A Fan's History of The Kop, Football's Most Famous Stand

Brian Reade is launching his new book, The Kop: A Fan's History of Football's Most Famous Stand, at The Volley South (formerly The Blue Monk) on Thursday 22 October. It's organised by Stanchion Books, and the timing is no accident: 2026 marks the 120th anniversary of the Kop at Liverpool FC, the stand that's long been called the heart and soul of Anfield.

Reade is an award-winning journalist and Sunday Times best-selling author, but he's also an Anfield regular of 60 years who still holds a season ticket. He traces the stand's history back to the South African hill it was named after, and from there he maps out how it became what it is. He looks at how the Kop invented mass terrace singing in the 1960s, turned a Broadway number into a global anthem of solidarity, and inspired some of European football's greatest comebacks. He also draws parallels with the Hillsborough Disaster, so it's not just a trip down memory lane — it covers the darker side of the stand's story too. Jamie Carragher called it 'the ultimate take on Liverpool's heart and soul'.

The launch is on Thursday 22 October, with doors opening at 6:30 PM and the event running until 8:45 PM. It's held at The Volley South, 71 Enid Street, London SE16 3RD — the pub you might still know as The Blue Monk. Admission is free, so you can just turn up and hear Reade talk through the book.