Sorry if this is not in the right section, mods, feel free to move (obviously...
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Okay, so... It's getting late, I'm having a rather emotional night for personal reasons (no, my cock has not fallen off as a friend asked after jumping to a comical conclusion) and I came across an essay which I wrote for a teacher after he challenged me as to my level of support for the club. As it turned out, the essay was chosen and submitted as my discursive writing piece and was the driving force behind me achieving a 25/25 mark for that piece of folio work. I would like to share this with you all, as LFC are my comfort blanket in my times of mental darkness, so re reading and typing this out will be beneficial to me. Firstly, here is the statement which prompted my essay:
"So you're a fan of Liverpool? How many games have you been to this season exactly? In fact, how many games have you been to... ever? Surely to be considered a supporter you need to actively go and support the team, week in, week out. I myself am a supporter of Hibs, I go to every home game, several away games and I buy their shirts as well."
May I also add that this was definitely MEANT to provoke me, as we were having some banter at the time regarding Liverpool and Man U, but in no way was he being nasty about it, it was all just banter. However, so strong were my feelings against this statement, that the essay was born (which was not even scripted classwork).
EssayMr ______
May I first present you with some definitions:
Supporter: "A person who is actively interested in and wishes success for a particular sports team"
Aficionado: "A person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an activity, subject, or pastime."
Fan: "Someone who admires and supports a person, sport, sports team, etc."
My aim within this essay is to challenge the belief that a supporter, an aficionado, a fan, MUST adhere to certain criteria set out by others. I also wish to envelope my own assertion into the essay, so a bias may - or most likely will - occur. What 'qualifies' a person to be considered a 'fan' or a 'supporter' of a football club? As this essay is of a personal nature, I will be using Liverpool Football Club as a reference and also as the team of choice to argue this point to it's obvious conclusion.
I, personally, very much consider myself a supporter of Liverpool Football Club. There is not a single person in the entire solar system who could convince me otherwise. However, I find myself in the difficult position that millions of other fellow supporters also do, I am not in a position to actively attend matches on a regular basis, if at all. Geography has dictated this sad, depressing circumstance to me. Would I, if I had the opportunity to, attend more if not all of Liverpool's matches? Of course I would. It is a wild dream equal to that of a 5 year old boy wanting to be race car driver, a 5 year old girl wanting to be THE most beautiful princess in all of the land. A dream which, unfortunately, unless circumstances change, will always only ever remain a dream. Does this in itself exclude me from being considered a supporter of the club I hold in my heart? The club I live and breathe for; the club I feel that 'extra bit sick' that I cannot go into work should I be in line to miss a big game; the club who, in my darkest moments, I turn to as a temporary 'cure' to my troubles. Any person who tries to argue that I am not a supporter of the club is fighting a losing battle from the off.
Referring back to my definitions, and being entirely pedantic, am I "a person who is actively interested in and wishes success for a particular sports team"? Yes. I am actively interested in and wish success for Liverpool Football Club. Am I "a person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an activity, subject, or pastime"? Yes. I am very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about Liverpool Football Club. Finally, am I "someone who admires and supports a person, sport, sports team, etc."? Yes. You get the point. Sticking strictly to definitions, I meet every criteria to consider myself a supporter, an aficionado, a fan of Liverpool Football Club.
Apologies, as this is a discursive essay, I must provide two sides to the argument. I cannot consider myself a supporter of Liverpool as, because I do not attend any home or away fixtures, have any obvious 'in-your-face' tattoos referencing my love for the club or know the life story and stats of EVERY player ever to have run out at Anfield, I cannot consider myself a supporter of Liverpool FC. In fact, can I even consider myself interested in football at all? I mean, I don't take part in any 'hooliganism' which is so very obviously part and parcel of supporting a football team. [
Forum note: To anyone not familiar with sarcasm, the previous point regarding hooliganism was exactly that. Aimed at those naive and ignorant people who have no interest in football, yet pigeon hole us anyway].
I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression in recent years, I know, it's unfortunate, with no definite cure or fix. However, in Liverpool FC, I have my own form of relief. Further engaging with my love for the club numbs the pain, it keeps my mind occupied, it breaks down the walls I put up whilst having an episode. I am not afraid to admit that on several occasions I have shown my passion for the club through tears. I was only 12, but at the conclusion of the 2005 Champions League Final, I cried my little eyes out with pride and joy. So attached I had grown to a certain Fernando Torres, that when he left to join Chelsea, I cried tears of sorrow, tears of anger, tears of frustration. My love for the club stretches to the point that I have sometimes referred to the club as "the wife who would never leave me". Which brings me to my next point. Relationships. In life, a relationship is formed on several levels; a friendship, a family bond, a lovers bond, boyriend/girlfriend, marriage, children... I feel towards Liverpool the same emotions I feel towards each and every applicable relationship in life.
The club as a friend provides me with someone(thing) to 'hang out' with during down time. As I would spend time with friends, I spend time with the club. Re-living past glories, catching up with things I have missed etc. The club as a family provides me with strength and support when I need it most, not to mention my fellow supporters who are also part of the Liverpool family. The club as wife? It may sound silly, but I feel as though I am married to the club, I love the club, it puts me through every emotion imaginable (Joy when we win, disappointment when we lose, frustration when things aren't going our way and those heart in mouth moments when I feel we may concede to name but a few.)
The only thing hindering any further discussion is the word count limit applied by the exam board. So to conclude, yes I do consider myself a supporter of Liverpool FC. No, I cannot support the team in exactly the same way as others can, but I still support the team. I show my support through a very obvious emotional attachment, exchanging my disposable income for club products and sporting them proudly as I stroll down the street and also with how despite living in Scotland and not being able to afford to travel/buy match tickets, I religiously follow the ins and outs of the club. "I KNOW ALL THE WORDS TO ALLLLLLLLLLLLL THE SONGS!!" A 13 year old girl heading to a One Direction concert may say, well I know more than just the words to all the songs of Liverpool FC and I know that my heart beats Liverpool red.
I hope you all enjoy reading my essay, typing it up has made me feel a lot better!