The “This Is Anfield” sign hanging above the tunnel is one of Liverpool’s most treasured symbols. Players, coaches, staff, visiting athletes and even rugby teams have reached up to touch it, treating the plaque with a mix of respect, superstition and pride. But the tradition didn’t begin as a lucky charm.
Back in the early 1970s, a stadium guide suggested putting up a simple welcome board. When the idea reached manager Bill Shankly, he approved it — but swapped the friendly wording for the unmistakable declaration: “This Is Anfield.”
Shankly later said its purpose was twofold: to remind Liverpool players of the badge they represented, and to warn opponents that stepping onto the pitch at Anfield meant entering hostile territory.
Stories, Near-Thefts, and Rodgers Bringing Home the Original
Decades of memories surround the plaque. Steven Gerrard once told a story from a match against Blackburn in the early 2000s, when a visiting player mocked Liverpool’s players for touching the sign — a comment that almost sparked a tunnel fight with Jamie Carragher.
In 1991, two Manchester United supporters managed to get into the tunnel and tried to reach the sign before stewards stopped them.
The original plaque hung for 24 years until 1998, when stadium renovations replaced it. That original sign resurfaced only in 2012, when Brendan Rodgers — who had quietly kept it stored at his home — reinstated it just before officially beginning his role as Liverpool manager. Rodgers felt every new boss should feel the club’s history the moment they walked in.
A year later, a famous Danish Liverpool devotee, Kjeld Renfledt, attempted to buy the replaced plaque. The club held onto it for the museum, but gifted him a replica and a squad-signed shirt.
Gerrard himself avoided touching the sign for a long time after his slip against Chelsea in 2014, saying he felt unworthy. He finally reached up again in 2015, shortly before leaving the club — a gesture he described as his way of thanking the supporters and acknowledging the good moments.
The sign’s design was refreshed again in 2016, completing a journey from the 1998 replacement, to the original’s return in 2012, to the reconstructed version installed ahead of a clash with Manchester United.
Klopp’s Rule: Earn the Right to Touch It
Before Jürgen Klopp’s arrival, touching the sign was optional — a personal ritual. But during the 2016 Europa League tie with Dortmund, Klopp told friends that players should only be allowed to touch it after winning something for Liverpool.
By the 2017/18 season, Klopp had cemented this idea into a request:
no touching the sign until you’ve lifted a trophy with the club.
Before Liverpool won the Champions League in 2019, Jordan Henderson was the only player technically eligible, having won the 2012 League Cup. Even then, he chose not to touch it, out of respect for teammates still chasing their first medal.
When Thiago Alcântara joined in 2020, he noted the tradition on his first day — explaining that Fernando Torres had told him about it and that he wouldn’t touch the sign until he won silverware. He kept that promise until Liverpool’s double cup triumph in 2022.
As trophies accumulated under Klopp and continued into the Arne Slot era, nearly every core squad member has now “earned” the right to touch the famous plaque — creating a modern ritual directly tied to Shankly’s original message of pride, identity and intimidation.
Leave a Reply