From: stever@wench.ece.jcu.edu.au (Steven Rossetti)
Subject: Re: "Kop Spion" - how the name came about.
Organization: Electrical and Computer Engineering, JCUNQ
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 04:50:08 GMT

In article <6654@m1.cs.man.ac.uk> mbheprg@hpa.ee.man.ac.uk (Raju Gurung) writes:
>From: mbheprg@hpa.ee.man.ac.uk (Raju Gurung)
>Subject: "Kop Spion" - how the name came about.
>Date: 3 Nov 92 21:14:29 GMT

+
> The Spion Kop at Anfield was constructed during the summer of 1906 as 
>a reward to the club's fans following Liverpool's second championship in 
>that year.It was a large unroofed terrace at one end of the ground which 
>was described as 'a high banking stretching ever upwards' and by far the
>largest of its kind in the country. It was Ernest Jones of Liverpool Daily
>Post and Echo, who suggested the name 'Kop Spion' as a memorial to the many
>soldiers who has died in the Battle of Spion Kop during the Boer War.
>        Spion Kop was a small hill, some 1470 feet in height, not far from
>Ladysmith in Natal and believed by British military to be of strategic importance. It wasn't but on the night of 23rd Jan 1903, the Lancashire 
>Fusiliers stormed the hill only to suffer one of the most mismanaged battles 
>of that war.
>        What the British didn't military hadn't realised was that Spion Kop
>wasn't the summit. Beyond it lay the higher ridges of Aloe Knoll and Twin 
>Peaks where the Boers were dug in. As the dawn mist cleared, they realised
>their catatrophic mistake. During the fighting that followed that day some
>383 brits died, many from Liverpool, and more than 1000 wounded. The Boers
>suffered some 600 losses and the British were eventually forced to withdraw.
>        The nmae was quickly taken up by other clubs as they built similar
>high bankings at their grounds.
>++++++++

Just out of interest...
	I must admit that the heading pricked up my ears to a certain extent.
Anyone familiar with the Whitsunday region on the north queensland coast 
(Australia that is) will be able to tell you that a peak on South Molle 
Island is named Spion Kop as well. I have no idea who is responsible, but 
the name is not quoted on official charts -> it seems someone thought it 
appropriate to refer to the second largest peak as "Spion Kop" for 
obvious (?) reasons, and the name has stuck....incidentally do not pass up 
the opportunity to visit this area if you get the chance. Other resorts in 
the area include Hayman Is, Daydream Is, Hamilton Is, and the latest Club 
Med on Lindeman Is to name a few   :)

				Cheers
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=============  JCUNQ has absolutely no opinion whatsoever!!!  =================
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=      J   CCC   U   U  |  Steven Rossetti BEng(Elect)                        =
=      J  C   C  U   U  |  Dept. of Elect. & Computer Engineering             =
=      J  C      U   U  |  James Cook University, Townsville QLD Australia    =
=  J   J  C   C  U   U  |  email: stever@wench.ece.jcu.edu.au                 =
=   JJJ    CCC    UUU   |    "My hovercraft is full of eels"                  =
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