FeatureWe Love You Liverpool: Meet Official LFC Supporters Club... Glasgow

The Reds’ fanbase is famous for its passion and loyalty, cheering on both Jürgen Klopp and Matt Beard’s squads whether on Merseyside or watching from afar.

Our brand new We Love You Liverpool feature aims to bring supporters closer together to learn more about each other wherever they are based around the globe.

Whether in the UK and Republic of Ireland, on Merseyside itself, in North or South America, Africa, Asia, Australia or elsewhere, fans provide the very foundations that the club is built on.

Here, we meet OLSC Glasgow…

Firstly, can you introduce yourself - tell us a little bit about who you are and where you are from...

I’m Lee, chairman of OLSC Glasgow. Originally from the Kirkdale area of Liverpool - a short walk from Anfield - I moved to Glasgow over 20 years ago through family and then again through work. Anyone who has visited both Liverpool and Glasgow will tell you the same, the cities are practically identical, as are the people and the histories, with a mutual love for football.

Tell us about OLSC Glasgow...

When first living on my own in Glasgow in 2003-04, I found the nearest sports bar to my flat showing the next Liverpool game on the fixture list. I got in handy and grabbed a pint, pulled up a stool and watched on the big screen.

During the game, I noticed another Liverpool fan doing the same, and we chatted after the final whistle. The next week I was back on the same stool, and not only was the other lad there again, but we found another Red during the game… and the next week another two… and it grew arms and legs from there.

It was a completely organic beginning, we had no intentions or dreams of being what we are today, we simply wanted to find a suitable environment to watch the match while miles away from the stadium, and the eventual OLSC Glasgow provided that, and continues to do so to this very day with the same spirit of community.

How special is it to have a feel of ‘Liverpool’ despite being in Glasgow? What makes it a great OLSC to be a part of?

The most important thing we offer every single member is a safe and comfortable environment to come together at our venue, The Record Factory on Byres Road in Glasgow’s West End, and do the one thing we all have in common; support Liverpool without the torture of being sat on your own at home, or alone in the pub.

Be it a Carabao Cup fixture on a midweek evening, or a Champions League final on a Saturday night, we have a core group of regulars supported by masses of Glasgow Reds who attend as often as they can.

Do you hold any special events throughout the season?

We meet for every single match throughout the season and regularly have groups of members joining up for five-a-side football, meals and drinks, charity events and footgolf, but the crux of what we do as an OLSC is provide an opportunity for all Reds in Glasgow and the surrounding areas to come together and feel a part of the globally-renowned LFC supporter base.

What is so unique about being a Liverpool supporter for your members?

Liverpool fans are like no other. Our members are no different, each and every one is filled with the passion you would expect from the Kop under the lights on a European night. Having our own zone away from Anfield ensures we can continue to practise that passion for the odd occasion we manage to get to the stadium as a group and our members do our best to contribute when we’re lucky enough to be there.

Why do you think Liverpool fans - no matter where they are from around the world - are so passionate and loyal to the club?

Whether you’re from Anfield or Australia, Kirkby or Korea, once you’re a Red, you’re a Red for life, you could almost say it’s infectious. We’re very lucky to have had members over the years from Liverpool, Glasgow, other areas in Scotland, Ireland, America, Scandinavia, China and many more. We’ve learned through that diversity that no matter where you’re from, once you buy into who LFC are and what we do, there’s no turning back.

How do you bring ‘Anfield’ to Glasgow?

We secured a venue which has multiple huge screens and ample seating and standing areas to cater for everyone, and the venue looks after us really well. They offer all members discounts on food and drinks and ensure LFC fixtures take precedence over all other teams, even local teams Celtic and Rangers, which is largely unheard of, as the Old Firm fans are as passionate as we are.

We like to think of our venue as an extension of the stadium, so we make a fair bit of noise while we’re watching the match!

Has the OLSC ever visited Anfield?

Our OLSC have travelled together to Anfield multiple times in varying numbers, from small trips using our car share option to full-sized coaches for larger groups. We’ve been very lucky to have had the support of the OLSC team since we were recognised for affiliation to LFC.

How has it been to follow the club in recent history? There has been plenty to cheer about under Jürgen Klopp and Matt Beard…

I think a fundamental part of being a Red is that you’re in this for the long haul, win, lose or draw. This is a part of our lives, but all of our members have thoroughly enjoyed witnessing us bringing home the sixth European Cup, or finally reclaiming the league title after 30 years giving us all some of the best nights of our lives, as well as the vindication of the Liverpool fans after the culmination of the Hillsborough inquests, so we’ve had plenty to celebrate and feel positive about, and we most certainly did, from Glasgow, Liverpool, Madrid and more.

Most of our members are old enough to remember the pre-Jürgen days, myself included, so I can speak for the majority when I say we’re very jealous of the youngsters who might think it’s always been like this.

We might not see the likes of the 2021-22 season again from any club, finishing double winners (not to mention being a mere swing of a couple of goals away from an unprecedented quadruple) while Matt steered the women back to the Women’s Super League, but as tired as we all were after 63 games… we’ll take it all over again this year please!

If anyone is interested in joining your OLSC, how would they go about doing so?

We never close membership; every Red is welcome to join at any time and be a part of what we do. Likewise, don’t think you need to be a member to come along to The Record Factory in Glasgow, all Reds are welcome for every game!

If you would like to become a member, or have any questions at all, contact us via the LFC OLSC portal, or visit our website or social media channels (listed below) for more information.

Finally, is there anything else you’d like to mention?

Our committee is a small bunch of volunteers and we’ve been doing this for a long time. It’s admittedly a thankless task at times, as I’m sure every other chairperson or similar would agree, but quite frequently since our affiliation we’ve been responsible for taking people to their first ever game at Anfield - the reward of that makes all of the hard work worthwhile.

One of our favourite members, Charlene O’Hara, is a great example of this. Charlene is registered disabled and a lifelong Liverpool fan, who joined us in 2017 and has since been voted OLSC Glasgow’s ‘Player of the Season’ for her contribution at our venue (presented by none other than John Barnes!).

We had the privilege of being able to facilitate her first experience of Anfield and, just when we thought she couldn’t be any more passionate and vocal, her first trip to the match in 2019 somehow made her even noisier and she can’t wait to get back again. She gave us a reminder of why we do all this.

OLSC info

Name: OLSC Glasgow

Nickname: Glasgow Reds

Location: Glasgow, Scotland

Home bar: The Record Factory

Website: Glasgow Reds OLSC

Twitter: @GlasgowReds

Facebook: Glasgow Reds OLSC

Instagram: glasgowreds

If you are interested in finding out more about Official LFC Supporters Clubs visit our dedicated section or, if you would like to contact your local OLSC, please contact us.