There’s already a site about the footballing connections between Liverpool and Brazil, but at Botafogo we have another example of a link between the English city and the adopted home of the beautiful game, or o jogo bonito.
John Lennon’s Walls and Bridges album cover.
It has emerged that there are a couple of links between the club and the famous Liverpudlian musician John Lennon, so much so that a collection of fans have coined the phrase “conexão beatlefogo”.
These romanticists among the Botafogo supporters believe that the John Lennon album Walls and Bridges portrays Botafogo on the front cover, rather than Newcastle United of England, and think that John Lennon became a fan of the club during trips to Rio De Janeiro. The date on the drawing states the year as 1952 when Newcastle (black and white) defeated Arsenal in the FA Cup final, so it’s unlikely that there is any truth behind Lennon’s support for the club. But as this article on the subject points out, Botafogo fans can always Imagine.
A link between Liverpool, or Lennon in particular, which can’t be refuted is the case of a Botafogo player who goes by the name of John Lennon Silva Santos, or simply Lennon. Full back Lennon signed for the Rio club in 2012 from Vila Nova, and says his idol is Internazionale and Brazil full back Maicon, rather than his Liverpool namesake.
John Lennon signs for Botafogo
It will be interesting to keep an eye on his performances at Botafogo, and maybe even more interesting to see if any more information emerges about the origins of his name. Could it be that his parents were big fans of the Beatles, or that he has musical talents of his own?
John Lennon signs for Botafogo. John Lennon sings for Botafogo.