I think you their are 2 complete and opposing views of what constitutes "supporter". One is predicated on the amount you spend the other on which is based on your "passion" for the game and club. I have never been to Anfield and I wasn't born in Liverpool, because of that I have been told I am not a "true" supporter. Too which I disagree, completely. I have been a supporter for over 3 decades. When I was 11 I started playing youth soccer in Boston. It was a small rec league for kids. My coach was Spanish and played in Europe, nothing big. He played Serie B and was a HUGE Liverpool supporter. At that time in the US, European Football was barely shown on TV. But ESPN was just starting out and by the early 80's were showing matches late at night. Because at the time Liverpool were the biggest club in England and Europe they showed a lot of their matches. Since I showed Interest in Liverpool my coach gave me a box of VHS tapes of Liverpools early 80's matches. League, Cups etc... I watched the F**k out of those tapes. I used to send away for VHS mail order of Liverpool matches after every season up until the Internet and I was able to find streams. But It wasn't like it is now. It took hours to just buffer a 90 minute match over a phone line. I spent YEARS getting up at 7-8 am on match days to watch streams, with buffering and cutting out and lost connections. It only started last year when NBC bought the rights can I watch every match on TV now, I can even DVR and watch after I get up....do you know how FANTASTIC that is for us over here in the US.
The point is I do consider myself a supporter. A bandwagon, plastic supporter will NOT get up at 7 am on Sat to find a stream online. That is a quantifiable fact. I have been saving money to go see a match in Liverpool. I have Football apps on my phone for transfer news. I take off work for Cup Finals. I take off work to go to a Liverpool pub 90 minutes away to watch the Everton and United matches. I am a supporter. Last season after the Chelsea and Palace matches I was seriously depressed, for days. That was after a good 6 weeks of constant anxiety and what I think was a serious nervous disorder.
Another FACT...I know Football. Here in the US, we have 3 distinct types of supporters. United supporters. Liverpool supporters and a weird mixture of Immigrants who follow Madrid, Barca, AC Milan and even Visla, CSKA and Boca Juniors. But of all the others its Liverpool supporters who are true, hardcore supporters. The majority of United fans are plastic bandwagon fans who dont know what offsides is and buy a scarf every 5 five years.
Let me give you a prime example. 3 seasons ago I was in a pub watching United v Liverpool. I was sitting next to a guy wearing a United top. We talked for a minute, he told me he was a "Huge" United supporter since he was a kid. He started talking about the match and then made the bold prediction that United were going to win and that....I SWEAR THIS IS TRUE....That United will win because he thinks RONALDO is going to score a hat trick. Ronaldo, Cristiano Ronaldo who was at that time playing in MADRID for REAL MADRID. I said. "Ronaldo"? He said "Yes"...I said "Ronaldo isnt playing for United" he said "Why, is he injured?"..... Yes, that happened.
So to sum it up. I consider myself a supporter. I love the club. I love Anfield, the history, the KOP, YNWA everything about it. I will be Liverpool for LIFE. I will never not be Liverpool. I love being a supporter. I love hating United and when they win the title, I will be insane and it will be one of the best days of my life.
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