NO point going on about how the Reds are flying and we’re going to win the league this week?
So, for today’s column I thought I’d cover something different and discuss the evolution of the singing of You’ll Never Walk Alone, which is the subject of an upcoming production by FLORIANFILM who were visitors to The Anfield Wrap studios this week.
In particular, I wanted to deliberate the way the song’s use has changed — not necessarily for the better — over recent years at Anfield.
The standard, which began as part of a Hungarian theatre piece in the early 20th Century, before featuring as a consoling lament in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Carousel (1945), has been the recognised anthem of Liverpool FC since 1963 when Gerry Marsden’s adaptation of the song hit the top of the UK charts.
Pre-match entertainment at Anfield in the 60s featured the top 10 records of the week and often The Kop would sing along, especially to catchy Beatles numbers, but the ‘Pacemakers’ tune was a particular favourite. When the song eventually dropped out of the charts the crowd demanded its return and the rest is terrace history.
The sweeping strains of YNWA accompanied Liverpool’s greatest nights and days across three decades under Shankly, Paisley, Fagan and Dalglish as The Reds conquered all comers at home and abroad. The swaying throng of humanity that was the standing Kop — with unspoilt red and white bar scarves held aloft — quickly became the most famous sight in football.
Born to The Kop during the Shankly era, YNWA is synonymous with the great man and was the backdrop to title-winning scenes in 1973 when Shanks stooped to pick up scarves cast as garlands to an unequalled adoration from supporters.
The Kop was probably at its most colourful and passionate during the 60s and into the 70s, when trophies were still a relative novelty to Liverpudlians. By the early 1980s, match-going culture had changed and in days before replica shirts brought a different sense of colour, the Kop — now gorged on success — evolved into an amorphous, colourless mass.
To compensate, amid harsher economic times, a sharper, post-punk sense of dress allied with cutting sarcasm, scathing wit and acerbic abuse for everyone ranging from the opposition, referees, the police, even sometimes the Liverpool players, were the order of the day as the fans behind the goal developed their own unique brand of football ethnicity.
The crowd still rose to the occasion when it mattered, particularly on the formative European nights, but the scarves gave way to flags — often of the continental persuasion resultant of a different culture experienced on Kopites’ foreign excursions. Favours of vanquished European opponents adorned a Kop which had developed an inimitable Scouse swagger in appearance, word and deed.
You’ll Never Walk Alone would still be sung with gusto — but only to greet the presence of Europe’s most famous names, or as the prelude to a battle royal on the home front.
The pre-match ritual of YNWA played over the tannoy rightly continued but largely fell on deaf ears for routine fixtures.
For the League Cup, with 9,000 inside the ground — forget it. Coventry at home in the League in front of half-full stadium — not arsed. Over to you, Gerry, while I have another drag on this spliff.
Once, towards the end of 1984-85, the BBC planned to film the Kop “singing” their anthem before a league game against Newcastle — for the Match of the Day opening titles the following season. Despite George Sephton’s pleading the lads on the Kop “do their utty” (utmost), an anarchic crowd blanked it altogether. Barely anyone sang along. A fella in front of me held up a programme in lieu of scarf; a lad to my right raised the empty foil tray of his meat pie.
Kopites rule and don’t you forget it.
Marsden’s anthem was used sparingly, to signify the big occasion and put naked fear into the opposition, but reserved only for the continent’s most famous names and the Reds’ domestic bitterest rivals.
During the game, the renowned hymn would serenade the great comebacks (witness the Kop in full cry against Everton in 1969 as Liverpool overturn a two-goal deficit) and instantly salute the monstrous triumphs; like in Rome after Phil Neal’s clinching penalty in 1977.
At Wembley in 1986 when Ian Rush’s second goal secured the iconic League and Cup double, the Liverpool end, primed for the biggest of occasions, suddenly bloomed into a sea of red flags and banners to belt out the hymn.
Times had changed and YNWA wasn’t so omnipresent, but when the Reds chimed into its beautiful melody, the iconic chant carried every ounce of its old resonance.
YNWA sung by Liverpool fans was intrinsically a chant synonymous with victory; of defeating the odds, a celebration of many a magical conquest. Occasionally, but only in the most apt of circumstance it would be chanted in defiance, but seldom in consolation; although an airing at the end of the FA Cup Final in 1988 was more of a nod to the greatest of seasons, than lamenting a shock defeat to Wimbledon.
You’ll Never Walk Alone knew its place; its power, or more to the point — the fans knew it, felt it, sensed it and used it at the right time.
In Istanbul, the half-time battle cry — or was it a show of desperate pride — 2,000 miles from home and trailing 3-0, now has its place in Liverpool FC folklore. The glorious Ataturk rendition at the end, with Liverpool crowned Champions of Europe for the fifth time, was entirely in keeping with the magnitude of the occasion — and the scale of the achievement.
In sharply contrasting, tragic circumstances after Hillsborough in April 1989 a lone choirboy’s chilling interpretation in the Liverpool Catholic Cathedral attached a different, heartbreaking sentiment to what is undeniably Liverpool’s sacred song. 27 years on, the same anthem warmed the chill air outside St George’s Hall when Accidental Death verdicts were overturned after a struggle the word valiant does scant justice.
Times have changed again.
Nowadays, with a full house every week, even down to early round League Cup ties, YNWA is trotted out each home game, routinely accompanied by the big flags at the front of The Kop. It’s still quite nice — even if my view from the Kop is interrupted half-way through, as the big surfer flag passes over our heads and we feel like we’re camping inside Mike Ashley’s smelly underpants.
The stands join in with scarves aloft, though I’m not sure everyone is singing along. And, as Rob Gutmann resident of these pages and the Upper Centenary recalls, some fans are a little off beam with the words — even if “and don’t be afraid of the dog” has a certain charm.
A big rousing rendition of YNWA before every match isn’t exclusively a bad thing in setting up an atmosphere. But, what distinguishes between Northampton at home and Real Madrid? Not much to be honest, bar a few extra flags and few higher octaves when the League Cup kids are sat excluded at home watching on BT Sports or SKY TV.
What sets the big occasion apart? What makes the players think, “Jesus, this is a big one; the fans are up for it tonight.”?
I have only a minor gripe with regard to the above. However, what really gets my goat is the now embedded determination to pipe up a half-hearted YNWA (from the back of the Kop; and you know who you are) at every single home game circa 88 minutes, regardless of the opposition, the scoreline, the importance of the game; or whether or not I need a piss. There is plainly no context to this, merely “try-hard” wool behaviour of the first order.
It is also simple overkill, completely at odds with our cherished history, trivialising football’s greatest song.
What are you going to do if some day we’re 4-0 down on 88 mins to Everton? Are we still singing YNWA then? The same dickheads who sang YNWA before the whistle when we lost 3-0 to West Ham last season, then booed the team off seconds later. The song was never interpreted as a latter day “we’ll support you evermore”, which was the preserve of Second Division Manchester United goons.
Do we really need to be singing YNWA to round off a win against mighty Hull? Do we need five renditions of YNWA against the behemoth that is Carlisle United (before the match, on 88 minutes, start of extra time, half-time in extra-time and before penalties) in the third sodding round of the League Cup? No we don’t thanks; it’s just embarrassing.
If being completely inorganic and ignoring the context of the actual match in front of us isn’t bad enough, this recent, utterly jarg trend has become akin to the sounding of a Pavlovian bell triggering a mass exit.
I’m convinced there’s some Nantwich dickhead watching the stadium clock tick from 87 mins 59 seconds, then piping up, “When you walk…” before slithering down the steps of Block 306 wearing leather driving gloves, ready for the off and a massive shit reading the programme in the bogs at Knutsford services.
I don’t care if you have to bookend your precious matchday experience with a limply delivered YNWA before the game is out. If this is now Anfield tradition — and I fear it is — then for once tradition can do one. George Sephton used to be the arbiter on this, putting the needle to Gerry’s record perhaps once a season, at the final whistle after a famous victory. Arl George has been around a while, so can we leave it up to him?
I accept that cultures, by their own definition, grow and change. My own childhood and teenage dreams have been well and truly “tossed and blown” over the years. You can call me an old cynic all you like but I’m right on this one.
Can we try and leave our precious anthem with some vestige of relevance? Can we please protect football’s most iconic recital; leave it with the capacity to make hairs stand on end and not kill it stone dead?
Eh?
Or maybe we just replace it with the theme from televised Darts?
See you at Swansea.
YNWA x
Lol…camping inside Mike Ashley’s smelly underpants. Oh an WELL SING WHEN WE WANT ok?
I just knew it couldn’t last! The columns of the last few weeks and all that positivity, haha.
I’ve been meaning to try and get a point across recently about YNWA so this is as good place as any.
Firstly, I like it. I’m not saying you don’t, far from, I’m saying I do. I like it before every game. As you say, there are different intensities dependant on the occasion. The problem with singing it at the end is you either do or you don’t. For example, if you’re gonna sing it when you’re winning then it’d be noticeably absent when you’re not. Not sure how well that would sit with me.
The point I’ve wanted to make is, every time it’s sung on prior to kick off we get to the point where it says You’ll never walk alone and half the crowd break into applause like the song is over. Difficult to convey the bit I mean but following that bit you get the dramatic crescendo then walk on, walk on. Who is it that thinks the song ends there? It’s baffling. I find it embarrassing when the ground doesn’t even know when the song finishes. Anyway, that’s been bothering me for some time.
As a sidenote, YNWA is the only song that gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. I love the song. I remember my first footy memories, vague memories of the 78 World Cup final, strong memories of the brilliant 1979 FA Cup final but no recollection of our glory in 77 and 78. Point being I don’t think I supported Liverpool till 80. Yet, I have strong memories of playing YNWA over and over at my nans which would have to have been 77. I still remember standing there on Sunday afternoons with the back door open and the smell of steamed stew in a pressure cooker mixed with the strong smell of the smoke from the hundreds of house chimneys around as it played. I also remember the biscuit tin at my nans where stale custard creams tasted of the ginger biscuits and bourbons that had shared the same tin for months on end. I suppose the point I’m making is it’s actually one of my favourite songs of all time with or without it being a Liverpool song. It’s got happy memories for me and is the only song that can make me reconnect and remember those days at my nans. Tell a lie, Rhinestone Cowboy does too but forget that.
It’s an aspect I want to see continue both before and after the game.
Negative Nev ;-)
Maybe my memory’s failing but I’m pretty sure that, back in the 60s and 70s, we didn’t need the record to be played over the tannoy before kick-off. I always stood on the Kop and it seemed to start spontaneously towards kick-off time. I don’t get to go to the matches these days (age but mainly geography), and maybe it’s just that the tannoy comes across so loud on TV, but I’ve sat friends and family down to watch games and said “just listen to this” only for them to say “well, that’s just the record being played”.
Goosebumps whenever I hear it, I’ve got goosebumps just reading about it!
Good read again, thanks
As an older supporter (mid 40s) the thing that annoys me now is the way the crowd are totally led by the song over the tannoy. They sing along to it from start to finish. This means there is a big pause near the end as the song builds to a crescendo leading into the final chorus. As the crowd are following the song it begins to sound like a dirge. And at the end everyone finishes singing and that’s that…box ticked
Years ago (that’s what my grandad use to say!) they would play the song at the beginning but the crowd would pick up and overtake the song and belt it out with real gusto. I think George would even turn the song off and let the crowd finish on their own
For me it’s more manufactured than organic nowadays…but I think that goes for everything football related.
Up the reds!
You’re right, Chris.
Even older than you – mid 50’s – and the tannoy always turned it off after a minute and let the Kop sing the rest.
Great writing as usual,Mike. Sorry to be pedantic but just one error in there – the come back from 2-0 down against Everton was in ’71 not’69. [ Heighway,Toshack,Lawler – all Kop end]. I was an 11 year old in the boys pen that game – the boys pen was tucked in the right hand top corner of the Kop. The Kop would howl with sarcastic delight when the boys pen would sing YNWA in a pre pubescent screech.
Always thought it is far more effective when they cut the tannoy before the final chorus and just have the crowd singing the crescendo – as they do when they play it at Celtic Park:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAGj7HV6miQ
the same tit who starts liverbird upon my chest at exactly three minutes of every home game trying his best to kill the atmosphere
I was at Carlisle and to be honest, I totally didn’t mind the song going up. I mean, yeah, we could have sang something else but often as a foot soldier in the Kop you just latch onto whatever anyone else is singing and try and give it your all. Especially if you haven’t got the big deep voice (or the balls/alcohol intake) to get one going yourself. Whether it’s Carlisle or not, it’s still extra time, it’s still penalties, we still want to win and at least some effort is demonstrated by the fans. I mean, would ‘Poetry In Motion’ have been apt after the performance we’d just seen on the pitch? Poor Scouser Tommy? Liverbird Upon My Chest? Not really the songs you can fit in quickly before the restart of the taking of the penalties. Apart from the obvious ‘Liverpool, Liverpool, Liverpool’ there wasn’t particularly many other songs waiting in the wings. “Oh when the reds” perhaps – but it wasn’t the worst choice.
I can’t help but feel it comes off a little elitist as well. Considering I’m 29, and fortunate enough to have been going the match for 13 years and it’s always happened, so it can’t presumably always be the same guy, the wool taking a massive shit on the M6 services etc. What happens if it’s a full blown Scouser anyway? Must be at the game fairly often if the gripe is it happens every match. Plus the collective, which is the majority of the Kop, often join in and if they do, then I’ve usually taken it as written that the collective have decided as one to sing it and therefore it’s the right choice. Shite songs don’t usually take off at all.
Although… Some do. YNWA embarrassing? Surely not. Embarrassing is half the ground and sections of the Kop gleefully starting up or joining in with “You’re not singing anymore” after Balotelli has slotted a penalty in the final minutes to win the game and the Besiktas fans have been singing their hearts out all game at the Anny Road end. That’s awful, cringeworthy, gigantic bellend stuff.
I can see occasionally where I would agree and you have a legitimate gripe Mike, but I can’t help but think this is almost content for contents sake. I mean it’s one of the things that keeps us apart from other teams that come wind or rain funnily enough we sing the song at the end of the match. Someone probably would sing it after a 4-0 against Everton as well, but then the collective would decide whether it’s worth spreading across the stand, or whether it’s sporadic and dies out.
A documentary on the origins of “shitty ground, shitty ground, shitty ground ” is a winner for me!!
Too many nowadays don’t realise there’s a wind and a rain and leave the wind out ! Too many wools without doubt
This is the saddest thing TAW has ever published. It’s also transparently a response (at least it its timing) to John Henry’s unfortunate comments. Apparently non-local supporters love the evolution of the YNWA tradition and this is viewed as systematic of “foreign” encroachment into the culture of Anfield. With all due respect, your theory that the “watered-down” renditions of YNWA adversely affect the ability of the players/atmosphere to rise to the big occasion was disproven during the Dortmund game. I’d be curious to hear how Neil, John, Rob, Gareth, Andy, and especially Mel feel about this. You all do incredible work but this comes across like a stand-in marker being laid down in the ongoing ticket rift (most “internet Reds” and foreign supporters like myself are 100% behind you on that issue and know that without affordable tickets and a majority Scouse presence at matches, this would just be another club). I respect your opinion but sometimes it would also be nice if you recognized that traditions such as these evolve for a reason and are part of the dynamic fabric that unites Liverpool’s global supporter base. On occasion, and I believe once it was snuck in during a Rider pod, “internet Reds” were ripped pretty savagely (of course the loudest and crudest of said group probably deserved it, but it was a moment that symbolized how some of us feel like second-class citizens within the club hierarchy). Most of us back you to the hilt. We believe in you. We’re behind you. But once in a while we’re reminded of our class status and how you probably talk about us when you believe we’re not listening. But the message still bleeds through and makes us feel alienated. It’s a large house and we’re going to sing it loud and proud. And I hope you respect that the international supporter base is as diverse as the Reds’ squad. Times change. Traditions evolve. Love trumps hate. We’re a global community and we’re going to sing YNWA to our collective heart’s content. Up the Reds. Up the Scouser Reds. Up the international Reds. Up the internet Reds. Up evolving traditions.
Keep up the great work TAW, keep making us proud to be supporters. We’re right behind you.
some valid reflections YES, but … there are many worse things to be said about “modern Lfc fans@ like, the shite boney M tune, the stupidly off the mark BR chant ” build a team like shankly did” and the instant worship of a new hyped up coach before hes done thing just because the media or rather Lfc Tv and the Echo tell you he is… its the “fast food” mentality , we never had to have George playing the tune for us to sing it.. we sang it before and during and after, and I dont care if we are 4-0 down to the blues (well i do CARE of course) like istanbul isnt that also a time to show SUPPORT?? .. i stood on Shanks KOP but living abroad since half my life and travelling supporting and playing footy with lads who would give everything to be at a game..(but with f s g policies likely to price them further out of that chance) love the idea of singing YNWA before AND after any game..its another of the traditions being lost, not only that but now the players salute the fecking MAIN stand , not the Kop when they score,,,who started that sh&te?? otherwise another worthy article ! ha aha …
You,ll never walk alone on European nights have become a thing of nightmares for me. Its the way the second ‘walk on’ is belted out. Walk on walk on totally out of tune can only come from a few games a season wools. What next , clapping hands during it. I’m off to polish up on my “im off to Man United with a shotgun on my knee” ” koppites are gobshites!!”