You'll never walk alone

[shimmo 0]

I don't know what responses I will get from this topic but here goes. I am a beloved Demons supporter and have been all my life. Anyways, I also enjoy other sports like, dare I say it Soccer. In the English Premier League, I follow Liverpool. However, no where the passion I have for my beloved Dees. There is one thing I admire about Liverpool fans is the way they get behind their team before, during and after the each match. Not saying that Melbourne supporters don't do that. The point I am trying to make is, they have a chant called You'll never walk alone. Every time I hear it, I think how great it would be if the players and opposition supporters could see a crowd of Melbourne supporters doing this chant behind the goals. There is a significant story behind the lyrics, basically stating that no matter what, You'll never walk alone. A way of saying Win, lose or draw the supporters love the club.

I would also love to see it as no other AFL club would have something like this. Not saying scrap the Grand old flag tune, maybe have both, i'm only putting this out there to see what responses I get. So please don't hook into me. Before you judge me, have a look at the link I paste in here and imagine to yourself what this would be like at the "G". I'm pretty sure Essendon has an affiliation with Manchester United, maybe we could have something along those lines with Liverpool. This could expand our club even further around the world.

Well here is the link, keen to hear what people think.

Excuse the fool talking at the start of the clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nfFi-_Hb2A

[Pates 9,537]

Back when we had the Troy Broadbridge memorial game against Essendon it was written before the match that "You'll never walk alone" was Troy's favourite song, therefor both teams walked out at the same time to it before the match.

A number of Dees fans tried to get people to sign the song before and during the game, but it never caught on. As a fellow Liverpool fan i know exactly what you mean, every time i hear the Kop sing it i get chills, but soccer has down points in the game which allows for crowd involvement, for AFL even in low scoring and boring matches there is still too much happening for people to start chanting.

However if you're serious about it, there is surely someone on this forum who would know the cheer squad leaders, perhaps they could get something going, i'll have no troubles with signing it.

[Nicho 1]

I too love my soccer.. But still nothing like the love for the gretest sport Aussie rules...

However im not a Liverpool supporter, in fact i hate them but hearing the Kop behind the goals signing "You'll never walk alone" is powerful......

Other soccer teams have tunes but the Liverpool is just so much better.....

we def need to do something to make all us Demons get behind the team.

[beelzebub 22,230]

NO !!

You must understand the legacy that is "You'll never walk alone ".

I wont even bother with its origins as a show tune..but view it simply as you portray it in the soccer light.

It might have its modern day roots via the merseyside warblings of Gerry and mates but that song I can tell you is on just about every bloody juke box in a pub all over the UK !! ..So I can tell you a bloody lot of people know the words to that song there.. who does here ??

Its an emotive song without doubt but what relevance it has to any footy club here let alone the MFC is totally lost on this supporter.

Its no wonder it never caught on.. its just not a fit into the character of the supporter here.

what would you have after half time.. "Ferry....across the ....M----aribyrnong" ????

Quite frankly I dont want this club associated with ANY soccer club., directly or by inference ..this is the MFC and we play FOOTY !!

To associate with any powerful brand of a diametrically opposite code will only diminish our own identity .. you arent going to gain anything by being the lil buddy of an EPL out fit.......no mutter how greyyyyyyyyyyyyyyytt an idea it may !!

the idea of some sort of chant etc actually has much merit..be fantastic as they run out.. .. 10000 voices ( in unison ) shouting something as simple as "Demons....Demons ....Demons " etc.. in a rising fervour ( maybe a scoreboard prompt could help ) .. You think thats ridiculously too simple.. just imagine the cacophony !!

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

It's the borrowing from another club/code idea that I don't like. Unless it happens naturally, it's a definite no for me.

[Gorgoroth 12,331]

I hate Liverpoool, i hate the scousers! they ripped tht idea from glasgow celtic and being a rangers fan i fookin hate celtic too!

Come on the Trotters! Come on Rangers!

Bollocks to scousers/ celtic songs!

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Quite frankly I dont want this club associated with ANY soccer club., directly or by inference ..this is the MFC and we play FOOTY !!

Just makes your rant about not linking with the Vixens as part of Team Melbourne (which includes Melbourne Victory and Storm) all the more sillier.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Did Liverpool's attachment with that song take prominence at a memorial service of Liverpool fans for those Liverpool fans who died during the crowd stampede at a UK soccer match? I am hazy on the details. If so I can sort of understand Liverpool's attachment to it. Ac grim connection at best.

I just dont see the songs application or that style of supporting fitting with AFL and MFC.

[beelzebub 22,230]

Just makes your rant about not linking with the Vixens as part of Team Melbourne (which includes Melbourne Victory and Storm) all the more sillier.

you can read cant you??? Try fully quoting in context... though that would never suit your methods !!

"Quite frankly I dont want this club associated with ANY soccer club., directly or by inference ..this is the MFC and we play FOOTY !!

To associate with any powerful brand of a diametrically opposite code will only diminish our own identity .. you arent going to gain anything by being the lil buddy of an EPL out fit......."

since when is Netball a football code Rhino ?? ..

[Guest kingslayer33]

Have to say a massive Reds fan that I love hearing the crowd sing YNWA whether it be in Istanbul in a CL final or just a regular EPL game. However I cannot imagine it working at the MCG for a game of footy. As someone else has already stated the lulls in soccer make it perfect for singing in unison.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

you can read cant you??? Try fully quoting in context... though that would never suit your methods !!

"Quite frankly I dont want this club associated with ANY soccer club., directly or by inference ..this is the MFC and we play FOOTY !!

To associate with any powerful brand of a diametrically opposite code will only diminish our own identity .. you arent going to gain anything by being the lil buddy of an EPL out fit......."

since when is Netball a football code Rhino ?? ..

I quoted the sentence in full and acknowledged the statement you made. It says what it says notwithstanding you not wanting to be involved with a powerful international brand. The two sentences make two different statements. I dont agree that soccer is a diametrically opposite code. There is clearly a strong crossover of people who follow AFL and/or soccer. More so than netball.

[Gouga 511]

Just makes your rant about not linking with the Vixens as part of Team Melbourne (which includes Melbourne Victory and Storm) all the more sillier.

I don't think the Victory are involved in Team Melbourne?

Also I think we are associated with one of the Milan teams in Italy?

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

I don't think the Victory are involved in Team Melbourne?

Also I think we are associated with one of the Milan teams in Italy?

They are not! Makes Team Melbourne seem an even more minor issue then.

The Milanese team association is a low key one. Whats it based on?

[Gouga 511]

They are not! Makes Team Melbourne seem an even more minor issue then.

The Milanese team association is a low key one. Whats it based on?

As far as I'm concerned Team Melbourne failed when the Victory refused to sign. The Vixens somewhat jumping off is just salt in the wound.

I think Melbourne and Milan might be sister cities or something. Hence a photo I can remember with one of our officials swaping jumpers with a Milan (can't remember if it was AC or Inter) official. I guess it is a fairly low association.

[CARN THE DEES! 14]

I think instead of this song just write up a chant and send it to the Cheer Squad and get them to start it up slowly until the words are common by all melbourne fans. Think of the Barmy Army the inspire england and help maintain their spirt and never stop singing even when its obvisous that there going to lose. This would be very good for Melbourne as not only would it help Melbourne players be inspired but also build up a reputation for very very loyal fans.

[beelzebub 22,230]

Milan is indeed a sister city.

So the Vixens are now a powerful international brand ? Must be gladdening news to them ..lol

As much as I thought /think Team Melbourne has much potential it does seem to be a lame duck really. Quite possibly the only benefit will be physical as such with the sharing of nfrastrcuture ad esulting discounting of costs etc.

Rhino:"There is clearly a strong crossover of people who follow AFL and/or soccer. More so than netball. "

based on what..puresly speculative at best unless you can show some evidence. If anything I would suspect the opposite ...judging by the number of women in attendance at AFL games. Given Netball involvement is greater than soccer ( source ABS ) and that quite possibly those playing/supporting netball are more likely to support another sport such as AFL (or RL etc .in respective states ) than those involved with soccer also supporting AFL.

Essentially Soccer and Footy are Oil and Water in this country.

the point is what possible gain could MFC gain by any association with an EPL ?..let alone singing their bloody song ?

[mo64 5,209]

Maybe I'm getting old, but I find the stock standard AFL chant 'Melbourne, clap, clap, clap' very humdrum and uninspiring. Having said that, what's even worse is the Saints cheersquad adopting the basketball chant, 'Let's Go Sainters, Let's Go, clap, clap'.

Whilst I agree that soccer has more downtime, the chants or songs are used to spur your team on, and could be adopted in the AFL. In fact, what draws me to an occasional A-League game is the atmosphere of the crowd. I don't have a problem adopting a chant from another sporting code, as long it's not juvenile or offensive.

BTW Rhino, You'll Never Walk Alone predates the Hillsborough disaster by about 20 years, and has been a prominent part of the Kop since the '60s.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Milan is indeed a sister city.

So the Vixens are now a powerful international brand ? Must be gladdening news to them ..lol

As much as I thought /think Team Melbourne has much potential it does seem to be a lame duck really. Quite possibly the only benefit will be physical as such with the sharing of nfrastrcuture ad esulting discounting of costs etc.

Rhino:"There is clearly a strong crossover of people who follow AFL and/or soccer. More so than netball. "

based on what..puresly speculative at best unless you can show some evidence. If anything I would suspect the opposite ...judging by the number of women in attendance at AFL games. Given Netball involvement is greater than soccer ( source ABS ) and that quite possibly those playing/supporting netball are more likely to support another sport such as AFL (or RL etc .in respective states ) than those involved with soccer also supporting AFL.

Essentially Soccer and Footy are Oil and Water in this country.

the point is what possible gain could MFC gain by any association with an EPL ?..let alone singing their bloody song ?

Its a big assumption that because there are women who follow AFL that netball must be closer. And as another poster quite aptly pointed involvement in a sport at junior level does not translate to support of a peripheral sport at adult level. Netball has no real financial or spectator presence, few if any professional players, no major TV coverage and is very much a 2nd tier sport

Soccer Australia may be competing with NRL and AFL for support but its clear that from just even the posters on this site that there is a huge cross over of interest between both codes amongst supporters. As soccer plays the summer season and AFL plays the winter season this more than feasible.

MFC might not gain much from a Liverpool but by crikey I think an association with Melb Victory in Team Melbourne would be a positive.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

BTW Rhino, You'll Never Walk Alone predates the Hillsborough disaster by about 20 years, and has been a prominent part of the Kop since the '60s.

Thanks Mo64 for the clarification.

[Wolfmother 182]

I think it would be fantasic if we as a club could take to something like this...

instead of thinking of it as a Liverpool thing we should embrace what it is trying to say that we as a club support you, our player through the thick and the thin.... because its our club.

Imagine this took over the next few years...

2011 Queen Birthday MCG 80,000

As Brock strides to the centre to flip the coin... the music starts over the pa. with the words on the screen.... collingwood fans going nuts. The team down the same end as cheer squad about 35m from goal... Jonesey revving them up... Brock returns to the group for the final rev up as the supports start the chorus music cutting "You'll never walk alone...." The team breaking right as the song finishes... It would give you goosebumps and you would be going nuts, players would be fired up...

you would only play it once at that critically time before a match no need for a chant... The grand old flag plays when they run out and at the end of the match but regardless if they say we copied it, the feeling would be awesome.

[Dalrot 85]

Liverpool are the equivalent of Collingwood with their filth supporters.

Why would we want to associate with them?

[Wolfmother 182]

Because it has nothing to do with Liverpool.... It has to do with the fact that it would be great for the team and the supporters....

Who cares if the idea is copied...

[Forest Demon 4,681]

If something like this was to catch on at the MFC it would be awesome. My love for the Demons and footy will always far outweigh my love for soccer, but soccer crowds create far greater atmoshere than that of our AFL crowds. Chants like 'Lets go demons, lets go' or even chants like 'aussie aussie aussie oi oi oi' are quite embarrasingly repetitive and boring IMO. Tradition has to begin somewhere, and I would love to see a song such as 'You'll never walk alone' or another song that may apply more closely to the MFC being sung at the G, drowning out the sirens before the start of each home game. Havig said that, I can't see all MFC supporters getting behind it.

[rpfc 27,536]

Do people realise that "You'll never walk alone" was a pop song that fans sang at the footy shortly after Gerry & The Pacemakers released it? (The equivalent would be turning a Travis song into an anthem today)

Singing doesn't work in AFL, their is too much action. Soccer handles it fine because their is so much down time.

Also, Australians singing in unison usually descends into obscenity riddled chants that embarrass all - just go to a victory game and you'll know what I mean.

[Gorgoroth 12,331]

Well i do go to victory games and i do sing with them, and we sing the same songs that get sung pretty much the world over, just ours are in english.

Singing at AFL will not work, as said there to many times you cheer ie a goal, ump decision etc