Where no men cry. A study of stigmatization and authenticity in Liverpool.

Abstract

This paper aims to examine how Scousers are opposing to a perceived stigma of themselves attached to their Scouse identity and as football supporters. Liverpool has over the last 200 years gone from prosperity to decline, and thus gained a reputation as the self-pity city within the UK. As a result of being involved in stadium disasters Liverpool FC supporters were portrayed as hooligans in both national and international media. Following the Hillsborough disaster Scousers have collectively worked through the Justice For The 96 Campaign to uncover what happened in what has been termed a cover-up by the British government. This paper further seeks to examine how local football spectators maintain their authenticity in a time where their match attendance is being challenged by wealthier and often visiting spectators, up to the point where it can be discussed whether or not football still belongs to the working class.