For over thirty-five years, Liverpool Football Club had adhered to a special code of honour that made us the envy of all the other football teams. John Smith who was Chairman of the club during our Golden Years from 1973 – 1990 nourished the Liverpool Way by ensuring that the club kept it’s affairs private. In the good old days, you would never hear the chairman or owner bash the manager in public or a member of the board use abusive language to a fan. When it came to the supporters they had adopted the Kop Pledge, the Liverpool Supporters’ Four Commandments.
I) Always support the team, no matter how bad they are playing.
II) If the team is doing badly, cheer even louder as they need your support more.
III) If a player is struggling, sing his name louder and more often as he needs it.
IV) If the opposition are the better side and perform well, appreciate it and give them the credit they are due
It saddens me that I now have to admit that the Liverpool Way and The Kop pledge are currently dying a slow death. The events that are leading to the demise point to the advent of modern football and also the purchase of the club by Tom Hicks and George Gillett in 2007. The Liverpool Way went down the garbage disposal unit when Hicks and Gillett had their very public infighting and turned Liverpool Football Club into a soap opera. Then there were all those comments and statements attacking Rafa in public instead of keeping matters behind closed doors. The lowest point was eventually reached when Tom Hicks Jr. sent an abusive email to a Liverpool Supporter.
Our fans also have had a part to play in the demise as over the last few months we have been seeing more and more fans trashing our manager and our players. Some Liverpool legends have joined in the trash talk and disgraced the traditions of the very club that made them heroes. I still could not believe of what I was about to witness, the most shocking revelation to me has been the fact that there are Liverpool fans who want Liverpool to lose a game. To my astonishment, based on online polls and comments I have seen a majority of Liverpool fans want their own team to lose against Chelsea to deny United their nineteenth title.
Yes, should United win the title they will for the first time in their history have won more league titles than us however as a Liverpool Supporter I never want my team to lose a game no matter what. It is troublesome that we are becoming bitters, there is only room for one bitter team in Liverpool and that is Everton F.C.
So I beg all those who strayed away or do not understand fully what being a Liverpool Supporter is all about to read the Kop Pledge and try to observe it.
Being a Liverpool Supporter is not just being a fan of a football team, it is more than that, it is religious experience. We take each victory together, we take each defeat together, some might call it blind faith, some might call it cult-like, those poor fools who throw these accusations are lost souls, do not become one of them.
Y.N.W.A.
Until my last breath.
-Antoine