The Kop Pledge And The Liverpool Way

Ask pretty much anyone who knows about football to name three things associated with Liverpool Football Club and, I guarantee, 99 percent of the time one of those things on the list will be the supporters.

Anfield has long been considered one of the most intimidating and exciting grounds for opposition teams to visit, and many a player, manager and rival fan has stated their awe and respect for the vocal support of the Liverpool fans.

"The Liverpool supporters didn't let me go to sleep the night before, there were 10 of them to every three Milan supporters. They showed their unconditional support at half-time when they were losing 3-0 and still they didn't stop singing. I've now made Liverpool my English team. They showed that football is the most beautiful sport of all." —Diego Maradona

Many football stadiums around the country have a stand called The Kop, but none come close to being as famous as Anfield's Spion Kop, and none could manage the same capacity.

At a time before all-seater stadiums where introduced to football, The Kop managed to hold an incredible 28,000 Liverpool supporters and was the largest single-tier stand in the world.

This was more than some stadiums could manage in their full capacity.

It was no surprise, then, that a wave of sound would emanate from the Kop and propel the team forwards to success and ensure Anfield, and its supporters, would be heard all over the world.

"Liverpool's fans are just amazing. The best feeling I have at away games is Anfield. It is just incredible. I love it. You get goose bumps when you see their supporters sing "You'll Never Walk Alone." —Thierry Henry

The support of the club was the cornerstone of success and the fans prided themselves on being a breed apart from the normal group of football supporters.

The Kop has always tried to be innovators in their support and would not copy other groups of fans and their trends. They would always look for the original angle when creating songs and chants and would not be seen mimicking other tired chants heard around many grounds in football.

There has always been a "Liverpool Way" of doing things, and there are certain standards the club and its supporters strive to uphold as best they can.

The Kop Pledge is an unwritten code of conduct that has been passed from generation to generation and was put in place to ensure that Liverpool supporters remained the best in the world.

"There's not one club in Europe with an anthem like "You'll Never Walk Alone." There's not one club in the world so united with the fans. I sat there watching the Liverpool fans and they sent shivers down my spine. A mass of 40,000 people became one force behind their team. That's something not many teams have. For that, I admire Liverpool more than anything." —Johan Cruyff

The Kop Pledge

Always support the team, no matter how bad they happen to be playing.

If the team is doing badly, then cheer even louder because they need your support even more.

If a player is struggling, then sing his name even louder and even harder to support him when he needs it the most.

If the opposition are the better side and performs well, then appreciate it and give them the credit they deserve.