I thought you might like this picture. I worked as a Spanish language assistant in three different high schools in the Liverpool area (Sept.1995-June 1995). Living and working in a foreign country is something I really recommend. First your learn different ways of living and working, you can make friends from distant places too, then you really learn another language, finally you find out your own country is not so special – and also appreciate things from your country you hadn’t considered before.
Park High School, Birkenhead.
… and that’s another reason why Liverpool FC is so special to me!
First, it’s the most successful team in English football history. But LFC glory is not about titles.
The most important difference a Spanish football fan should understand is that people do not go to football to be pleased by a show of their liking as we do in Spain. In Spain people go to watch football, and if they’re not pleased with what they see they whistle and boo their players.
Going to Anfield is not about going to a theater, even in the dark nineties, with a team with so much titles in his pocket placed in the 8th place, Anfield sang YNWA as loud as when they were a winning team. English crowd and especially Anfield crowd support their team most when they need it most, ie, bad place in the league, or a goal conceded. In Spain it’s often seen how the crowd goes impatient when the oposition scores. That’s a huge difference.
Also, although the two local teams – Everton and Liverpool – are rivals, it’s very usual to see supporters from both teams sharing the same pubs while watching on TV – in a friendly way – their teams play against each other. Actually, that match is called the Merseyside Derby or The Friendly Derby. Even their official club shops are together!
Last thing the players read just before entering the pitch is a notice reminding them who they are and where they are:
And, last but not least, the team is very popular in Spain thanks to his beloved manager Rafa Benítez and five more Spanish players.
And now, if you want to feel like a scouser (a person from Liverpool), read their anthem, play the video and feel like one of them in the big family singing at the Kop (grada dels supporters)!
When you walk through a storm,
Hold your head up high,
And don’t be afraid of the dark.
At the end of a storm,
There’s a golden sky,
And the sweet silver song of a lark.
Walk on through the wind, Walk on through the rain,
Though your dreams be tossed and blown..
Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart,
And you’ll never walk alone…….
You’ll never walk alone.
Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart,
And you’ll never walk alone…….
You’ll never walk alone.
They start singing at 0:30. By the way, don’t worry if you don’t understand the commentator: he doesn’t speak English!
…if you have problems understanding English, you may start with this subtitled version:
You don’t have to travel abroad to speak English! There is a nice pub in Valencia (Barri del Carme) where you can enjoy a beer in an Irish environment, meet native English speakers and have fun at a “quiz night”. For further information, click here, and to get there Sherlock Holmes Pub
Next “quiz night”: Thursday 22nd March, from 8.30 p.m.
Park High School, Birkenhead.
