Having lived in Liverpool, TBH I actally loved it at the time (83) and the individual sense of living life to the full was refreshing. However, here is the rub, as proved by the the post above:-
Liverpool has always been bouyed by its own ego driven myths and legends, about being a put upon City, that the South hates. Ultimately, Liverpool was ruined by its groupthink about it’s own self importance. When i lived there it;’s head was right up it’s own arse. Not helped by the council being controlled by Derek Hatton.
Livepool did not bring Maggie to her knees. In no shape or form – one of the biggest issues working there were the workshy, scamming 9and racist, may a nod to the past) workforce , and as soon as it went not in their favour …. stike. The scousers were confrontational, aggressive thieves, with chips on both shoulders. Unfortnately, it always came across that they didn’t like hard work. Thatcher’s policies – love them or hate them actually has forced Liverpool to change.
In the eighties, because of scousitude, factories close left , right and centre, to be relocated elsewhere , where teh worksforce were a little more forward thinking. Liverpool’s unemployment rockered, smack addiction (Ford and Woodhouse Estates rockets.
Robbing was a way of life – seen as being “Robin Hoods”. If it wasn’t screwed down it got nicked. If it was screwed down, it got nicked the following night. If it was replaced it got nicked later.
Thatcher’s union and labour refroms challenged a lot of the scouse spanish practises – and fortunaerly the city has changed, for the better. So Maggie won that round. 30 years later, she’s dead. HArdly down to anything Liverpool could muster.
Liverpool never bought the Sun to it’s knees, Kelvin McKenzie was a big mouthed tit re Hillsborough. Many years on, scousers still don’t buy the Sun. And it is still the biggest selling paper.
Re Hillsborough – a real tragedy. But scouse learning is once again a tad remedial. Hillsborough was cuased by overcrowding, when late arriving fans were continously herded into Lepping’s Lane. Some has tickets, some didn’t. But 96 died.
There has been a very long campaign to prove that there was no fault of the Liverpool fans. So how come, when LFC got to the European Cup final, mant fans used the LFC tried and tested method of “rushing” the turnstiles, as they ahd no tickets. Legitimate ticket holders didn’t get in, and those who did, without paying, saw it as a great triumph. It was Hillsborough II waiting to happen. Isn’t there a case for a little bit of responsibility here from the fans to make sure Hillborough cannot happen.
And then there is the selective memory re Heysel. The fans were killed when a shoddily brick wall collapsed – but it collapsed because the were being rushed attached by LFC fans …. In the aftermath, Liverpool FC and the City did what it coudl to protect it’s own, suggesting a witch hunt, and following a policy of omatra. Of thos ewho were prosecuted, few served any significant time. It also took years for LFC to acknowledge it’s role in the tragedy. And it still grates with Juve fans – hence teh rufusal to accept some of the platitudes that came later.
Liverpool has a potential to be a great place – but the population needs to stop having a blame culture, a huge chip on it’s shoudler and take some affermative action. It needs to stop acting like an angry, spoilt teenager. Producing the Beatles 50 or so years ago , does not make the greatest city in the world.
And also, rememeber where teh wealth came from …
However, it is miles better than Stoke on Trent
Imagine flicking a coin & getting the same side every time 😆
Never mind stoke, if anyone has travelled the UK extensively in the last decade as I have you are spoilt for choice on worse place’s, Place’s experienceing what Liverpool has in years gone by!
