Think of those famous lyrics:
"When you walk, through a storm,
Hold your head up high,
And don't be afraid of the dark,
At the end of the 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..."
Be honest. Liverpool fans reading; If you read those lyrics, you felt the awe this song creates in the mind of anyone who has ever been privileged to hear, and be part of, the one united voice of Anfield. Personally, I can't even read the words written down without hearing, in my mind, the sound of Gerry Marsden's voice booming out over Anfield, and feel the hairs on the back of my neck begin to prickle as we reach the chorus, the increase in pitch meaning the fans voices gradually swell and overpower the PA system...
There aren't many moments like that in football; there aren't even that many moments like that in life generally; You and some 40,000 or more others all united in one voice, and in the support of one cause? Absolutely to be treasured.
So, then, why can we place ourselves above and beyond other clubs' supporters? Well, I just used a key word to aid my distinction: "supporters". We are no common breed, we fans of LFC, we regular pilgrims to Anfield. We are not "supporters", a term which implies a passing fancy, the chance to watch some sportsmen for 90 minutes. It speaks of mumbled songs falteringly read from printed song-sheets, damp sandwiches and, horror of horrors, plastic flags... In short, a "supporter" is a transient, superficial creature.
What Liverpool have, what we are, are "fans". The word is a contraction of the term "fanatics"; those who devote themselves utterly to one course, subject or goal. We were likened recently, by a Chelsea fan, to being a religious movement. In some ways, the analogy holds true. We have a Church (Anfield), We have a Pope (Kenny Dalglish), we have our apostles, saints and sinners. And our hymn: You'll never walk alone.
As these things go, the decision to adopt a song originally featured in the musical 'Carousel', then popularised by a local artist may have raised a few eyebrows, but for a city that had been suffering from a steady economic slump, and for whose inhabitants the match was one of few generally available treats, the lyrics suddenly begin to make a lot of sense. It has already been proven that, in times of difficulty and need, the community will pull together for the benefit of all, and in much more eloquent terms than I could have written it, the song communicates that idea and theme throughout those famous lyrics. The city and the football club are intrinsically linked; what happens to one affects the other (a symbiotic relationship, in other words).
Apart from a sense of community, it became something far more potent with some sad notes in our club's history: Heysel and Hillsborough. The song's meaning became more palpable, as it started to hold the intent to communicate that we were all together, and that we would support each other and the club as one - If any further evidence of this were needed, then look at the various support groups. Or check the social networking sites, and see how many Liverpool fans sign off with both "YNWA" and "JFT96".
Obviously, we aren't alone in singing it. But we feel it, and live it. It's played at every home game - and it's immortalised on the famous gates - because it means something to us.
Everton fans may ask if we know our history; I suggest responding with the song that encapsulates the ideology and famous history of the club.
Michael Tetlow.
