Liverpool fans drown out national anthem with boos and jeers as only one player sings

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On Coronation day, Reds fans drowned out the national anthem at Anfield on Saturday as their players stayed silent on the pitch

Liverpool players at Anfield ahead of their Premier League game against Brentford in May 2023.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Liverpool fans drowned out the British national anthem at Anfield on Saturday ahead of their Premier League clash at home to Brentford.

There had been opposition from fans at the idea of playing God Save the King at Anfield on the day of King Charles' Coronation, but it was ultimately decided to go ahead with the idea.

Reds supporters previously booed the anthem in their Carabao Cup and FA Cup final appearances last season and it was no surprise to hear a repeat on Saturday.

The reaction is a form of protest against what they perceive as a long-time neglect of the city from the establishment, a feeling which grew stronger following the Hillsborough disaster in 1989.

While fans booed and jeered the anthem, which could barely be heard, none of the Reds' starting XI sang along and many of them appeared awkward.

England midfielder Jordan Henderson, who was among the substitutes, was shown on camera singing along somewhat uneasily to the anthem while his team-mates stayed silent.

Ben Hayward
Ben Hayward
Weekend editor

Ben Hayward is a European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.