National anthems will not be played out Wembley amid fears of booing

A view of Wembley Stadium (GETTY IMAGES)

National anthems will not be played at Sunday's Carling Cup final between Liverpool and Cardiff, the Football League have confirmed.

It is the league's policy not to play anthems at finals when English and Welsh clubs meet after fans booed both anthems on previous occasions.

A Football League spokesman said: "It is the long-standing policy of the Football League not to play national anthems when English and Welsh clubs meet in finals.

"The League regards these matches as domestic rather than international occasions and introduced this policy after fans failed to respect both anthems at previous finals."

Other finals where the anthems have not been played include last year's Championship play-off final between Reading and Swansea, and the policy goes back to the 2003 Division Two play-off final between Cardiff and QPR.

PA