Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

While trying to get the tickets for Liverpool v Arsenal from my friend who (after an 8 year wait) has an Arsenal season ticket I hit a spot of trouble. Unfortunately he could only get me one in the Arsenal end, and my girlfriend is sadly a Liverpool supporter, so I decided I'd give the Liverpool box-office a call and sit in the Scouse end. He suggested that if I had a few beers, called up, talked angrily and acted like the world owed me a favour they'd probably believe I was a Liverpool supporter and give me a ticket. I laughed. :-)

I gotta admit I had good fun on Dec 26th confusing the scouser on the phoneline box office into thinking I was a member of the Liverpool supporters' club depsite being an Arsenal supporter with a strong London accent (go me). But I decided against taking my friend's advice ;-P

So on Saturday I'm headed to Liverpool to see Arsenal play away at Anfield.
but it's just dawned on me today...

Damn it... I need to go to Liverpool now :-/

Like my friend, as a Southerner I've been brought up with the ringing of 'Dirty Northerners' in my ears (despite now living just outside Blackpool which is, in fairness, probably further North than Manchester), and I know that many northerners dislike the 'southern faeries'.... still, I wonder why I'm like this (as a southerner)?

In my youth I'd been instilled with the beliefs that scousers have a justifiable bad name because of their reputation of stealing, the often incomprihensible accents, high crime rates reported by the news and those damn 118-118 adverts with those chav idiots in trackies with their ridiculous affros....

It's been drilled into me not to trust those 'thieving scousers' but come to think of it, outside of Merseyside, you'll notice you never see scousers working in banks... I guess some people are weary of leaving their money with them (because of the stealing part again).

And to be fair, whenever you talk to a phone operator you realise that it's never a scouser, but more likely Indian. I'm not sure but is that because we can understand the Indian accent better than the Scouse accent? The way we talk differently probably adds fuel to the North-South divide. A good example being a Scouse friend of mine who has a book of 'scouser phrases' and apparently "i'll mug ya!" means "i'll help you"

Anyway, when I ordered my tickets (I can't believe I'm about to admit this) but I actually wondered if it was legitimate, and anxiously awaited the tickets as they took their time getting to me in the mail.

So, Saturday I'm in Liverpool and my Arsenal shirt will have to stay at home. I'll take a train down from Blackpool, have a few drinks in a Liverpool filled bar and try to act as if the world owes me a favour. I'll try not to laugh if I see some 'chavtastic' youths and I'll try my damned hardest not to cheer when Arsenal score (well, fingers crossed eh?) and most importantly...... I'll keep a close eye on my wallet at all times.... ;-)

I guess I'm not ready to change. But hey, I wondered if I'm the only one who's, for one reason or another, currently subscribing to the North-South divide?

Thoughts?

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

I spent many fun filled childhood years as a damned southerner travelling up to the north to visit family.
My dad used to say as we got on the Motorway .. dont forget to look for the sign saying "here be dragons".

But i loved it up there, the people were friendlier, things were cheaper, the sweets were different, there was a less rushed atmosphere about the place.

and ohhh .. oatcakes and black pudding... yummm !!

My aunt and uncle lived in stoke, the scenery facinated me .. all those steep hills, with houses on them.
I have a good few happy memories of Liverpool and Birmingham, so basically this damned southerner is a convert. If i thought for an instant i could get a job further up the country .. i'd be there now.
The south only has one advantage, the transport infrastructure, i've been spoiled, i live on the liverpool street mainline, more cab firms than i could list and fairly on time and regular bus service.

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

If they ask you what the time is, shut the **** up.

Liverpool is generally ok these days, went there last season and it was banter and humbling. Thankfully its not the 1980s anymore so there shouldn't be a problem tbh. Just dont act like you are gods gift to life. Be friendly and they will be friendly back. If you were going to Everton and acted like the world owed you a favour, I'd place a lot of money on you being stabbed.

When cocknies come to Birmingham, the worst thing they can do is act as though London is great and Birmingham is shit. A friend of mine who is a cockney actually got mugged.

He couldnt understand why, the reason was quite simply he was southern. The conversation went much like this.

"Got the time mate?"

"Ye, 2am san"

"Where yow from"

"Saf London"

Then he got robbed.

If he just kept his mouth shut I doubt he would of been robbed, he should of just walked on.

Mouthy cocknies are the last thing anyone likes, and thats all they generally are is mouthy, but when you are on someones territory have respect.

Enjoy!

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

haha nice advice guys, thank you.... To be honest I really enjoy living in Blackpool and thankfully people don't draw much attention to my accent (although i have been called posh on more than one occasion).

I'd agree with Mist that the North's scenary in general is a great selling point - and i too have been pained by the lack of transport up here. I have to wake up at 5:30am every morning and take 2 busses (or a bus and a train) just to get into work (which is 10 miles away) on time at 8:30am :-(

I'll definately try not to speak while I'm up there, especially after that story pig O_o Maybe my girlfriend can order the drinks for me... in fact that's a good excuse for me to get her to go to the bar and buy the drinks lol... I'm pretty relaxed and laid back, so hopefully it'll all be fine. Oh, and if I do see some chav-tastic people I'll be sure to take some pics ;-D

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

You wont get much of a problem, but if you are looking for trouble etc. Anyway you're going to Liverpool, probably a fair few southerners who are home fans

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

Im a 'mouthy' cockney and birmingham is a shit hole. So go on, rob me you big midlands pansy.

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

Come on up, it will be my pleasure.

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

:mad:

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

:crymeariver:

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

bring it on.

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

Well as I said, you are more than welcome to come to Birmingham, just let me know where and when.

Internet banter is so much fun!

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

About 50% of threads on PB turn into "The North vs the South" stupid debates, so I'm going to pull a Yahwe here and say "PB thread".

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

hey in Pompey we hate people on merit. There are wankers from north, south and the midlands.

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

so you want some, sailor boy??

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

Crashtester being mr tough guy today then?

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

/me punches Pig in the man boobs! POW!

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

I've always found the north to be nice enough when I visited (a little quiet perhaps) but it's not my home and that's about all that can be said without drifting into irrationalism. I have a fondness of South East London but I'm well aware it's mainly a shithole.

As for getting mugged, that can happen anywhere. The local authority I live in has more rapes per capita than Liverpool, more muggings, more murders and nearly identical rates of burgulary and violence against the person. So what? Yes, if you walk around looking like a tourist you're probably more likely to be mugged, but I'm not sure that's related to your accent. By the time someone is "asking you the time" they're probably at least 75% of the way into making a decision about mugging you.

By and large these incidents seem fairly rare regardless where you are (unless you've got one of those faces). I was fairly apprehensive when walking around parts of Johannesburg or Cape Town, but even there it seemed fairly safe and people friendly even when you stick out like a sore thumb (as I obviously did).

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

Well it depends, 3 years living in the south dented it. I have been told by friends from University that when I visited them it really came back. No one ever questions me in brum, so im assuming I sound like most.

When you say Birmingham, you are probably referring to the black country. Seeing as I live in North East Birmingham we dont have as many yams yams as the black country. Although an accent is clear it isn't harsh.

So in conclusion yes I have an accent, but I believe it depends on the social setting. For example if im amongst friends at home, I probably have one. If I am around southerners it goes softer, if im drunk it's like im straight out of Dudley.

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

i have to pass through birmingham on the way to leicester U on Monday/Tuesday. I'll listen to the locals and figure out what pig sounds like :-P

Oh, and this thread went way off topic (aided by a forum fight) ... except by dante there... to which i'll say - I think the North can be pretty also. Except the streets of Blackpool at 2am - the number of stag and hen nights around scares me :-( ... and re:mugging ... At 6'4 with a solid frame not many people are gunna mug me anyway so I'll be ok... unless they have a knife or a gun or some sort of weapon. OH NOES! my weakness is no longer a secret *cries*

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

And they usually congregate in Portsmouth on matchdays

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

*Pig's manboobs engulf Crashtester's arm*

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

Eh?

I think i've seen more on here than there.

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

PB isn't as stupid as people seem to make it out to be. Quality forums, much like GD but with stuff

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

Liverpool is not in the north.

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

Yeah well, yer ma.

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

Your mother is so fat she blocked off the end of this sente

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

unless we play Milwall cos their away fans are banned.

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

What do you mean "in fairness, probably further north than manchester"?
It IS further north than manchester...

And Manchester is very different to Liverpool.

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

If your going to be sitting in Liverpools section you should know these:

http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/3080/truthdayiu1.jpg
http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/5836/1rtkce0.jpg
http://www.reclaimthekop.co.uk


and most importantly proper Kop songs
http://www.reclaimthekop.co.uk/cgi-b...=content_songs

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

That reminds me, if nothing else the citizens of Liverpool deserve a reasonable amount of credit for the post-Hillsborough boycott of the Sun.

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

since the BBC have just employed Mackenzie I wonder if they will try keep the cameras off the kop for the first 6 minutes...

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

http://www.reclaimthekop.co.uk/cgi-b...ign_news&nid=7

This is what will happen in the first 6mins of the game

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

Nah, he doesn't.

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

Well - it's not going to well for Liverpool at the moment!

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

too*

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

The 6 minutes of noise was humbling

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

without sounding rude or disrespectful the whole thing was too much in my opinion. im not saying that they dont deserve the respect that they've been offered, and of course im not saying that that twat from the sun was justified in anything he wrote -- but a minute silence might have been better in my opinion... it just lasted way too long.

It went on for at least 10mins before kickoff with the crowd chanting 'justice for the 96' over and over again, and continued in the exact same fashion for the first 6minutes into the game. Disappointingly some Arsenal fans decided to chant over the kop end's chants near the end of the 6 minutes -- seriously, show some respect... I gotta say, it was moving seeing the memorial, and I'm glad I was there as it was a nice testiment.... however.... it was a bit much.

Anyway, loved the game, had to control myself everytime Arsenal scored - but I was crapping myself at 2-1 cos Liverpool were all over us. Went into the city after and before the game - it's actually a very nice town. I'd definately go shopping there again.

And to top off the whole day i saw a beautifully fake-tanned orange-faced chavette in a white velor trackie, with fluffy white boots and giant gold hopped earrings. i tried to take a picture but my girlfriend took my camera away. :'(

Anyways, I'll be going to Blackburn next weekend. Hopefully that'll be just as nice!

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

You'll have a harder time beating us this time round with our current form. :)

Re: Going to Liverpool Saturday...
 

I thought Liverpool would be horrid but once I got there it was great. I found the people particularly friendly, only Edinburgh seemed friendlier to me. I felt far safer in Liverpool than in London. I spoke to lots of people who think Liverpool is a shithole, full of muggers - they've all never visited. It may have been awful in the mid-90s - I don't know - but it's not now; lots of money seems to have been poured in from the EU urban regeneration fund etc.

Like most northern cities it has two great things going for it, compared to London, and they're: people have more space and the people are friendlier.