It is bizarre that people in towns like Bolton or Oldham would support Liverpool but I suppose it is a bit like a lot of towns up and down the country - there's armchair rivalry between hordes who follow the rags and Liverpool. As for the Asian community many have historically not felt safe at football for decades despite some progress being made in race relations so there is a pattern of people gravitating towards the gruesome twosome from the safety of an armchair. Speaking from experience as the son of an Indian (my late Dad came over here in the 50s and watched football at grounds all over the country before I was around), I can remember as a teen us being told by a pissed up so-called City fan at a Kippax turnstile in autumn 1981 "No P"ki is going in before me". That sort of experience could put many people off but because, we didn't give a shit, and Dad steered us to the next turnstile we just carried on and went in (0-0 draw with Cloughie's Forest). I was already bitten by the City bug a year earlier, so no racist who couldn't hold his drink would stop us going through the hallowed turnstiles and experienving the aroma of the Kippax bogs (Dad was getting on by then so there was always an obligatory early pit stop!)before watching God's own team. While anyone supporting Liverpool in Greater Manchester particular apalls me, I can kind of understand the armchair support if they had an unpleasant experience like we did - even if we were a bit more resilient in the face of it. Much of the time though, and whatever the race, i'd guess they are just sad glory hunters like the Nottingham based rags and Liverpool supporters who make Forest fans sick. Otherwise if they are from Oldham or Bolton why not be an armchair fan of the local clubs etc?
