Original 'This is Anfield' Sign Fetches £115,000 at Auction

Liverpool Football Club's original 'This is Anfield' sign has sold for £115,000 at auction, far exceeding its pre-auction estimate.

The sign, first hung in the players' tunnel in 1972, was intended to intimidate opponents and remind players of the club's standards. Manager Bill Shankly reportedly rejected the initial wording 'Welcome To Anfield' as too friendly, opting for the more assertive 'This is Anfield'.

Sports memorabilia auctioneers Budds had estimated the sign would fetch between £10,000 and £15,000. The final winning bid reached £115,000, with the total cost, including commission and VAT, amounting to £149,500. This price is reportedly a record for any UK sports stadium interior sign.

While it was commonly believed the sign was replaced in 1974 by Bob Paisley, dated photographic evidence indicates it remained in the tunnel until 1979. This means the sign was present during Liverpool's first two European Cup victories and three additional First Division titles. It was eventually gifted by Roy Evans to Ronald Wilson, a former member of the club's boys' team.

Wilson and his family displayed the sign in the bar of a hotel they owned in Douglas, Isle of Man, from 1970 to 2000. After the hotel was sold, the sign was passed down to Ian and Lynn Wilson, who later stored it before it was displayed in Ian's work office from the mid-2010s until his retirement. The sign was placed back into storage before its recent auction.

The 'This is Anfield' sign is a hallowed symbol at Anfield, with players historically touching it as they enter the pitch. Manager Jurgen Klopp famously implemented a policy prohibiting his players from touching the sign until they had won a major trophy, a rule that ended with their Champions League victory in 2019.

The tradition has been a subject of discussion among players. Former Arsenal player Ian Wright recounted touching the sign during warm-ups, viewing it as an iconic moment, while ex-Manchester United captain Roy Keane expressed his view that touching the sign was unnecessary for opposition players.