Hi mike_manchester,
From Liverweb:
"The Kop at Anfield dates back to 1905-06. At the end of that season
which saw Liverpool lift the second of their league championships the
directors at the club decided to reward the loyalty of the fans by
building a new brick and cinder banking at the Walton Breck road end
of the ground. It was christened as the Spion Kop by Ernest Jones in
memory of the many scousers who died in battle over a hill in South
Africa by the same name during the Boer War.
In 1928 The Kop was altered to terracing and a massive roof added to
protect the thousands of fans who gathered to watch their beloved team
play. Other teams named their stands as the Kop but the one at Anfield
was the original and the best."
http://www.liverweb.org.uk/kop.htm
================================
"Over One Hundred years ago, on the evening of Tuesday 23rd January,
1900, 1,700 British troops prepared to attack a hill in South Africa
known as Spionkop.
Spionkop means 'Spy Hill' and was coined by the Dutch settlers for the
commanding views it afforded. The following days witnessed a bloody
battle between the British Empire and a ragged collection of Boer
farmers and the British Empire lost.
(...)
However, that reckoned without a series of blunders by the British
High Command, led by Sir Redvers Bullers, and the terrifying fighting
qualities of the Boers. Reports at the end of the battle, which raged
for two days stated 332 killed, 563 wounded and 163 prisoners taken,
but these figures are still open to question with some claiming up to
340 killed and 1000 wounded. The Boers had beaten the mightiest army
in the world and the reverberations were felt around the globe.
To commemorate the their fallen, upon returning home the surviviors
named stands at their local football grounds 'the Kop', the most
famous of these being 'the Kop' at Anfield(Liverpool FC).
The Kop remembers the Liverpool men who lay, frightened, at the foot
of an obscure hill in Africa all those years ago. The Kop has proved
equally daunting to visiting teams and has witnessed many great
victories for Liverpool FC. Hopefully, it will continue to do so for
another 100 years."
Burtrand World: Spionkop
http://www.burtrandworld.co.uk/spionkop.php
Search criteria:
Kop stand Liverpool origin OR history
Kop stand Liverpool battle hill "South Africa"
I hope this is helpful. If you have any questions regarding my answer
please don't hesitate to ask before rating.
Best regards,
Rainbow |
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