Hi Timbo.
Thanks for your reply.
I looked back on my post and did believe it was very clumsy. I certainly didn't make it clear that I was talking, as I always am, about the sizable utterly rancid element within their support. I have made that clear many times in the past, but that's usually in the Everton thread and not in derby game threads.
I'm also aware that I speak through emotion a lot of the time. The other night was emotional, and I posted not long after the result and whilst still having hot blood rushing through me after the vandalism of Anfield on Tuesday and the utterly disgraceful behaviour of so many of their number at the derby. Yes, it often feels like the bulk of them that act that way, and I'm far from the only Red who gets that impression these days. Is it the bulk or still the minority? I just don't know anymore, but it at least feels like the bulk at times. Even yesterday after the funeral, when football came up in conversation pretty much everyone commented on how disgusted they were with the behaviour of the home support on Wednesday. It seems a lot of people are now seeing it, and are repulsed by what they see.
That element within their number, regardless of its actual size, is just not what I recognise in the people of Liverpool. They don't feel representative to me. That element, to me, is an anomaly, with a mindset I just don't recognise in the city. It's the mindset and behavior towards fellow citizens of the city we share that I don't recognise.
When speaking in all seriousness I will say this with genuine honesty. I have no issues with Everton FC. I've defended them loads of times when outsiders have slated them. They do some fantastic community work and I have a lot of time for their genuine fans who stick by them and are proud of them despite the club itself letting them down time and time again. I also take all people on face value, and don't care who they support. Everton, united, it doesn't matter to me. I just enjoy knowing good people, regardless of different sporting allegiance and other personal differences. If you're a decent human being, you'll do for me.
I do struggle with people who harbour and cultivate hatred, though. It's those I rally against and sometimes get emotional over. Coming from a city that always stood by each other, I find the current mess a tragedy. Is it all Evertonians? Of course it isn't, but the appalling element is significant and growing. Young children are being groomed to hate, and you see them with their contorted faces showing middle fingers to superb football players. Kids in our city being radicalised and encouraged to hate by adults just boils my blood. When I go off on one about Everton, it's not the club itself or the proper Evertonian, it's the twisted haters who are happily sowing division in our city that I'm talking about. I'm sick of them, but so too are the decent Everton fans I know. I know of blues who won't go to their games because of that element. They've had enough of them too.
Proper blues? I'll stand with them and by them against anyone.
Regarding the contrasting positions our clubs find ourselves in, of course, I'm glad where we are and that we aren't in their situation. Personally speaking though, I don't see their plight as any reason for their attitude towards us. Their problems are all self inflicted. Also, I was never jealous of their 80s success. They worked for it, earned it and deserved it. Same with the Ferguson years at United. I never enjoyed seeing them winning anything, but they worked for it, earned it and ultimately deserved it. I've just never seen the point in bitterness and hatred of others who work hard and earn success.
In life, in think we can look at others and what they have, and we can do one of two things. We can wallow in self pity and become eaten up with jealousy whilst doing nothing at all to better ourselves. Or, we can say, I'm taking that as inspiration. I'm going to learn from it and build something of my own I can be proud of. Now if you take route two, you can end up a lot better off, you can build your own life and your own self esteem. You are fine in your own skin and don't then care what anyone else is doing or has got. Personally, I wish Everton would take route two, but they seem hell bent on sticking to driving down the route one cul-de-sac, and doing so just breeds yet more anger, jealousy, bitterness and hatred, and I find that absolutely tragic. That's an issue they need to own though. It's not our fault.
In daily life of I'm more of a diplomat. A peace maker. I look for common ground; the good and the positive in people. Haters rub me up the wrong way and I can react emotionally towards them and/or their actions. My intention was never to tar decent blues, of which there are many, with the the same brush as the haters.
