In 1904 Arsenal's old Manor Ground was the first sports terrace to be nicknamed the "Kop”. The outline of fans standing on a raised bank of earth was likened to soldiers at the Battle of Spion Kop which was fought in the Second Boer War, in early 1900, on a hilltop near Ladysmith in Natal. It was a Boer victory despite the superior British numbers and ordnance and it gained notoriety for the incompetence of British leadership and the slaughter of men engaged on each side in the struggle to secure the top of the hill. News of Spion Kop spread quickly and it became known as the 'acre of massacre'.

Subsequently, ‘Spion Kop’ or ‘The Kop’ was the name given to many football stands in England in the Premier League and Football League (over 22 clubs), of which the Liverpool stand remains as the best known. Villa Park's old Holte End was historically the largest of all Kop ends, closely followed by the old South Bank at Molineux, both once regularly holding crowds more than 30,000. Liverpool's Spion Kop was closed and demolished in 1994 to comply with requirements of the Taylor Report, which made all-seater stadiums obligatory in the highest two divisions of English football. A new Spion Kop was built in its place with 12,390 seats.

Beyond soccer, the name “Kop” has been applied worldwide to areas of housing, villages, hills, golf course holes, a ship, a rugby ground and a cemetery.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org