Q: First, if you could tell me who you are and where you live? Then, how did you become a fan of the club and describe in your own words what Liverpool F.C. is to you?
A: My name is Adam Smith and I’m an actor (under the name of Adam Stevens) and a writer. I live on the Wirral, which is the other side of the water to Liverpool. In the 1960s a band called Gerry & The Pacemakers had a hit with a song called ‘Ferry Cross The Mersey.’ The Wirral is where the ferry begins its journey to head to Liverpool. What Liverpool is to me is a tricky question to answer. It’s my love, my lifelong passion and my connection to my family and friends. My dad got me into Liverpool and it’s him that I think about when anything important to do with the club happens. I was so happy to get to watch the Reds win the European Cup with him, for example.
Q: What
role do you see yourself in as part of the club community?
A: I don’t really see that I have a role in the club community other than being a supporter, someone who is there to get behind the team and to offer constructive criticism when necessary. I suppose there’s an extent to which that’s me being slightly modest. I run a Liverpool-themed blog of my own and I regularly contribute to The Anfield Wrap, a Liverpool-themed podcast, so I suppose I also try to articulate what a section of supporters is feeling about the club at any given moment.
Q: Liverpool is a club full of traditions and history, if you could, tell me your favorite tradition(s) and why it is your favorite?
A: That’s a great question and one that I’m not sure I’ve got an equally good answer to. The singing of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ before the match is unquestionable high on the list, though. It’s not just a song but an anthem and, arguably, the most appropriate anthem in football. The club and support base has been through some incredibly testing times over the years and You’ll Never Walk Alone has been variously a lament, a song of celebration and a call to arms. It feels a little twee sometimes but when Anfield’s at its most powerful you see the song’s genuine importance both to those that sing it and those that hear it.
Q: We have witnessed one of the best seasons Liverpool have played in recent memory and certainly in the Premier League era, as a fan over in the U.K. describe to me what it was like to watch it all happen over there with your own eyes. And how does it make you feel as a Liverpool fan?
A: It was a genuinely incredible season. It was one of ups and downs, highs and lows. It’s the first time in my memory as an adult supporter, and I’m 36, that every single game felt like it meant something right from the off. Watching it unfold was incredible bit also emotionally draining. Normally, when the season ends I can’t wait for the next one to get back underway, but I haven’t felt that this summer. I didn’t even know how much I needed a break from football until our pre-season games were being played and I didn’t feel like watching them. I’m fatigued from the emotion of the season, I think! Unfortunately, we live in the ‘banter era’ of football, so if we hadn’t won the European Cup I’m not sure how I’d have coped. I don’t think I know how Jürgen Klopp would’ve got his players to recover from a trophy-less season after playing so incredibly well. Watching that pan out on social media was hard to take, but the win ultimately made it all the more satisfying.
Q: The club is connected to tragedy. Though it may be something that happened years ago, it is still very much deeply rooted within the Liverpool community. Has Hillsborough affected you in any way? And why is it important to keep those who are younger aware of this painful moment in the club's history?
A: I’m very fortunate that Hillsborough hasn’t affected me directly in any real way. I know people that it did affect, but I wasn’t one of them. I think the importance of keeping the story of Hillsborough alive can be seen across the world in so many ways, far more often than it should be. In the UK, for example, we’ve seen with the Grenfell Fire and the government’s response to it and what can happen if victims are made out to be an ‘other.’ Young people need to know why it’s so important to refuse to allow the authorities to paint their own picture or tell their own story at the expense of the truth.
Q: Liverpool, are without a doubt one of the best teams in the world at the moment. Yet, no club doesn't go through struggles. You witnessed the club have great success, then have an awful period with financial difficulties where they were on the brink of bankruptcy, and now success again. What has it been like to go through these moments? Would you say that the struggle has been worth it for the glory?
A: I’m not sure it’s been ‘worth it,’ but certainly it’s made the glory more noteworthy. There’s maybe an extent to which Liverpool grew complacent during the 1980s and 1990s, assuming that success would always be there. We’ve seen first hand just how bad things can get if they’re allowed to slide. I’d argue that rather than making the successes more ‘worth it,’ the struggles we went through have taught us as supporters not to take success for granted and to keep an eye on the owners and make sure they’re treated the club right. It’s our club, not theirs, so it’s crucial that they don’t get given an inch if they seem to be doing anything other than what’s right and in the best interests of LFC.
Q: Anfield was one of the most historic and breathtaking grounds in the world. Having been in the Kop end numerous times, I would assume, is it possible to explain to those that have never been what it is like?
A: It’s a place of community first and foremost. Before the match you’ll see people shaking hands, saying hello, having a catch up if it’s been a while since a game. The two blokes I stand next to and I take sweets every match, swapping them and sharing them around. When it comes to the match, it’s easy to assume that the Kop is constantly behind the team and just making noise but that’s not really true. The Kop reacts to the ebbs and flows of the game, cheering on the team when it needs that encouragement and enjoying the game when things are going well. The problem with that is that the Kop is also not a great place to be if things aren’t going well. The supporters there feel as though the team is something that they own, so they feel just as entitled to let it be known when they’re not happy as when they are. Thankfully, we haven’t really experienced much of that in recent times and when the Kop’s in good form it’s a great place to be. Whether it be having a laugh and a joke, singing songs for the players or roaring them on when they need to get over the line, there’s a reason the Kop at its best is one of the most feared stands in world football.
Q: Comebacks seem to be synonymous with Liverpool now. There has been Istanbul, Dortmund, and now Barcelona just to name a few. You have seen all of these, which one would you rate the highest (unless you have another in mind) and explain what goes through your mind during the game?
A: For me, personally, it’s Dortmund for the simple reason that I was actually at the ground. I didn’t get a ticket for the Barcelona game and I was at drama school in 2005 so had to watch the match in a pub. The atmosphere inside Anfield was absolutely incredible, with everyone screaming themselves hoarse for the last 10 minutes or so. Istanbul, of course, is the greatest comeback in football. The Barcelona game was incredible because of the level of the opposition and the fact that we couldn’t let them score but needed to go all out attack, yet we had 90 minutes to do it. At the Ataturk we have just 45 minutes to score 3 goals against one of the best defences in world football. A.C. Milan had conceded just 3 goals in the 6 group games and 3 in the 6 knockout games, so surely they wouldn’t concede 3 in 45 minute. When the match is going on, though, you don’t think about those sorts of things, weirdly. You just have faith in the ability of the team to do the seemingly impossible. History has taught us that the Reds can do pretty much anything, so you just roar them on and believe that they’ll do it!
Q: Lastly, the future looks nothing but bright for Liverpool. Klopp, Van Dijk, Salah, Mane, Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, all here to stay and that makes Liverpool fans feel optimistic. How do you see the seasons ahead for Liverpool? Are they set to win more trophies? Can Liverpool improve in some areas? Is there something that could haunt us soon if we do not take care of it now?
A: I’m possibly what you’d call a ‘glass half empty’ kind of guy, so I must admit that I’m not overly excited by the lack of signings we’ve made this summer. I think the defense is excellent but it only takes an injury to Virgil van Dijk and suddenly it’s looking a hell of a lot more rocky. I’m also concerned about the lack of cover for the forwards, especially with Firmino and Mané having gone so deep in the Copa America and the African Cup of Nations respectively. Rhian Brewster looks like a brilliant player, but he’s literally never played a Premier League game so who knows how he’ll cope with the rigours of it? Add to that the injury he suffered early in his career and there’s no guarantee that his body will stand up to the tests of a full season. Of course, I’m excited about the year ahead and I do think we’re well placed to win more trophies, but we’re competing against the richest club (Manchester City) in world football with the wealth and influence of a nation behind it, so we need to do more than just tread water if we really hope to push them to the end of the campaign again. I’m very much always of the belief that we could do with one more signing, so the fact that we’ve made none of note ahead of one of the busiest campaigns in terms of games has me worried. That being said, I like nothing more than to be made to look an idiot, so hopefully that’s what happens this year!
I throughly enjoyed the answers that Adam gave me. He is an honest fan which is not something you see a whole lot in the sporting world as everyone has their own bias towards the team they support. I can talk to my friends and family over here in the United States about Liverpool all day but there is something different about hearing what a local fan has to say. You can tell that Adam cares not only about the club right now, but cherishes and respects the past, and has realistic thoughts for the future. It was refreshing to hear from someone that is from Liverpool. Now, each time I watch a game, I can know that he might be there in the Kop swapping snacks and catching up with old friends. One day, I hope to be there doing the same.
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