'This Is Anfield' sign fetches £115k at auction

What the report says

The original “This Is Anfield” sign from Liverpool’s stadium tunnel has sold at auction for £115,000, far above the £15,000 guide price, according to auctioneer Budds. The famous sign has long been part of Anfield folklore, with Liverpool players traditionally touching it on the way to the pitch. Manager Bill Shankly selected the wording in 1972, replacing a more welcoming phrase because he wanted the tunnel message to feel intimidating for visiting teams and motivating for his own side.

BBC Sport reported that the sign was removed from the ground in the 1970s and later given to Ronald Wilson, a former Liverpool boys’ team member. His family kept it on display for years, including at the Rutland Hotel in Douglas on the Isle of Man, before it was later passed down to his children and eventually offered for sale. The auction house said the item had also been photographed with notable Liverpool players from the late 1970s, including Alan Hansen and Kenny Dalglish.

The sale is notable because the sign is tied to one of Liverpool’s most recognisable symbols and to an era when the club won back-to-back European Cups in 1977 and 1978. Budds said the original idea for a tunnel sign came from a groundsman, later amended by Shankly, and former Liverpool player George Scott said it was meant to warn opponents they were entering a hostile atmosphere. The identity of the buyer was not disclosed.