Liverpool FC: 5 Reasons to Have Them as Your Second Team
No matter which team you support, there is always another one for which you have a soft corner. This is the team you silently root for while cheering your first love.
One team that has something about it is Liverpool FC. Once an all-conquering team in England and Europe, Liverpool has lost its perch atop English football to Manchester United.
What it has not lost is its aura and place in history. Statistically, it may be second-best now, but for many it is also their second-favorite team.
Lets have a look at why this is (and ought to be) the case.
1. The History
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Compared to the rather bland story of most clubs, Liverpool has a rich and colorful history with dramatic highs and lows.
From the depths of the English Second Division in the early parts of the 1960s, the resurrection under Bill Shankly to the domination of Europe in the 1980s, Liverpool has seen it all.
Despite the decline since the Graeme Sounness reign, the Reds come up with occasional brilliance. Istanbul 2005...do these guys do ordinary?
As if the victory wasn't awe-inspiring enough, the team was led by Steven Gerrard, a loyal Red and one who had lost family in the Hillsborough Disaster.
Everything that happens to this club seems iconic.
Many clubs show off their glittering trophy cabinets and their huge stadiums, but who except Liverpool FC can boast of a 'legendary' boot room?
2. The Personalities
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There is something about this club that attracts and produces icons and legends on a regular basis.
Bill Shankly was the greatest of them all, a real people's hero. His passion for the club and love for the people was seemingly limitless.
The latter was something unique. In the modern-day football, even great managers like Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger try to defend the owners, instead of siding with the fans.
Shankly would have had none of it. The following anecdote is often repeated, but it never ceases to inspire.
A Liverpool scarf which had been thrown at Shankly during a lap of honour at Anfield was flung to one side by a policeman. Shankly pounced on the scarf and reprimanded him, uttering "Don't do that! This might be someone's life!"
Don't we wish all of our managers were like this?
Shankly's Boot Room provided Liverpool with a series of strong leaders. Paisley and Fagan built upon Shankly's success and even surpassed it.
But it is Kenny Dalglish who stands out, because of his success both as a player and manager.In today's age of 'big signings' and sugar daddies, one might be tempted to downplay the impact of one man's personality.
But the turnaround seen under the second reign of King Kenny has reinforced the importance of strong leadership.
With loyal and inspirational players like Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher, this tradition looks set to continue for a long time.
3. The Fans
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Despite their historical success, its not always been easy to be a Liverpool fan. These supporters have endured all possible highs and lows.
The accusations after the Heysel Disaster, the tragedy of Hillsborough and a 20-year long barren spell in the Premier League. And yet, Anfield never subsides.
The Kop has a unique identity in English football and a life of its own. It intimidates oppositions and reminds their own players, what it means to play for Liverpool.
The fans at Anfield back their team to the hilt, but recognizes class if it comes from the opposition.
There was honest appreciation for Arsenal in the extraordinary match in 1989, despite the heartbreaking nature of the Liverpool defeat.
No matter which team one supports, one has to admit, there is something genuine about most of these fans.
4. The Success
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One has to admire, albeit grudgingly, that Liverpool have had unprecedented success in England and Europe combined.
In an age where the financial gap between the 'big teams' and the others was not as wide and prohibitive, their achievements were something extraordinary.
Eighteen Domestic Titles and Five European Cups and all of them (except 2005 UCL) before the advent of the 'Big Four' and the resulting financial oligopoly.
Is this a reason to have them as your second team? Manchester United fans may beg to differ, but frankly, it is easier to appreciate an opponent's achievements if they have not been too recent.
5. The Romance
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The working class hero Shankly, the tragedy of Heysel, Hillsborough and the subsequent resilience of the club, their famous song and passion have the effect of lending an aura of romance to this great club.
In this age of corporatization and commodification of football, Anfield stands apart, true to its traditions.
It would be a pity if they leave that ground, one cannot buy the effect that famous sign hung in the tunnel has: inspiring for the Reds, ominous for the opposition.
Liverpool fans sometimes regret the fact that they missed out on the monetary success of the Premier League. They haven't missed out, they have survived it.
As much as rival fans dislike or taunt Liverpool, no one would ever wish for them to disappear.
Despite American ownership, Liverpool still remains a people's club and as long as they preserve their unique heritage, they will never walk alone.
