The impact of Liverpool abroad and building a community of passion in New York City

As Liverpool FC's fame has spread across the globe, its loyal international Kopites never walk alone—no matter where they are.

On East 11th Street in New York City, I nearly missed the foothold of the Official LFC Supporters Club New York (LFCNY) until I noticed a small group of fans, each wearing different versions of Liverpool jerseys, gathered outside the 11th Street Bar.

It was Sunday noon, the crowd was gearing up for a Chelsea clash in and out of the bar. A security guard stood at the door managing the Kopites who watched the match outside, while a lone waitress hustled back and forth, delivering pints of beer to supporters.

Tension brewed as fans awaited their drinks, many voicing their frustration when Curtis Jones hit the ground in the box after a physical challenge from Chelsea’s goalkeeper Robert Sánchez, with no penalty awarded.

But the mood shifted in an instant when Mo Salah buried a penalty, won by Jones later, to put the Reds ahead. 

Frustration turned to elation, and the bar erupted into a sea of rapture.

“(The atmosphere) was really good,” Gary Murphy, a matchday attendee from Liverpool, UK holding a cup of beer, said. “To be honest, I’ve watched a few matches in America. I spent a bit of time in America, and that was the best one.”

Founded in 1995, LFCNY took pride in being the oldest Liverpool FC Supporter’s Club in the United States. With the mission of linking up with Reds living in New York City, the club combines the traditions of the club and the city of Liverpool with LFCNY’s experiences.

Not just having people squeezing the bar for matches, the club also creates a community by building up relationships with people in the area and engaging in activities outside of matchday gatherings.

Club Background and the New-formed Culture

The LFCNY was formed by several ex-pats who sought places to watch Liverpool matches. The club ran continuously from then on, inheriting the passion to the next generations of executive boards. Justin Wells, the current Co-chairman of LFCNY, committed to the organization in 2018.

According to Wells, the club received recognition from Liverpool FC in 1997, when the Premier League football club encountered difficulty selling tickets.

The strategy that the Liverpool managerial staff used was to stretch out their fan-base network to the United States, to bring more viewers back to the Anfield Stadium.

“Aside from the commercialization of the Premier League, that’s been really important to creating all of these international fans, because that’s the tie that is gonna bind you is remembering that match if you went to Anfield,” Wells said.

In 2004, the club eventually settled its home near the East Village of New York City. Back in the day, Wells was the one who showed up for the activities before officially committing to the club.

He recalled that he attended the early-morning kickoff against Newcastle during the 2008-09 season, where the Reds delivered a stunning 5-1 victory, with Steven Gerrard scoring a brace.

“We found someone who would show every single match for us,” Wells said. “I think every single Liverpool match since 2004 has been shown here, regardless of time in the morning.”

Building a thriving Community

With a strong desire to maintain continuity and foster a long-lasting community, the LFCNY endeavored to expand its network with Kopites in every corner of the city, forming seven other bases besides the major one at 11th Street Bar.

The all-around impact brought fans to matchday events, even driving them to commit to the club.

“The singing, the chanting, being mad at the ref, being mad at the calls…It’s just such a communal event,” Brianne O’Hare, who is an LFCNY member in charge of the merchandise.

Like Wells, she transformed from an event attendee to a committee of the club. She said being a part of the club enables her to navigate a sense of belonging, where everyone is fond of the same thing.

“I always joke (that) people say it’s hard to make friends in your adulthood. When you have your childhood friends, you have your high school friends, what do you do to find friends?” O’Hare said. “But, this is where I found my community.”

Besides local Liverpool fans, even the international fans were connected with the crowd’s clamor in the bar. Thanks to the recognition from Liverpool FC and LFCNY’s broad call of welcoming, Murphy was able to root for his home team in New York while leaving home for business. 

The Chelsea match on Sunday was his third time visiting the bar when he chatted and joked with other British fellows he met in the place before.

As an attendee sitting nearby, we had a good conversation during halftime. Murphy said he was a season ticket holder at Liverpool, showing me the E-ticket from his iPhone’s Apple Wallet and scrolling through multiple match pictures he took at Anfield, including Jurgen Klopp’s farewell in May this year.

“My first game at the age of two and nine months, (which was in) 1982,” Murphy said supporting Liverpool was not difficult as the team won other trophies despite struggling to claim the PL title from 1990 to 2020. Even though the team wins nothing, the loyalty never fades away from Murphy’s heart.

Fan Perspectives: Amidst the Emerging Football Vibe

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup is approaching, a phenomenon that we are easy to notice nowadays: football is getting more popular in the United States. And Wells agreed with that, he said the capacity of the bar fills up when it comes to big matches.

“There are a lot of other bars that are doing the same thing for different supporters’ clubs,” Wells said. “I think (in) the state of soccer, the city, people love it and they want to watch it together.”

Recalling the past when Murphy visited America, he said the experience of watching football matches with Americans was difficult. However, he praised the atmosphere today, believing that the community mindset can eliminate incomprehension of the sport in this country where football is not a majority.

“They are all Liverpool fans. So, they can understand the culture of the course,” Murphy said.

Unlike Murphy, who naturally supported Liverpool due to his upbringing, Brianne became an advocate for the team in 2010, despite its struggles at the time.

While acknowledging that local fans have a different connection to their clubs, she said that American supporters often have specific reasons for choosing to follow teams from abroad. This shared interest not only unites them but also fosters a sense of community that reflects their unique culture.

“When I became a fan, there were reasons. It was You’ll Never Walk Alone. It was the camaraderie of the community around and everything like that,” Brianne said.

As many international friendlies are being held in the country, Brianne also believed there would be an increasing number of sports amateurs taking part in the emerging football atmosphere which could draw their attention temporarily from other major sports.

‘I’m a Yankees fan,“ Brianne laughed. ”We’re watching baseball. We’ve got American football.”

“(But) enjoying one thing doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy others. (People in America) are gonna welcome it, and I think they’re gonna enjoy it,” Wells jumped in.

Next Step: Keep the Community Alive

For LFCNY, You Will Never Walk Alone was not just an ethos of the fanbase and the team itself, but also a belief of not leaving anyone alone and spreading love and care to people in need.

Beyond just football, the club has strengthened its ties with the local community through its charitable efforts, cooperating with the nearby charity Father's Heart Ministry's Hunger Prevention Services to mitigate food insecure issues in the local area.

“We do canned food drives for the Father’s Heart Ministry. We feed about 700 families every weekend. Whatever we can do to do our part and show them we’re not just here to turn up every Saturday or Sunday for a football match,” Wells said.

As for the future, Wells reiterated the purpose of the club, aiming at maintaining a great continuity of the operation and building a more impactful community.

“It’s actually keep doing what we do and just keep building a community,” Wells said. “Other little things that we might do here are less important than just building a community that lasts."