ANTHEMS AND LOGOS IN MANCHESTER UNITED AND LIVERPOOL: A STUDY OF SOCIAL SEMIOTICS
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ANTHEMS AND LOGOS IN MANCHESTER UNITED AND
LIVERPOOL: A STUDY OF SOCIAL SEMIOTICS
By
DINA PUSPITASARI
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF LETTERS AND CULTURE
UDAYANA UNIVERSITY
Abstrak
Sepakbola merupakan olahraga yang sangat populer di seluruh dunia. Sejarah dunia persepakbolaan Inggris panjang dan sangat terperinci, dan Inggris menjadi tempat dimana olahraga ini berkembang. Penyebarluasan penggunaan symbol dalam sepakbola sebagaimana warna club serta logo sangatlah penting. Semiotik social merupakan semiotic yang menelaah system tanda yang dihasilkan oleh manusia yang berwujud lambing, baik lambing kata maupun lambang rangkaian kata berupa kalimat. Tujuan dari penelitian berjudul “Anthems and Logos in Manchester United and Liverpool: A Study of Social Semiotics” adalah untuk menganalisa symbol atau logo dan makna anthem dari Manchester United dan Liverpool., untuk mengetahui lebih dalam mengenai aspek verbal dan visual, arti dan fungsi, serta hubungannya dalam membentuk karakter klub sepakbola tersebut. Analisa aspek visual menggunakan teori dari Arthur Asa Berger (1984),serta analisa lirik dari anthem menggunakan teori konteks situasi oleh Halliday (1985). Hasil dari studi ini menunjukkan bahwa visual dan verbal aspek dari Manchester United menekankan bahwa Manchester United merupakan klub yang kuat dan memiliki semangat sportivitas yang tinggi. Sedangkan visual dan verbal aspek Liverpool menekankan pada semangat kebersamaan . Anthem dan symbol merupakan atribut untuk membentuk karakter sebuah klub.
Kata kunci: Semiotik sosial, anthem, logo.
Manchester United and Liverpool has been identified as strong football clubs in the world. For campaigning their powers, those both football clubs are bounded by specific anthem and logo as symbolized spirits and ideology. Their anthems contain meanings with the purpose of delivering the message, so does the logos contain symbols to decode the message inside. It is
interested and important in discovering those messages and values intended by the football club using anthem and logos as the medium. It is challenging to analyzed the data since the influences of the powers of both football club affected the entires world.
Based on background above, the problems can be formulated as follows:
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1. What are the messages presented in the visual aspects of logos and in the written text of anthem’s lyrics of Manchester United FC and Liverpool FC ?
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2. How does the message in anthems and logos of Manchester United FC and
Liverpool FC correlate to embody the characters of their football club ?
The aims of this study are focused:
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1 .To identify the visual aspects of logo of Manchester United FC and Liverpool FC as it represents their values.
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2 .To identify the messages in the written text of anthem’s lyrics of Manchester United FC and Liverpool FC.
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3 . To analyze how the relationships between the message of anthems and logos in supporting the characters of their football club .
Data source is the source where the data of this study was taken. The data is Manchester United and Liverpool anthems and logos in form of written as primary data. Manchester United and Liverpool are selected because those football clubs as well known football clubs in the world. Therefore, it would be easier to obtain the accurate data. There are some studies, journals, articles, books, and Manchester United and Liverpool’s official websites are used as secondary data, in order to obtain more information about background why the anthems and logos are made.
In composing this study, the methods applied in collecting data is the documentation method. There are some ways in collecting the data. Firstly, the written lyrics and pictures of logos were determined. Next, depth information about the data was searched from many printed works, online articles or journals, even audio-visual sources. While collecting the data, note taking was adopted. Then the data was selected and classified based on the need of the research.
The collected data were analyzed descriptively by using qualitative method. The theory used in analyzing the data was based on the theory of Halliday and Berger. The analysis of this study took several steps : First, the visual aspect that was appeared on both logos of football team were analyzed by applying Berger’s theory.Second, the meaning inside the anthem’s lyric was analyzed by using the theory of context of situation which was proposed by Halliday. Third, analyzing the correlation of the anthems and logos to represent the football club’s characters.
The analysis of the data are presented in three parts. Firstly, the description of visual aspects of logos belong to MU and Liverpool were analyzed by using the Berger’s six visual aspects of symbol theory. Secondly, the written anthem’ s lyrics of both football clubs were analyzed by using Haliday’s three features of context of situation. Thirdly, the relationship between the meaning of anthems and logos of both football clubs in supporting their characters were analyzed.
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5.1 The Analysis of Visual Aspects of Manchester United and Liverpool’s Logo
Manchester United Football Club
Use of
Colours
Red and yellow are dominated the logo of Manchester United Football Club.The red color in the Manchester United logo symbolizes passion, power, and courage of the club. It is used in Manchester United logo design to grip the viewer’s attention. Yellow is used in Manchester United logo design to get attention, create happiness and warmth.
Size
The ratio of width to length of the logo of Manchester United is 1:1.
Spatiality
There are several “empty spaces” of the appearance of the logo. The empty space is located on every side of the shape shield.
Contrast
In Manchester United logo, contrast found in the color of ribbon and writings (name of the club). Another contrast also found in the color of the shield and sailing ship which have a very remarkable difference with the color of the devil symbol which is focused in red.
Shape
Shield: the symbol of protection, in sport, shield shape are commonly used to represent power of durability and defense. It represent their spirit in protecting the honor and the pride of the team. Ribbon: strong and lasting friendship. It has the meaning to tie the relationship between players and fans.
The sailing ship: trade and enterprise
The red devil:to spread fear to the opponent, it also match the unpredictable character of the team
Grain
There is no grain involved in the Manchester United logo.
Liverpool Football Club
Use of
Colours
The color green helps players to see situations clearly from all sides. Red in Liverpool logo symbolizes passion, excitement, energy, and strength of the club. Yellow in Liverpool football club logo is to evoke pleasant, cheerful feelings of the player and supporter. The use of white is to evokes purification of thoughts or actions of the players
as well as supporters
Size
The ratio of width to length of the Liverpool FC logo is 4:5.
Spatiality
The empty space located at the top of the shield.
Contrast
The red liverbird symbol located in the middle of the shield contrast with the white shield as the background tend to strengthen the liverbird character which is the main actor of the logo.
Shape
The shield: embody the will to protect the honor and pride of the team.
Liverbird: the mascot of liverpool city.
The shankly gates: a tribute to Coach shankly that bring the Club to its gloriest day, it shows gratitude to the prominent figure of the Club. Eternal flame: is used to comemorate the victim of hillsborough disaster, which is considered as one of the worst tragedy in football.
Grain
There is no grain involved in the Manchester United logo.
5.2The Analysis of Manchester United and Liverpool’s Anthems
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Manchester United Football Club | |
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Field |
The supporters singing to their beloved and great club and this song is motivational tonic for players and to bring fans together for United. In this anthem when the situation occurred is shown in the sentence: In Seventy seven it was Docherty;where the situation occurred mentioned in the sentence: We’re going toWemberly. |
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Tenor |
They are (song writer, player, and fans) as singer and the audience who listen to the song. Target audience of this anthem is man or woman, teen or adult, and everyone who listen this song and wishing them to participate to give some support to this club. The type of language used by the song writer of the anthem is informal and modern. |
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Mode |
The mode used in the text is written language (informal style) to be sung aloud; public act (mass people); declaratives. |
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Liverpool Football Club | |
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Field |
The supporters singing to encourage the club to never afraid to whatever challenges lie ahead because there always be someone in your side who will help you go through difficult times. |
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Tenor |
The interpersonal relation that reflected in this anthem’s lyric is between two participants. They are (song writer, player, and fans) as singer and the audience who listen to the song. |
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Mode |
The modeexpressed in the text is written language (informal style) to be sung aloud; public act (mass people). |
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5.3 The Correlation Between The Meaning of Anthems And Logos
Embodying The Characters of Their Football Club
Within the anthem of the Manchester United FC there are several message presented. The first one is the solidarity and unity of the supporters and also their love for the team, this message implied in the first and last stanza. The other message is the pride and loyalty as a part of the Manchester United, as implied in the second, third and fifth stanzas. Meanwhile the fourth stanza shows the gratitude to the prominence figure that bring Man United to its glory days.
The anthem of Liverpool FC deliver several message in their lyrics. The first three lines have the message to never give up when you walk through hard times. Fourth to eleventh line tell us in the end of those hard time there will always be a little hope, therefore we must not give up. Message implied behind The last four stanza is that there will always be someone that help you go through those hard times, therefore walk on, and keep fighting.
Anthem and symbol of the football clubs were the attributes to embody the character of the team and the vessel to spread their spirit and togetherness. Anthem had the ability to unite the fans from different classes and circles, meanwhile logo become some kind of symbol or character of the team, therefore it is usually used to symbolize the fans pride and love toward the football club.
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6. Conclusion
Based on the foregoing analysis and discussion, the following points can be drawn as conclusion.
The red color in both Manchester United and Liverpool FC logo symbolizes passion, power, and courage of the club, similarly the Yellow color in both logo evoke pleasant, cheerful feelings,to get attention and warmth. Meanwhile The color green which only exist in Liverpool FC’s symbol helps players to see situations clearly from all sides, and the use of color white is to evokes purification of thoughts or actions of the players as well as supporters. Both Club’s symbol is dominated by the shape of shield, which is considered as the symbol of protection, in sport, shield shape are commonly used to represent power of durability and defense. The symbol Ribbon which has the mean of strong and lasting friendship also exist in both club’s symbol. In Manchester United’s Logo there are symbols of sailing ship that resemble trade and enterprise of the city. And The red devil symbol is to spread fear to the opponent, it also match the unpredictable character of the team.And in Liverpool the main character in the logo is the Liverbird which isthe mascot of liverpool city. The shankly gatesserves the purposeas a tribute to Coach shankly that bring the Club to its gloriest day. And Eternal flame is used to comemorate the victim of hillsborough disaster.
The field of the Glory, glory man united’s anthem is The supporters singing to their beloved and great club. And for You’ll never walk alone the field is the supporters singing to encourage the club.The tenor of both Anthem are involve two participant they are song writer and player or song writers and fans(singer and the audience who listen to the song).The mode expressed of the text in both anthem is written language (informal style) to be sung aloud; public act (mass people).
Anthem and symbol of the football clubs were the attributes to embody the character of the team and the vessel to spread their spirit and togetherness.
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7. Bibliography
Berger, Arthur Asa.1984. “Signs in Contemporary Culture: An Introduction to Semiotics”.Longman. New York
Halliday, M.A.K., &Hasan, R. 1985. Language, Context, And Text: Aspects Of Language In A Social-Semiotic Perspective. Oxford : Oxford University Press.
Wierzbicka, Anna. 1996. “Semantic Prime and Universal”. New York:Oxford Press
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