👀 Why did Man City fans bring inflatable bananas to Anfield?

Manchester City returned to Premier League action for the first time after a season‑long ban for financial rule breaches, only to be met with a hostile reception at Anfield. As the Blues stepped onto the pitch, Liverpool supporters unfurled accusatory banners, shouted boos and chanted throughout the match. In response, a wave of City fans in the away section carried out a quirky counter‑display that drew puzzled looks from the crowd: inflatable bananas.

The banana‑carrying tradition is not a recent invention. It dates back to the 1987‑88 season, when Manchester City were competing in the second tier after being relegated from the old First Division. One fan brought a large inflatable banana to a game at Maine Road, and the gesture quickly spread. The timing also coincided with the presence of striker Imre Varadi, who had earned the nickname “Imre Banana” among the terraces. The association between the player and the fruit helped cement the practice, and inflatable bananas became a familiar sight at City matches throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

The fad waned in the modern era, especially after the club moved to the Etihad Stadium and underwent a takeover in the mid‑2000s. Nevertheless, the tradition survived in a sporadic fashion, resurfacing during high‑profile fixtures. The recent Anfield encounter saw hundreds of yellow plastic bananas bobbing in the away stands, a playful nod to the club’s lower‑league past.

While City were castigated as “cheaters” by Liverpool fans and warned of possible relegation, the banana‑bearing supporters used the eccentric prop to lighten the atmosphere and pay homage to a long‑standing fan custom. The spectacle underscored the enduring rivalry between the clubs and the spirited, if sometimes bizarre, ways in which fans express their allegiance.