking, true Scousers cried more.
A true Scouser has more right than i will ever have to watch Liverpool play.
When i scream at a player to grow some bollocks, a true Scouser will scream harder.
Some people may not like what i have to say but it's the truth. It's their City. It's in their blood. They were born there.
We are what we are, there is no escaping that.
True Scousers are the lifeblood and soul of Liverpool Football Club and always will be. Without them it would be nothing.
The importance of the local support is crucial to the survival of our Club, just as bringing through local youngsters is. The day local support becomes unimportant will be the day Liverpool Football Club ceases to exist. Without the true Scousers there is no Liverpool Football Club.
Like stuey said, for true Scousers, supporting Liverpool Football Club is a religion, passed down through generations and is an honour, they are very lucky to be a part of that.
Just as lucky and honoured as i am to be Welsh.
F**k!. I forgot to say, my mate Tony goes to every home game and when i was working with him last night he said that a lot of the local hardcore support were not happy with Brendan. I'm not saying the local supporters opinions are more important than ours but nobody can argue that they feel the effect of what is happening more than we do.
Just my opinion.