Kop on the left, then on the right: camera positions at Anfield

[Patrick Thistle]

I can't contradict E10 about St Andrews. When I went there pre-redevelopment, the whole place was loud. I just always assumed the Kop were the leaders. Another point about that Kop though ; was it unique in being the only side terrace to be called a Kop? There were Kops at Anfield, both Sheffield grounds, Notts County, Tranmere, and Northampton, all of which were behind one goal.

Wrexham also had a Kop at one end. Not sure of its been redeveloped yet. I know it got closed a few years ago.

The Wrexham Kop used to do the whole routine with opposition goalies as they kick the ball where you go 'Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, YOU'RE SHIT AHHHHH!!!'
Except their version went

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, YOU'RE SHIT AHHHHH!!! FUCK OFF AHHHHH!!! YOU'VE GOT AIDS AHHHHH!!!"

God, I miss those derby games back in the 90s.

[jameswba]

Yes, should have included the Wrexham Kop. I stood on it two or three times in the late 80s. It's still there, but overgrown and unused.

Didn't Northampton generally call their end 'The Spion Kop', as opposed to just 'The Kop'?

[The Inner Light]

I may be imagining this, it may have been mentioned already. But Spurs Europe games seemed to be from the opposite side of the ground, highlights anyway, a couple of years ago it’s very weird when this happens. Does anyone else remember this?

[jameswba]

I was watching Middlesbrough vs WBA on Friday night, and it was a rather disorienting experience. Partly because it was now Albion having to repel the usual Pulis-inspired barrage of high balls, long throws and the rest. But more importantly because the TV cameras were opposite the main stand rather than in it, as they used to be. How long has this been the case? And are away fans at the Riverside still where they used to be?

[statto99]

I am thinking about when the gantry was introduced, all of the earliest football footage of course being filmed from the touchline, or behind one of the goals, as per this footage of Liverpool vs. Everton in 1902.

Everton v Leeds in 1964 was filmed entirely from behind one of the goals.

[Jobi1]

Don't think anyone has mentioned Blackburn yet on this. The camera at Ewood Park was in the Main Stand through the 90s (ref. the famous Le Tissier goal, etc.) but at some point switched to the smaller stand on the other side. When the highlights come up on the EFL show these days the camera seems like it's practically at pitch level, a really dreadful angle for main TV pictures. Haven't seen a live broadcast game from there for a while – has there been one recently, and if so do they use that same awful low angle for the main camera?

[beak]

Everton v Leeds in 1964 was filmed entirely from behind one of the goals.

Huh. Any idea why? Building work?

[statto99]

Sadly no as I am of the away persuasion in that pairing. Despite it being an absolutely normal experience for us at many actual matches it feels very weird as a broadcast style, especially for the goalmouth action up the far end.

[Sporting]

Sunderland games in the early to mid sixties were televised from one of the corners, as can be seen in a couple of the early clips in this interesting compilation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg5UL8JRm4M

[Sporting]

I started watching the Germany - Italy game last night on German TV and the Germans were kicking in the first half towards the right end (I think this is the usual camera angle at the Allianz). Then I zapped over to see if the match was on French TV and I was a bit confused at first, as I thought the first half had ended rather suddenly and that the second period had begun. But no, for French viewers, the broadcasters were using the opposite side of the stadium to film from. The predominance of adverts for French companies on the advertising boards opposite gives us the answer as to why.

[HORN]

In my mind's eye, my old seat at St. James' Park was behind the left-hand goal, as viewed on television. This is completely backwards, and I know it to be so, but I still can't change the way my brain works.

Ditto my Vale Park seat. Even twenty-odd years later I still find the TV footage seems arse-about-face, with visiting team scorers seeming to run to the home end to celebrate.

This is in complete contrast to my Newport seat which is only a few yards from the TV gantry, hence the TV highlights tie in unerringly with my recollection.

[Ray de Galles]

I started watching the Germany - Italy game last night on German TV and the Germans were kicking in the first half towards the right end (I think this is the usual camera angle at the Allianz). Then I zapped over to see if the match was on French TV and I was a bit confused at first, as I thought the first half had ended rather suddenly and that the second period had begun. But no, for French viewers, the broadcasters were using the opposite side of the stadium to film from. The predominance of adverts for French companies on the advertising boards opposite gives us the answer as to why.

It must have been even more disorientating to have Italy gatecrash the fixture.

[Sporting]

It must have been even more disorientating to have Italy gatecrash the fixture.

Hah! Early morning loss of mind on my behalf!

[Gangster Octopus]

During the Radio 5 commentary of the first half of Watford-Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, they described the Spurs' fans as being away to their right. Then watching the second half on telly in the pub, the Spurs' fans were on the camera's left.

Have Preston changed their camera position or the away fans' end?

[Kevin S]

During the Radio 5 commentary of the first half of Watford-Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, they described the Spurs' fans as being away to their right. Then watching the second half on telly in the pub, the Spurs' fans were on the camera's left.

Dur, that's because they change ends at half time.

[Gangster Octopus]

I'm old enough to remember being able to do that at Millmoor...

[Mumpo]

I was watching the ole youtube the other day and noticed that up until 1970/71 televised matches at Anfield had the Kop on the left of the screen. But a couple of years later (not sure exactly when the change occured) the Kop was to the right. I thought initially that this had something to do with the building work at Anfield which (I think) was completed between 1972 and 1973. But I may well be wrong. So when did the camera positions change at Liverpool`s ground?

Bill Shankly requested it be switched round at the end of the 72/73 season because, he thought, it would be better for TV viewers to see the team moving the ball from right to left, thus subliminally reinforcing their socialist credentials. In fact there's that famous quote of his: "We're switching round at the end of the 72/73 season because, I think, it would be better for TV viewers to see the team moving the ball from right to left, thus subliminally reinforcing their socialist credentials". He had a way with words, old Shankly.

[Sporting]

So anyway, I took the question I asked in the first post (my first one ever here) of this thread along to the FB Liverpool FC Historical Group and after some interesting posts a man called George Sephton [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Sephton] who is the Liverpool stadium announcer confirmed that:

"My first game was on August 14th 1971. There were still a few workmen finishing off the TV gantry but I was the first to use it I think. When I had my job interview in April 1971 the rebuilding of the main stand was in full flow."

[diggedy derek]

I haven't felt such a profound sense of completion since this

http://www.popspotsnyc.com/blonde_on_blonde/

[ursus arctos]

Ha.

I knew that was from West Street when the album came out.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Does anyone know why so many UK football terraces are named after perhaps the most hideously embarrassing military defeat suffered by the UK in their whole Empire phase?

[ursus arctos]

Because a football terrace doesn't look like the Valley of Death or Khartoum.

[Nocturnal Submission]

Gandhi was a stretcher-bearer during the battle.

[Del Usory]

Because a football terrace doesn't look like the Valley of Death or Khartoum.

And they were all built before 1940.

[Del Usory]

Sunderland games in the early to mid sixties were televised from one of the corners, as can be seen in a couple of the early clips in this interesting compilation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg5UL8JRm4M

A proud tradition carried on by Darlo well into the 70s