Bohemia Bunny

Loving Liverpool, Part 1

June 5th, 2007 by lynnylchan under My Life

My cousin, who was away studying in the UK, just sent me an email telling me she’s back, and that she got me the Liverpool Football Club souvenir I wanted. It’s a replica of the “This Is Anfield” sign that hangs in the players’ tunnel, which the team members touch before running onto the field, as a symbolic gesture. Soon it won’t be Anfield any more, because they’re building a new stadium a couple of blocks away.

Looking back, it’s hard to believe I’ve been supporting Liverpool for more than 10 years. I started in the 1995/96 season - yes, I was still in primary school then - because it was an exploding craze among pubescent girls. Back then, there was this huge debate in the teenage population as to whether it was acceptable for girls to follow football, and whether they actually understood anything or they were just ogling the guys. I don’t know where that rebuttal came from - most of the time, if you’re watching the game, you can barely make out the numbers on the back of their shirts, much less be “ogling” them.

So my classmates and I each had a favourite player, and mine was Robbie Fowler, for obvious reasons. Which is why I was so delighted when he returned to Anfield (see this post). And among all the girls, I’m the only one whose football fever never subsided. As secondary school happened and other fads replaced football, girls watching the game became extremely commonplace to the point where it generates no comment at all now. It wasn’t always like that!

Even now, when I meet up with old friends from school, they’re amazed to hear that I’m still watching football and I still support Liverpool, because they’ve lost all interest in the game. I suppose I’m as bemused by their reaction as they are by my continued loyalty. I don’t see what’s so amazing about continuing to support the same team for over a decade, and they probably didn’t think their teenage fad would have had such a lasting effect. Which is where they’re wrong - it was never a fad for me.