City to mark Kop link with South Africa; Proposal to link city with Ladysmith.

Byline: ALAN WESTON

A BLOODY battle which claimed the lives of many Liverpool soldiers and was later immortalised by the famous Kop stand will soon be commemorated in a twinning arrangement.

Representatives from the historic South African town of Ladysmith visited Liverpool to hear from Labour leader Cllr Joe Anderson how plans to establish the formal link were progressing.

Ladysmith is the nearest town to the site of the infamous Boer War battlefield of Spionkop.

The name was given in the early part of the last century to the new giant terrace at Anfield, which became world famous as just "the Kop".

Backers of the scheme want to get the twinning arrangement in place before the 110th anniversary of the battle on January 24, 1900.

Raymond Heron, who conducts guided tours of the Spionkop battlefield, said: "Many soldiers from Liverpool fought and died in the battle and it's right that they are remembered.

"With the World Cup taking place in South Africa next year, I hope fans from Liverpool will come and see the site that gave the Kop its name."

The idea to name Anfield's new terrace after Spionkop came from legendary former ECHO sports editor Ernest Edwards.

CAPTION(S):

ALTOGETHER NOW: Joe Anderson and LBrian Hall with Raymond and Lynette Heron from Ladysmith, South Africa, the home of the real Kop IN ACTION: British soldiers at Spionkop during the Boer War