Discussion
I understand, from some internet searching, that Spion Kop comes from the Afrikaans that "is Spioenkop; spioen for spy or look out and kop meaning hill or outcropping" and I can see how that my be stretched to describe the terraced layout of a football ground.
But what I don't understand is why I drove through a village near Mansfield, Notts, today called Spion Kop.
Anyone know the connection?
But what I don't understand is why I drove through a village near Mansfield, Notts, today called Spion Kop.
Anyone know the connection?
AnthonyC said:
As far as I know, Spion Kop was the site of a famous battle in the Boer War. The british Army side included a lot of soldiers from the Lancashire Regiment ( Fusiliers ? ), hence the Liverpool connection.
I'm sure the terrace at Liverpool is named after that.
HTH
AC
Yep, it was a Boer War thing, but it would seem it's not just confined to Liverpool. A Google Map search brings up Spion Kops, other than the one in Mansfield, in Pershore (Worcs), The Scottish Borders, Bridgend, Oadby (Leics), Thorner (Leeds). Crowborough (East Sussex) and Ashton-In-Makerfield (Wigan).I'm sure the terrace at Liverpool is named after that.
HTH
AC
Seems a popular name.
Edited by Sciroccology on Friday 5th September 15:28
Here you go.(Wikipi)
Miscellaneous
The Spion Kop at Anfield — home of the English football team Liverpool — is named in honour of the battle. The east side of Sheffield United's Bramall Lane, built on a hill, is also called "Spion Kop", as is the east side of their city rivals Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough Stadium. The south side of Birmingham City's St. Andrews ground is also known as the "Spion Kop". Similarly, Plymouth Argyle named a corner of Home Park 'the Spion Kop' in honour of the battle, but the disabled facility was torn down during Phase I regeneration of the football ground. The lower part of the South Stand at Leicester City's old Filbert Street ground was also called the 'Spion Kop'. The Terraced South end of Chesterfield's Recreation Ground is also named after the battle and used to be just a grass bank.
A Terrace at Wigan Rugby League Football Club's former ground, Central Park, was also named the 'Spion Kop' which was named this a few years after the ground was built, making some believe that this is the "original" kop.
There is a Kop stand at Windsor Park, home ground of Irish Football Association side Linfield F.C., and also of the Northern Ireland football team.
The village of Spion Kop near Mansfield, Nottinghamshire was named in honour of the battle.
Similarly, in places like Australia there are numerous hills bearing the name "Spion Kop". A railway hill in the Melbourne yards is called Spion Kop, (Gerald A Dee,"A Lifetime of Railway Photography" in Photographer Profile Series, Studfield, 1998, p. 20) and at least two hills (one near Kilmore) also have the same name.
"The Battle of Spion Kop" was an episode of the Goon Show radio program, originally broadcast on December 29, 1958. In this episode, the battle receives "very bad reviews in the press", and is made more musical to make it more popular.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was a British stretcher-bearer at the battle.
Miscellaneous
The Spion Kop at Anfield — home of the English football team Liverpool — is named in honour of the battle. The east side of Sheffield United's Bramall Lane, built on a hill, is also called "Spion Kop", as is the east side of their city rivals Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough Stadium. The south side of Birmingham City's St. Andrews ground is also known as the "Spion Kop". Similarly, Plymouth Argyle named a corner of Home Park 'the Spion Kop' in honour of the battle, but the disabled facility was torn down during Phase I regeneration of the football ground. The lower part of the South Stand at Leicester City's old Filbert Street ground was also called the 'Spion Kop'. The Terraced South end of Chesterfield's Recreation Ground is also named after the battle and used to be just a grass bank.
A Terrace at Wigan Rugby League Football Club's former ground, Central Park, was also named the 'Spion Kop' which was named this a few years after the ground was built, making some believe that this is the "original" kop.
There is a Kop stand at Windsor Park, home ground of Irish Football Association side Linfield F.C., and also of the Northern Ireland football team.
The village of Spion Kop near Mansfield, Nottinghamshire was named in honour of the battle.
Similarly, in places like Australia there are numerous hills bearing the name "Spion Kop". A railway hill in the Melbourne yards is called Spion Kop, (Gerald A Dee,"A Lifetime of Railway Photography" in Photographer Profile Series, Studfield, 1998, p. 20) and at least two hills (one near Kilmore) also have the same name.
"The Battle of Spion Kop" was an episode of the Goon Show radio program, originally broadcast on December 29, 1958. In this episode, the battle receives "very bad reviews in the press", and is made more musical to make it more popular.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was a British stretcher-bearer at the battle.
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