What's race? What's ethnicity? I don't know mate. It's a minefield isn't it?
But i wouldn't underestimate how 'diverse' those Asians are you mention. I'm not going to trawl through the stats and you probably wouldn't want me to. But I can say of growing up in my own town (Hudders) that the Asian population that planted itself there after the war was pretty diverse in itself. Most were Punjabis, but evenly divided between India and Pakistan, with Sikhs and Muslims predominating, but some Hindus too.
Then there was a substantial number of Bengalis, again divided between Bangladeshis and folks from Calcutta. The town also drew in West Indians, mainly from Grenada and Jamaica, but not just from there.
Then when I was at secondary school we had an influx of Kenyan and Ugandan Asians - thrown out by Kenyatta and Amin - who had little in common with their Indian cousins.
Plus Huddersfield alteady had a fairly large Irish population. I can still remember the football teams I played againt - Our Lady of Lourdes, St Joe's and St Pat's (Celtic strip and the tougest kids on the pitch you could imagine).
Thatt's a lot diversity for a town about the seventh of the size of Liverpool. And it's not that unusual in what has now become 'post industrial' England.
Nowt like Brixton tho! That is something else. And you wouldnt believe how the place is now rallying round the football.
Despite everything.
It's pretty great to see actually. And brilliant of course that the English lads have backgrounds from all over the place. God knows there are enough things to grumble about in this country, especially with the Fucking Clown in charge. But the footy isnt one of them.
Diversity is a relatively new phenomenon for many areas of the Country whereas Liverpool, by its very nature as a seaport, goes way back. It's embedded in the culture of the City. From the Chinese and African influx, all by sea, in the 1700 and 1800's, from countries such as Nigeria and Somalia, whose clubs I frequented in my late teens, the Ibo, the Yorubar, the Somali, to the West Indies and the America's. This was even before the Irish and Welsh, let's not forget the taffs, influence, who were on our doorstep. Most of Western and Eastern communities, including Italians, Jews and Polish, another club famous for it's Sunday afternoon drinking back in the bad old days of Sunday opening hours. have settled here over many generations.
I think this seaport mentality has influenced scousers to look seaward rather than inward, including Europe, the States and even further afield to Australia and NZ. The Scouse not English tip is more to do with that than unpatriotic which we don't comprehend as being the case. We're just not that into you, you English wools. Nothing personal. Mutual disdain for each other is nothing new and never been an issue in the past. In fact, the Union flag did frequent the Kop as scousers affinity with certain Jocks, Welsh and Irish has always shone through. In the military there were Liverpool-Scottish/Welsh and Irish regiments, all since disbanded but still connected. Boxing, too, has been common ground for scousers and their 'British' compatriots. But English? Nah. Each to their own, eh?
