As England embark on their latest quest to end the 60-year wait for a second World Cup, they will do so without the unanimous support of those on Merseyside.
The well-trodden territory that is the ‘Scouse not English’ rhetoric rears its head through alternating summers, and the nuance involved simply does not allow it to rest when it slips back into public consciousness.
I first explored the topic for This Is Anfield ahead of the Qatar World Cup back in 2022, but even in the relatively diminutive window that is an international football cycle, enough has happened since to reshape the conversation beyond its previous parameters.
No two perspectives are the same and any attempts to mend collective bridges are often rendered futile, but history lessons do little harm on both sides of the coin when it comes to restoring harmony.
The origins of our severed ties
DUBLIN, REPUBLIC OF IRELAND - Saturday, August 10, 2013: Liverpool fans' banner 'Irish Blood Scouse Heart' during a preseason friendly match against Glasgow Celtic at the Aviva Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
The city’s relationship with the rest of the country has sailed on choppy waters for some time now, but it hasn’t always been this way.
The location of the docks lends itself to historically strong Irish ties, with an estimated 300,000 said to have pitched up in 1847 as a result of the famine.
Naysayers (often Evertonians) will, however, gleefully remind you of the club’s deep-rooted connections to the British establishment should you be caught trying to distance yourself.
The club’s founder, John Houlding, was a longstanding member of the Orange Order and Union Jacks weren’t an uncommon sight on the Kop in the 1980s as they are now.
While some will rightly point out that outright booing of the national anthem at Wembley is a relatively modern phenomenon, dissenting voices have in fact been there for decades.
You could rewind as far back as the 1950 FA Cup Final and hear a defiant, antithetical rendition of ‘God Save Our Team’ emanating over the top from the Liverpool end – a pointed, disapproving nod to the ruling class long before modern context.
Audible heckling began after the new home of English football was built in 2007, but to dismiss it as something that has just become trendy to do is an ignorant stance to take.
Broken trust and enduring divides
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, October 28, 2017: Liverpool supporters' banner "The power of the people is greater than the people in power" on the Spion Kop before the FA Premier League match between Liverpool and Southampton at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
It is impossible to wade into any discussion of this nature without mentioning Hillsborough and its ongoing cultural implications.
Liverpool supporters and, more specifically, the families of the 97 victims were torturously let down by a corrupt state and have lived with the consequences for almost four decades.
It wouldn’t be unfathomable to posit that the attitudes openly held towards the city by national institutions in 1989 continue to plague the case to this day.
At the time of writing, the Hillsborough Law in its rightful, purest form remains undelivered – despite years of promises and missed opportunities.
While that struggle persists, those same families are forced to sit through regular episodes of tragedy chanting at Anfield and further afield, with minimal enforcement of new rules introduced by the FA in 2023 facilitating stadium bans and criminal convictions.
Contrary to popular belief, many are able to shake off regular, albeit lazy, jibes such as ‘We all hate Scousers’ heard on England away trips, but standing shoulder to shoulder with those who have mocked the loss of innocent lives and disparaged a 37-year campaign for justice is a bridge too far.
Where national unity becomes an obligation at the expense of free will, you will quickly find such reservations make it especially easy for anyone to disengage – not just Scousers.
Even when stripping away history and politics, there’s not loads about Tommy Tuchel’s men to get you revved up if you’re continuing to don your red-tinted spectacles over the summer months.
For the first time since 1986, England will head to a major tournament with zero Liverpool players on board. Rio Ngumoha returns home having helped out with preparations, while Curtis Jones was never truly in the mix following a temperamental campaign of his own.
Everyone has their own level of apathy
CARDIFF, WALES - Friday, March 4, 2016: New FIFA president Gianni Infantino during a press conference ahead of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) 130th Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the St. David's Hotel. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Between them, FIFA and America have done their level best to squeeze enthusiasm out of the sport’s greatest spectacle.
Extortionate pricing, paltry allocations and format tweaks all propped up against the backdrop of a literal war taking place between a host nation and one of its participants.
None of this is binary, either. It is impossible to speak on behalf of all Liverpool supporters on it when such a spread of opinion exists, and it certainly isn’t one size fits all as some across the country may think.
In my cluster of match-going mates alone, you’ll find those actively praying on the maiming of the Three Lions co-existing with others dreaming of a glorious summer for their nation. One is even making the trip, with tickets to every England knockout game should they progress.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Monday, January 12, 2026: A Liverpool supporter sings supporters sing "You'll Never Walk Alone" before the FA Cup 3rd Round match between Liverpool FC and Barnsley FC at Anfield. Liverpool won 4-1. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
You’ll never get objecting outsiders to fully grasp the alienation many at Anfield feel from their country during major tournaments – and ultimately it doesn’t really matter.
Football means different things to different people and there are only finite sources of emotional energy any human can expend on something that is fundamentally still a leisure activity.
If you’re reading this, it is reasonable to assume a sizeable chunk of yours lies with the Reds and you wouldn’t be alone in feeling comparatively disenchanted when it comes to international football.
LONDON, ENGLAND - Thursday, November 13, 2025: England's Jordan Henderson applauds the supporters after the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifying Group K match between England and Serbia at Wembley Stadium. England won 2-0. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Once you’ve experienced a Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona, chasing the dragon and finding equal fulfilment in something you’re inherently ostracised from becomes a lot trickier to envisage.
I often look on with envy at those invested enough to be swept up in the ensuing mayhem, regardless of their country of origin. The World Cup is, after all, the grandest stage and fully immersing yourself in the festivities looks like endless fun.
Conversely, there are no footballing utopias available in following the English national team that can’t be experienced within my Liverpool-supporting life. In fact, nothing could come close.
Andy Robertson’s Scotland will do for me, anyway.