“Some people believe football is a matter of life and death…I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.”
Bill Shankly’s memorable quote is of course part of footballing folklore, but some fail to detect the great man’s tongue-in-cheek hyperbole. The Liverpool legend was a proud socialist and acutely aware of societal issues outside of football – just as he fully appreciated the importance of football to working class communities. But we all know – just as Shankly did – that some things do matter more than our sporting allegiances.
Ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League Final clash with Real Madrid, we have a pertinent reminder of how some things transcend sport in the shape of a CRIS Cancer Foundation campaign, produced by the Spanish arm of the non-profit organisation. They have made an ad featuring Real fans and Liverpool supporters coming together to sing the famous Anfield anthem ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ outside a cancer facility.
It’s in Spanish but really it’s pretty self-explanatory. Club loyalties are put aside to come together for a very good cause, because some things *are* more important than football.
