Martin Donaldson is a Celtic fan with a Liverpool-supporting son. He was at Parkhead on April 30, 1989, and said: “I remember approaching the main stand that day and seeing so many different coloured scarves in the stadium as people from across the UK had come to pay their respects. On numerous occasions, the two sets of supporters have felt isolated, particularly around Hillsborough and systems of government. Many Liverpudlians don’t necessarily identify with ‘Englishness’ and the London-centric state. In 1999, Glaswegian activist, Margaret Simey, even said: “The magic of Liverpool is that it isn’t England.” Musical creativity with regard to terrace anthems is another one of the traits each set of supporters has in common.

The ballad, set during the Irish famine which triggered mass emigration, was adapted in 1996 by a Red named Gary Ferguson. Liverpool had just won the European Cup, but Kevin Keegan had left for Hamburger SV and they needed a new talisman. Beer bottles were brought into the stadium and thrown towards the pitch, forcing Liverpool keeper Tommy Lawrence to move to the edge of his penalty area. One of the flying glass bottles hit a young Liverpool fan who was standing in the front row. He was badly injured. From Billy Liddell through to Andy Robertson, they seem to fit in with the community ethos of the city and its clubs. The fan cultures encompassing each club, which form the basis for these emotional atmospheres, share similarities too.

Times change

You’ll have experienced different nights in Turkey and in Greece, and it’s just different. But Celtic Park and Anfield on European nights take a little bit of beating, they really do. Please note the personalisation of football tops are printed at the customers own risk. The Celtic Store cannot accept liability for any future player movements, including loans, number changes or signings. Ian St John, born in Motherwell, scored the goal which won Liverpool their first-ever FA Cup in 1965 against Don Revie’s formidable Leeds. The trophy success meant that the Reds qualified for the next season’s Cup Winners’ Cup. John Gribbon is a lifelong Celtic fan and described the impact of Dalglish’s move, saying: “He was probably my first boyhood idol; that leaves a mark on you throughout life.

It did catch on and now Fields of Anfield Road is probably the most institutionalised song on the Kop after You’ll Never Walk Alone. In 1989, Dalglish was in his twelfth year at Liverpool. His playing credentials translated to the manager’s position and his team were flying high. Then Hillsborough happened. On getting to our seats, we found we were sitting next to a group of family and friends who had made the trip up from Liverpool for the match. They were still raw with emotion but grateful for the welcome given by fans around them on their journey. There are still ongoing sectarian splits but gone are the days when Rangers would refuse to sign players because they heralded from a Catholic family. The words Shankly allegedly said to his friend in the changing room after Stein had won the European Cup, have gone down in Celtic legend: “John, you’re immortal now.”

Many even feel that there is no association between Celtic and Liverpool but there will always be mutual respect between the two, and scarves embroidered with the names of both clubs will continue to be sold. One of the more recent Anfield hymns is for Virgil Van Dijk. He is serenaded weekly to the tune of Dirty Old Town, a song considered Irish folk despite actually being about Salford. Liverpool lost the match with Reds captain Ron Yeats scoring an unfortunate own goal in extra time. The James Bond star was snapped hand-in-hand with Scottish actor and film producer Gianni Capaldi as the pair beamed for the camera ahead of Celtic's league match against Motherwell today.

Countless intertwining factors have come together to culminate in the relationship present today, however, the roots of most of them are entrenched in the cities’ ports. In an increasingly Eurosceptic society, Liverpool look to Europe for inspiration. Songs like ‘Allez Allez Allez’ are usually started by young lads on European away trips. Celtic Retail offers a shirt printing service to our customers where we are happy to print the names of players past and present along with family or given names. We are also pleased to print the names of places or dates which are synonymous with Celtic e.g, Lisbon 67 or a family birthday such as Dad 50. Although the list is not exhaustive these are examples of the extent to which we will offer this service. There are plenty of Protestants who follow Celtic home and away. Dalglish and former captain Scott Brown, along with nearly half of Celtic’s great Lisbon Lions were born Protestant.On July 12, an Ulster protestant celebration day, things would often rise to a crescendo, “My grandmother would tell me I wasn’t allowed out on the 12th,” Mrs Millne added. Within the stadium, Liverpool has almost a melodrama for a big game at Anfield. The incredible banners on the Kop; it makes you wonder how many hours and days people have spent on them. There is that sense of occasion at Celtic Park and Anfield which almost demands a show; put on a show for us, we’re putting on a show for you, you put on a show for us.” When Labour’s long-established ‘red wall’ fell in the 2019 General Election, it only added to the detachment. The North’s major cities still voted Labour, but they were surrounded by a sea of blue that flooded former mill towns and mining communities. Shankly and Stein’s teams were built for the people. The latter’s 1967 European Cup-winning side consisted almost entirely of players from Glasgow.

The Scotsman would go on to be the first of the six players or managers who would have their testimonial between Liverpool and Celtic. On the other hand, just two testimonials have been held between Rangers and Liverpool.

Peace Of Mind & Security

From that moment onwards, there was always a strong bond between Celtic and Liverpool. Anything in the past paled into insignificance. Every single moment afterwards, Celtic fans were fantastic,” the university professor added. Every club has its devoted supporters who ensure their figurative songbook is kept alive, but the numbers listed are largely a collection of the same short tunes with different words, depending on the club you support.