I want you all to consider that title. I know there will be people who did not have good relationships with their father, but I'm sure we can all agree on the concept of how most people will claim to have the best dad in the world, yet logic dictates that all bar one person is wrong. In reality, no-one is wrong, all the people who feel that their dad is the best, are right. You don't compare your dad against other people's dad. Your feelings about your dad do not rest on him winning Olympic gold or going to the moon. Your dad being the best dad is not dependant or reliant on him hitting certain targets or goals, now is it? Do you question your dad for not living up to your expectations? Is it not the same with your football club? Have you ever had a giggle at some 2nd division team's fans singing "We're by far the greatest team, the world has ever seen"? Are they wrong? Are they any less wrong to proclaim their team to be the best, just like how their dad is the best? Now I'm sorry if you are not getting this concept, but for me it is very real, and if only all Liverpool fans lived by the same ethos, we would be in a far better place than we are now. So much like "What would Jesus do?" People should run the question "If LFC was a family member, what would I do?" I love Liverpool, and 20 odd years of not winning the league does not make me love them any less. They have done many a splendid thing that makes me so very proud, and while they may have done some stupid things and slipped up, I love them just the same, yes I can be disappointed, but I will always be there for them. It is family, I am part of the Liverpool family. Now take this concept and apply it to situations. What sparked this tonight was MITO's post about how Liverpool compare to 9 years ago, now I'm not picking on MITO, this is just the first example. Would you stop and compare how much better or worse your dad is from 9 years ago? Is it a healthy thing to do? Would you sit there, with your family, asking if dad has made any real progress from 9 years ago? To start listing attributes and seeing how they compare between now and then? Does that feel healthy? Moving on... If your dad has a bad run, and nothing seems to go right for him, do you get behind him and support him through a difficult patch, or do you phone the local radio station and vent your displeasure over how things have gone, and recommend that your dad should be sacked? Do you see how this is going? From a different perspective, look at the Man United kid, always banging on how his dad is better than your dad? What rampant insecurities are driving that kid to keep comparing his dad against your dad? Jeez, sux to be him, constantly trying to prove (to himself) that he has a better dad than you do.... I mean, I have the best dad in the world, for the life of me, I can see no reason to want to go around to someone else's house and tell them that mine is better than there's.... I couldn't give a rats about theirs!! Another big issue, looking at it through the same analogy... Your dad wants to buy a new television for his house, and he has been around the shops and has picked one out. You on the other hand have taken the model number and had a look at the Which? website, and other comparison websites, you read all the reviews, and you think he has made the wrong choice. Is he wrong, or does he have reasons you don't know about, like he like the buttons on the remote? It has a particular feature or connection? Just because you know another model has a better picture or a bigger screen, does not make your choice right, and his wrong! You would simply respect his choice, because he is best placed to know what is best for him. Is this wearing a bit thin now? The point is, I know we all have different opinions, and I am not saying people are wrong to complain about aspects of Liverpool, but by having the ethos of "If LFC was a family member, what would I do?" I do feel that people are wrong to have conditions for the club to deserve their support, or that they feel they have the right to go on a phone in and slag the club off. And this is not aimed at MITO or anyone else here, unless you have called radio phone ins to moan. Would Houllier or Rafa been sacked if we had all behaved like family, rather than constantly looking at why the club are not currently making us as proud as they have previously? Are we spoilt children who don't appreciate what they have done for us, and constantly keep demanding more? If we all offered unconditional support, win, loose or draw, would the confidence within the club be higher, and would they be achieving more? So remember... "If LFC was a family member, what would I do?"
There is a big difference between a person who gave you life and a football club. A football club needs to pay the wages of its staff, ultimately, or it will cease to exist. For this reason the clubs can't be run on emotion solely. There must be a certain amount of reason. A relationship between family members surpasses reason and runs on emotion. I would go beyond what is considered reasonable to defend my parents, to the point where I may commit a crime of passion. I would not do the same for a football club. If you are saying that you would then you are doing an injustice to your family. A club run on emotion will not be able to survive in the new era of financial fair play.
I think you need to see the context that he's not comparing the club to a Dad, but the way we portray the club is already how we might portray a Dad. Like he says at the beginning, we often find ourselves in the "My club is bigger than yours," which is far too similar to the playground "My dad's bigger than yours."
Bit harsh.... aren't we allowed to express our emotions on this site? I'm just amazed he managed to finish it all and press 'send' at 430 in the morning! GKRK
You've made a really good analogy here! Loving your club can easily be compared to loving your Dad. You can be critical of both whilst still loving them. You want the best for them and always will but it doesn't blind you to their faults either. With regard to what you said about mito's article about how Liverpool compare to 9 years ago - I disagree with you that it's 'not healthy' to compare whether you're better or worse than 9 years ago. By that I don't mean comparing whether your Dad is a better Dad now than 9 years ago - obviously for most your Dad is the best in the world so you can't better that! My point is - you can compare aspects of your Dad's life and see if they are better now than 9 years ago and that's exactly what mito did. He compared aspects of LFC - not whether the club per se and his love for it was better now than then. You may suggset to your Dad, for example, that he needs a new car, better health insurance, different job, repairs on the house etc. Similarly the football club may need new players, better tactics, different sponsor, repairs on the stadium etc. None of which affects your love and commitment to either your Dad or your club - but constructive criticism can help to improve the quality of life for your Dad or the standard and status of your club.
On the comparing dad point.... My dad was a complete tosser 9 years ago - luckily times have changed and now he's a top bloke
I'm not claiming it is a water tight theory, as I said, many people might have fractious relationships with family members, and other people might just not get that invested in the club. I am born and bred a scouser, I've been a Kop season ticket holder (when I could stand), and I may have a stronger relationship with the club than some others. So this is just from my perspective, but when you think to how the relationship was between fans and club in our glory years, it was as if we were all family. No-one would ever boo a poor performance, no-one would ever call for someone to be sold or sacked. You might think it was a far easier relationship under Paisley and Dalglish, but back under Shankly we didn't win that much, but the fans came and sang and enjoyed the football, win or loose. As we know it's all different now, but I feel if Liverpool can hang on to that way of life, and not get drawn into it all being business, we will have an advantage over all the other clubs. If you doubt that, look at the thread about Jamie Redknapp, how many clubs has he played at, but which is "his club"? Same with a lot of ex-players, this is still their club, we can still be a business, but we should be a family business, and not be so critical. Someone spoke of constructive criticism being OK, and johnsonsbaby is right, but there is a difference between asking why we bought someone as in your opinion they don't do the job as well as you would hope, and calling them **** and which moron wasted money on them. You wouldn't use language like that about your dad's choice of car insurance, would you? Now I don't want to suggest some kind of real fan and plastic fan split, but as I said, I'm born and bred here, and I had no choice, Liverpool were always my team. I need to dig out the photo of me from St. George's plateau in 1974, With Shankly's Chairman Mao speech, in my red shorts and my Daily Mirror rosette. But the club is a family member in our house. Now I hear stories of people from America, who got to watch matches and fell in love with the club. I'm not saying they feel any less about the club, but maybe it is too much for them to think of the club as a family member, that is why I suggest the ethos to all, because I don't think I am wrong to say, that is how it should be. You may think it is soppy and what not, it is just an opinion, just think about it.
I just think it defends the club from abuse by the people who call themselves fans. Well bicker in our families and disagree, we just don't usually get abusive or do it in public.
Know what you mean but how can us fans (of whatever type) bicker in private amongst our worldwide family?
if LFC was a family member ... more than likely i'd kick its **** in and then threaten worse to come if it tells mam
It wasn't meant to be that harsh, so if it is then apologies Noblelox! I guess it depends on peoples' personal relationships and their relationship with football as to whether the analogy fits. There is a lot of the family elements you mention that do resonate with me, and i definitely appreciate the 'family' aspect of being obsessed with this club, just for me the analogy was stretching things a bit far. Maybe if you had to pay £50 every time you wanted to see your dad and then spent the whole time shouting encouragement at him to be better company then it might work! Would make a decent comedy sketch that i reckon... Also as football-loving man we have a duty to physically harm anyone who shows any hint of 'feeling' or 'sensitivity'.
I like the post, really nice. I love Liverpool no matter what happens. However I think the team you support is more like a Mother, who is a bit of a slag. Liverpool is the mum and that doesn't change, she'll always be the Mum. The manager is the Dad and if the dad doesn't cut it between the sheets then the Mum will get a new Dad in. I think I may have issues.
That's why I would never NOT expect a cross word said against the club, I've had words myself, sometimes you just have to blow, and I will blow on here (in the family) I would never get on the radio and do it. I know this isn't a private, exclusive club, but by and large, it is our fellow fans, and the odd obsessed WUM.
When I was growing up I used to think my old man was a complete c*nt and we never really saw eye to eye. It was only when he was gone that I realised what he'd done for me & my brothers & sisters. He'd worked himself into an early grave trying to provide a decent living for his family but it was never good enough in my eyes. It's part of growing up I guess. Every time I think of him I always regret the feuding between us and mostly being a c*nt to him. Look what you've gone and done now, I need a tissue.
noble.. I see your point and say thianks for sharing your perspective on things. We don't always agree but it's good to read how you feel about the club. I enjoyed hearing it to be frank. I am bascially a perfectionist at times and I have my own perspective about always wanting the very best for us. I suppose continuing the analagy I could be considered a pushy parent I appreciate the insight noble
I just lost my dad a few weeks ago. I learned 2 things from his death. 1. Don't smoke - lung cancer is a horrible way to die, don't force your kids to watch you drown for 3 days. 2. You'll miss him when he's gone, if you need to make peace do it - he's your dad.
