The Kop: Universally known as Liverpool’s 12th man

While browsing the Internet, I stumbled across this beautiful video of Liverpool in 1964. The video shows The Kop of Liverpool at Anfield – thousands of fans are dancing, pushing each other around while loudly singing famous songs by the Beatles. A journalist stands in front of the Stand and is amazed by the thousands of fans. He claims he has never seen anything like it before.

This is Liverpool’s Kop, world’s most historical football stand.

In 1906, after Liverpool won their second league title and as a reward for the loyalty of the club’s fans, the owners decided to build a new stand.

The stand’s name originates from a hill top nearby Ladysmith, South-Africa. It is the place where the Second Boer War between the South African Republic and British forces was fought. The war resulted in a Boer victory and over 300 British soldiers lost their lives at the Battle of Spion Kop – many of them were from Liverpool. When a local newsman first saw Liverpool’s new stand, he thought that it resembled the hill near Ladysmith. The term ‘Spion Kop’ was used and a legend was born…

Years went by and The Kop became famous worldwide. People from all over the world wanted to visit Liverpool and they wanted to experience the amazing atmosphere at The Kop. More stands quite like the Kop were built all over Europe, but none of them became as famous as the one at Anfield. The Kop had become an institution, a legend, and the thousands of fans struck fear into the opponent. Liverpool had gotten themselves a 12th man.

It was a beautiful era that ended in terrible disaster. In 1989 things went south. A football match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough Stadium – which at that time had the largest Kop Stand in Europe – ended in disaster. Liverpool fans were crushed due to overcrowding and 96 people died. Over 766 people were injured.

After the Hillsborough disaster, all-seater stadiums became obligatory in the highest two divisions of English football. Liverpool’s legendary Spion Kop was demolished.

In 1999 – 10 years after the disaster – a monument was placed at the entrance of Hillborough Stadium, where Sheffield Wednesday still play their home matches. The monument reads:

In memory of the 96 men, women, and children who tragically died
and the countless people whose lives were changed forever.
FA Cup semi-final Liverpool v Nottingham Forest.
15th April 1989.

In April this year, Hillborough disaster took place exactly 30 years ago. All over Liverpool people paid their respects to the 96 supporters who lost their lives. A minute’s silence was held at 15.06 BST, flags were flown at half mast, traffic was stopped for one minute, Mersey Ferries sounded their horns and the bells of the Town Hall tolled 96 times.

The world’s most historical football stand was demolished, fewer people are allowed at the new, all-seater stand and the Beatles songs are replaced by Liverpool songs. But the true atmosphere, the love, passion and devotion have always remained…

Will Liverpool’s 12th man sing the club to its well-deserved title?

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