Kop
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Kop or Spion Kop is the name for a number of stands at football stadia in England and abroad, named after the South African mountain Spion Kop, scene of a battle in the Second Boer War where the Lancashire Brigade constituted the majority of the British dead.[1]
The supporters on Liverpool's Kop helped make Anfield famous for its atmosphere, supporters' enthusiasm, and making an intense and fiery match day atmosphere. The name sticks to this day both officially and spiritually, even though the stand itself became all-seater in 1996. The last game to be played infront of the famous stand was a 1-0 defeat to Norwich City in 1994. 'Kopites' is also a collective name given to the loyal supporters of Liverpool Football club.
There is much conjecture about what type of stand constitutes a Kop. The size and location of the stand in the stadium varies, with most being located behind the goal and being occupied by its club's most vocal supporters. It is usually a single tiered stand and traditionally terraced, however modern stadium design has required many to be made all seated. It is not necessarily the largest stand in the stadium and does not have to have a particularly large capacity, for example Chesterfield's stadium the Recreation Ground has a Kop with a capacity of only a few thousand. The first was at Woolwich Arsenal's Manor Ground[2] and many English grounds have a Kop. The most famous one is at Anfield, home of Liverpool, which is the only club to give their stand the official name of 'The Kop'. Built in 1906 and named 'Spion Kop', it could hold up to 24,000 'Koppites' (supporters placed in the Kop)
Liverpool's 'Kop' is believed by many to have have had the largest capacity at an English League stadium. This was not the case. That honour belongs to Villa Park's old Holte Endclosely followed by the old South Bank at Molineux, both regularly holding crowds in excess of 30,000. By The mid 1980s Hillsborough's kop had become the largest roofed terrace (at that time) in Europe, with a capacity of around 25,000.
[edit] Kops
[edit] References
- ^ Fusiliers' Museum, Lancashire, fusiliersmuseum-lancashire.org.uk. Accessed 26 March 2007.
- ^ The Knowledge. Guardian Unlimited (2000). Retrieved on May 8, 2006.
