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Fans revel in title chance
Liverpoolâs high-flying run in the Premier League has sent fans across the world, including those in Indonesia, into euphoria with optimism high that Brendan Rodgersâ men are going to land the league title for the first time in 24 years
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iverpool's high-flying run in the Premier League has sent fans across the world, including those in Indonesia, into euphoria with optimism high that Brendan Rodgers' men are going to land the league title for the first time in 24 years.
'Looking at the standings and the team's performance, we are optimistic about the championship,' Andhika Suksmana, founder of BigReds ' the Liverpool fan club in Indonesia, said in Jakarta on Tuesday, on the sidelines of the promotion of the 'This is Our Home Ground' campaign, launched by Liverpool's official sponsor, the Standard Chartered Bank.
Liverpool, which last won the crown in 1990, currently tops the 20-team standings on 80 points with three matches to play. Chelsea, which Liverpool faces next week, is in second place with 75 points, followed by Manchester City with 74. City still has one more game in hand, unlike its two rivals.
'We seem to be going through a special period with Liverpool launching this season's campaign in Jakarta,' Andhika said, referring to the team's tour of Asia and Australia that began with a friendly match in Jakarta.
Liverpool games have drawn increasingly higher turnout in Indonesia through a public viewing program, locally known as nobar.
'We have an official nobar venue in Manggarai, exclusively for BigReds members. It now sees an average of 1,000 members turning up to watch games. Usually, we get between 300 and 400,' Andhika said.
During the previous matchweek, which featured Liverpool against Manchester United, a public viewing venue at a shopping mall in Depok with capacity for 300 people was full to bursting, with fans enthusiastically chanting the team's anthem throughout the game.
The organizers charged an entry fee of Rp 12,000 per person.
Standard Chartered is hoping that the 'This is our Home Ground' global campaign will raise awareness about its corporate brand.
The campaign is said to provide the excitement by carrying the Anfield home-ground experience to Liverpool fans across Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
'Liverpool has a very strong chance of becoming number one. We are excited about that,' Tom Aaker, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Indonesia, told reporters. 'This campaign aims to reinforce our commitment in Indonesia to feel the Reds' spirit,' he said, referring to the club's nickname.
'We are very proud to be launching [the campaign] today. We are particularly excited because domestic consumption is very high.'
Aaker hailed Indonesia as being the largest Liverpool fan base outside the UK, and an important market.
'We renewed our sponsorship last July when Liverpool was here ['¦] for another two years,' Aaker said.
As part of the campaign, an LFC (Liverpool Football Club) Corner has been unveiled at five of the bank's main offices in three cities.
