I think some of this is a sign of the global reach football has. When you see this stuff on social media, half the time it's people from countries that don't have a traditional football culture and so what they see on Twitter is what they think it's about.
Not trying to make that an OOT thing, or make it a UK versus foreigner thing. I'm an OOT myself. Just that for me football is a real thing that happens, I can go to Anfield, or I can watch my local team. I can play the game or talk about it with my mates. If you're in a country where you don't get the opportunity to play the game, watch it, or talk about it face to face with real people, then you're connection with the game is different. If your only opportunity to talk about it is online then you're going to end up talking in gifs or shite online tropes because that's the only example you have to learn the culture. Your opinion about players is going to be based on their FIFA rating and their Youtube videos rather than what you see with your own eyes.
This is probably true to an extent in the UK with kids being priced out of actually going to the game and with fewer opportunities to play it because of the state of grass roots as well.
Completely agree with this and it's very well put.
I'm from Liverpool but have lived in different parts of this country and abroad for a small time. What's undeniable from my personal experience is that Liverpool fans in Merseyside that I know or have known (and that's a pretty broad spectrum of people), generally follow and view the club in a different way than most Liverpool supporters I've come across elsewhere. I'm aware that's a pretty broad generalisation but in general terms it's true in my personal experience.
I personally think it's because of the day to day living and breathing of football and Liverpool Football Club that is impossible to escape from if you live in Liverpool. You can't escape it, even if you wanted to. You also understand the culture of the City and club better because of this. Pretty much everyone talks about it all the time whether you are at home, with friends, with family, at school, at work in the pub etc..
I don't think that's necessarily the same when you live elsewhere. It's a more diluted version. That doesn't make that supporter any less valuable or worthy but are certain fans having that immersion in the culture of the club and city in the same way as someone who lives there. If you go the game week in, week out then I think you probably do over time and probably understand it more than a lot of Reds from the city. But in general terms most people probably don't. It's exactly the same for me, when I'm talking NFL. I love San Francisco 49ers and have followed them for over 30 years. Been on trips to US to see them that have cost me a small fortune. I've lived in San Fran. There's still no way I understand the culture of that city and that team as much as someone brought upon the city, who lives and breathes the sport and that team everyday. DO I think I'm any less of a supporter? Probably not. But I do have the awareness that I don't understand the culture of the team as much as others.
Somewhere like RAWK helps. People on here understand the club and the culture of the club and city pretty well. Other social media less so. The more successful we are, the more fans from all parts of the World will follow us. Most will have little or no connection with Liverpool as a city and will probably need time to really understand the club. We are lucky that most of fans from around the World become immersed in the club and grow to love it. But there's definitely a growing section of fans who don't. I suspect that there only real interaction is watching the game on TV and interacting on Twitter or other social media platforms. That's not necessarily the best breeding ground for 'getting the club'.
One last thing that boils my blood is the "Top Reds' shout. Anyone who defends or backs the club is called a "Top Red' by a small section of fans on social media.
