Why do Liverpool fans boo the national anthem?

Liverpool fans booed the national anthem before the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley Stadium

Many Liverpool fans booed the national anthem as it was played at Wembley Stadium before Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Chelsea.

Liverpool supporters have a long-held opposition towards the establishment, with the booing of the national anthem becoming widespread in the 1980s and during the Conservative government’s “managed decline” of the city. The failings of the government following the Hillsborough disaster further entrenched those feelings.

That anger against social and economic inequality among a left-leaning city and fanbase have remained, and the national anthem continues to be booed when Liverpool play showpiece finals, and those exceptional moments when the national anthem is played before Premier League games, as was the case on the day of King Charles III’s coronation.

On that occasion, Liverpool decided to play the anthem despite knowing the reaction it would likely provoke. “The Premier League had advised clubs to play ‘God Save the King’ before kick-off, but did not make it compulsory,” Liverpool said in a statement before the game against Brentford at Anfield in May.

“It is, of course, a personal choice how those at Anfield on Saturday mark this occasion and we know some supporters have strong views on it.”

As reported by The Independent at the time, Liverpool felt they were left with little choice but to fall in line.

By not playing the national anthem, Liverpool’s view was that they would be criticised for being the only club to “disrespect” the occasion, and it was better to leave it to the personal choice of how every individual fan reacts. There was also the feeling within the club that the language used in the Premier League’s message requested compliance. The Premier League was meanwhile insistent it was not an edict or a mandate, and it was still down to individual clubs.

Jurgen Klopp later commented: “It was clear something like this would happen, everybody knew it. That is fine, nothing else happened, there were no chants. Thank God we have the freedom of free speech and freedom of opinion.”

Fans display an anti-royal banner on the day of King Charles III’s coronation (Reuters)

Under the Conservative government in the last decade, many from Merseyside feel they continue to be let down by the state and believe the foodbanks often seen outside Anfield, Goodison Park and other Premier League grounds are evidence of widening inequalities in the country.

The Carabao Cup final was another platform to express their frustration.

As football writer and Liverpool fan Tony Evans explained on these pages: “The royal family are the cornerstone of the class system. The idolisation of a dynastic institution that is completely distanced from ordinary people is bewildering for a large proportion of Liverpool supporters, especially those who have a close-up view of the growing poverty in the UK.

“The Fans Supporting Foodbanks initiative was founded outside Goodison Park and Anfield – it often gets overlooked that Evertonians are on the receiving end of anti-Scouse invective, too. Supporters of club after club come to Merseyside and rejoice in songs that mock poverty ...

“Hunger is at the centre of the historic perception of the people of Liverpool. The port, once known as ‘Torytown’ and ‘the second city of the empire’, first fell out of step with the rest of England after the Potato Famine in the 1840s. Millions of starving Irish landed on the banks of the Mersey. Many stayed. The ‘othering’ of Liverpool stretches back to the mid-19th century.”

He added: “What would it take to stop Liverpool supporters interrupting the national anthem? There’s a simple answer: don’t play it. We don’t want to hear it. Contempt oozes out of every word, every note. And we don’t want to hear any complaints about Scousers not showing respect. The booing is a cry for justice, for equality, a howl against hunger and poverty. It is depressing that so many in Britain cannot hear that.”