Mike Nevin's piece on YNWA...
I was at Carlisle and to be honest, I totally didn’t mind the song going up. I mean, yeah, we could have sang something else but often as a foot soldier in/on the Kop you just latch onto whatever anyone else is singing and try and give it your all. Especially if you haven’t got the big deep voice (or the balls/alcohol intake) to get one going yourself. Whether it’s Carlisle or not, it’s still extra time, it’s still penalties, we still want to win and at least some effort is demonstrated by the fans. I mean, would ‘Poetry In Motion’ have been apt after the performance we’d just seen on the pitch? Poor Scouser Tommy? Liverbird Upon My Chest? Not really the songs you can fit in quickly before the restart of the taking of the penalties. Apart from the obvious ‘Liverpool, Liverpool, Liverpool’ there wasn’t particularly many other songs waiting in the wings. “Oh when the reds” perhaps – but it wasn’t the worst choice was it?
I can’t help but feel that it comes off a little elitist as well. Considering I’m 29, and fortunate enough to have been going the match for 13 years and it’s always happened at the start and end of every game it's one of the few things that I'm proud of with this football club. It's one of the things that keeps us different from the rest. Also it can’t presumably always be the same guy can it? The wool taking a massive shit on the M6 services etc. What happens if it’s a full blown Scouser anyway? Must be at the game fairly often if the gripe is that it happens every match. Plus the collective, which is the majority of the Kop, often join in and if they do, then I’ve usually taken it as written that the collective have decided as one to sing it and therefore it’s the right choice. Shite songs don’t usually take off at all.
Although… Some do. YNWA embarrassing? Surely not? Embarrassing is half the ground and sections of the Kop gleefully starting up or joining in with “You’re not singing anymore” after Balotelli has slotted a penalty in the final minutes to win the game and the Beşiktaş fans have been singing their hearts out all game at the Anny Road end. That’s awful, cringeworthy, gigantic bellend stuff.
Nah, I'm sorry I can't ever be embarrassed about singing You'll Never Walk Alone whenever, and if we lose to Everton 4-0 at home, you can look over at me in 202 and I'll most likely be singing it mate, wool or not. The song says You'll never walk alone, not, you will walk alone when we are shite, or when it's not cool to sing it.
I'm embarrassed that you feel embarrassed mate.
