Liverpool will play the national anthem at Anfield to mark the coronation of King Charles III.
Reds supporters notably booed the national anthem before the 2021/22 FA Cup final - when Prince William was a guest of honour at Wembley - and the decision from the club to mark the coronation is set to be controversial among some fans.
The Premier League had advised clubs to play ‘God Save the King’ before kick-off, but did not make it compulsory.
“Before kick-off and in recognition of the Premier League’s request to mark the coronation, players and officials will congregate around the centre circle when the national anthem will be played,” a statement from Liverpool said.
“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.”
But if the national anthem is booed by supporters ahead of Saturday’s fixture against Brentford, it should not come as a surprise. Any statement would be part of the Liverpool supporters’ long-established opposition towards the establishment.
Liverpool fans’ booing of the national anthem became 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 anthem continues to be booed when Liverpool play at Wembley.
Occasions such as major domestic cup finals, where the national anthem is traditionally performed ahead of kick-off, are an opportunity to voice those views.
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 outside Anfield and Goodison is evidence of widening inequalities.
The coronation weekend is therefore a platform for fans to express their frustration at the establishment that they believe continues to let them, and others around the country, down.
