On the 6th,안전놀이터 the coronation ceremony of Charles III was held in London, England. Many people around the world and major media also showed great interest in the coronation of a British king, which was held for the first time in 70 years. The mind of the Englishman watching the coronation was complicated. There were also people who pitched tents and slept on the side of the road in front of Buckingham Palace to see the royal carriage procession up close. On the other hand, there was great dissatisfaction with holding splendid events with taxpayers’ money while the British economy was in a serious recession.
Anti-monarchy civic groups and others protesting in central London with yellow flags. It reads ‘Not My King’. AP = Yonhap News
The coronation of Charles III had a great impact on the Premier League (EPL) schedule. The coronation ceremony began at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Westminster Abbey. To avoid time overlap, all games scheduled for kick-off at 12:30 p.m. that day were postponed.
There is a long tradition in the UK of no live football on TV or Internet on Saturdays from 2.45pm to 5.15pm. This is called a ‘football blackout’. The system was created in the 1960s by Bob Lord, chairman of Burnley, with the logic that football fans would not come to the stadium if there was a TV broadcast. Coincidentally, Burnley is also the club Charles III supports. However, on this day, the blackout system was specially suspended, so fans could watch the match between Manchester City and Leeds United at 3pm on Sky Sports.
What caught my eye more than the schedule change was the British national anthem played before the match. This is because, unlike the United States, England does not play the national anthem before league matches. In English football, the national anthem can only be heard during cup finals or national competitions.
However, the EPL secretariat ‘strongly suggested’ that the national anthem be played prior to league matches for three days from May 6 to 8 (Monday 8 is a British public holiday) to commemorate the coronation of King Charles III. It was not compulsory, but all EPL clubs accepted it. In addition to playing the national anthem, Chelsea, Manchester City, and others celebrated the coronation through social media. In particular, Tottenham even showed sincerity by broadcasting the coronation ceremony live through the stadium’s large screen.
Despite the festive mood, Liverpool fans booed the national anthem. Some even used the ‘F word’ to curse the royal family. What made them so angry?
In fact, it is a tradition for Liverpool fans to boo the national anthem. To understand this, let’s look at the identity and history of the city of Liverpool. Liverpool has a different mindset than other cities in England. Due to the nature of Liverpool, which was a world-class trading port, they were often exposed to other cultures. They are therefore much more receptive to cultural diversity than elsewhere in the UK. Also, because of their rejection of society’s elite or leadership, the residents here are politically supportive of the Labor Party rather than the Conservative Party.
Liverpool has been a city that has played a pivotal role in British industry since the Industrial Revolution, and was once wealthier than London. However, after the Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who was called ‘The Iron Lady’ came to power in 1979, the city quickly fell.
Since the late 1970s, changes in the industrial structure have led to the decline of Liverpool’s traditional manufacturing and heavy industries, resulting in a large number of jobless people. Moreover, with the advent of containerized shipping, the city’s docks are outdated. Existing workers here are also forced out of their jobs. In 1982 Liverpool’s unemployment rate was 17%. It is the most unemployed city in the UK. English football fans who still visit Liverpool’s home stadium, Anfield, mock Liverpool fans as ‘permanently unemployed’.
Prime Minister Thatcher is a person whose evaluations are extremely divided even within the UK. Critics of her Thatcher claim that she destroyed British manufacturing, disrupted her entire industry, and gnawed at her working-class soul. In particular, since the workers of Liverpool suffered a lot from this, the city became a symbol of resistance to the British central government.
The Hillsborough disaster of 1989 (94 Liverpool fans were crushed and 766 were injured on a football field) further alienated Liverpool’s citizens from the Conservative government. At the time, Prime Minister Thatcher’s British government covered up the truth and blamed the disaster on Liverpool fans.
The English national anthem plays as Liverpool players gather around the center circle of the stadium. It is said that the national anthem was barely heard in the stadium due to the booing and shouts of the crowd. The gloomy expressions of the players are impressive. sky sports capture
Liverpool is a city that has been ruined by the British establishment. And some conservative government leaders still disparage the city. For example, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson caused controversy when he said that Liverpool was a city steeped in ‘self-pity’ and its citizens were steeped in ‘victim consciousness’. Despite protests from citizens and local Liverpool MPs, Johnson did not apologize for his remarks.
Let’s take a quick look at the lyrics of the British national anthem. “God save our gracious King! Long live our noble King! Send him victorious, happy and glorious, long to reign over us As such, the lyrics of the national anthem are undemocratic, outdated, and pledge allegiance to the monarch rather than to what the nation aims for.
The citizens of Liverpool, who were alienated from the vested interests, did not want to swear allegiance even on the football field to the King who was born into privilege simply for genetic reasons. They went to Anfield to watch football, not to celebrate the coronation. Celebration is not forced. Celebrations are only valuable when they come from the heart.