pap

People are just cherry-picking to suit their argument. That's why there is no mention of Rickie, because his phenomenal success, determination and hunger for the game obliterates several claims on here in one swift stroke. Probably also why people seem to have conveniently forgotten the time the Grand National was called off, when the local people took strangers into their homes who otherwise wouldn't have had a place to stay.

Summing up, because I think I've engaged quite a few of you in debate on this now. If you replaced the word "scouser" for the word "black" in this thread, there's a good chance that many of you would have been banned. Is anti-scouse sentiment racist? Technically no, but it's not far off - and when you boil it down to what it represents ( irrational dislike of someone based on where they come from ) and how you're implementing it ( attribution of qualities to an entire group of people ) it's clear that it operates on the same level. You think it's harmless, but it does damage. I have seen people down south treat Ms pap disgustingly based on her accent, yet she is genuinely one of the nicest and most honest people you're ever likely to meet. It's one of the many consequences of the prejudices being espoused here, which is why I will always challenge these views when I see them.

Duly noted, Tim - but it hasn't really changed my opinion, because a factory full of Mr Kipling workers taking industrial action does not equate to a whole city feeling the world owes them a living.

I can well believe that. Most of the country is moronic.

Who are "they" exactly? All Liverpudlians? Are you attributing a set of qualities to a city full of people based on the actions and deeds of a few?

btw. Appreciate the Inspector Gadget reference.

Can you offer a better explanation as to why people spend their time actively disliking people from a certain part of the country?

Completely agree on the Suarez front - and so do most Liverpool fans, including the missus. An absolute embarrassment. That said, there's a big difference between Liverpool FC and the city itself. For a start, there's a whole other Premiership football club here. No-one seems to moan about Everton fans, even though a large proportion of them are also scousers. So basically, what it boils down to ( as it always does ) is a few numpties from Liverpool FC decide to do something stupid, and the self-loathing suv'ners on here decide to berate the whole city in a collective effort to feel better about themselves.

I was calm, but then I just remembered Highlander and have now got myself proper narked. The film is set in Scotland. One would think it would be the perfect opportunity to give Connery a legit excuse to speak with his Scottish accent. But no, let's make the Scotsman play a Spaniard ( badly ) and get a Frenchman to play the main Scotsman! ( badly )

Another great outing featuring Sean Connery playing Sean Connery.

I don't think that there are any recent events which you can point to which would "explain" the booing. Honestly, you'd have to ask the fans concerned to get a proper answer about the specifics of the day. Nationalist sentiment doesn't run too deep here, though. In the recent mayoral election, the BNP, NF, English Democrats, UKIP and Conservatives combined got less than 10% of the vote. The main thing that the non-Liverpudlians seem to have a problem with is the fact that someone would even have the audacity to boo the national anthem.

I'm not entirely in disagreement about "Planet Liverpool". I have long maintained that this place doesn't sit comfortably in England. I think the main problem that people have with Liverpudlians is that in pretty much every respect, they're prepared to stick two fingers up to the rest of the country. Weird that. It's one of the things I like best about 'em.

I think you'd know a lot actually, TDD - given the disproportionately high number of Liverpudlians who choose to serve their country. See also the Welsh and Scots for that.

I just wish you'd learn to stop worrying and love scousers.

Hehe. Missing words can be quite amusing. I'm tempted to 'correct' that, but no - it shall stand

I live and work in Liverpool and have been here since 1994. As a consequence, I've probably come into many more Liverpudlians than yourself, enough to be able dismiss your blanket claim that all scousers wallow in self-pity. I appreciate that your father's family may be a family of whiners, but last time I checked, we had a population of around half a million here. You're scaling up your own limited experience to prove a point, and doing it rather badly.

I'm shocked to learn that you're not an Englishman, but appreciate the point of clarification.

Well, they say that the trick to liking anyone is liking yourself first. Any chance of that happening with you, ever?

Says the forum's biggest whiner

What I'm having difficulty with is why they bother you so much. Apart from the aforementioned "dune got beat up by a scouser" theory, my only other working hypothesis is that you get so angry after leaving the bathroom each morning that you just have to exorcise your self-loathing by going for an easy target. Am I close?

When you have to employ stuff that Boris "Liverpool apology" Johnson said to prove a point, you are truly lost. How big was this scouser that filled you in, dune? What was her name?

Do you not need wit for that?

Sorry, I'd provide a longer response but am currently in the midst of throwing out every piece of comedy I own after seeing your unassailable quip.

Sorry mate - you'll have to defer to my expert knowledge in this field. I live here and hardly any of them do. I'm still working on the theory that you've been given a proper slapping by a scouser at some point in your life ( and as I've said before, probably for saying the same things out loud as you do from the comfort of your internet anonymity ).

The national anthem is all very well if you believe in Gods or Queens, not so great if you don't. Is this the 38th or 39th anti-scouse thread of 2012? I forget.