Lfc invites fans to sign You’ll Never Walk Alone in BSL at Anfield
lfc and sponsor Carlsberg will invite supporters to take part in a British Sign Language rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone ahead of the West Ham home match on February 28 at Anfield, aiming to make matchday traditions accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing fans. The initiative is part of a ‘Signs of Unity’ campaign developed with the British Deaf Association and sits within the club’s Red Together inclusion work. Organisers say the move is designed to let every fan physically join the anthem through signing as well as singing.
Lfc and partners launch ‘Signs of Unity’ at Anfield
The special BSL performance will take place during the season’s designated Red Together fixture as fans are encouraged to learn signs ahead of the February 28 fixture. The ‘Signs of Unity’ campaign was developed in collaboration with the British Deaf Association and delivered in partnership with Carlsberg, and is intended to reduce longstanding barriers that have prevented many deaf and hard-of-hearing supporters from participating in matchday rituals. Carlsberg research cited within the initiative found that 81 per cent of deaf and hard-of-hearing fans want to take part in matchday chants but feel they are unable to do so.
Players and staff have been involved in preparing for the rollout: a group of players and staff members have learned BSL signs for You’ll Never Walk Alone and supporters are being urged to learn the signs in the run-up to the fixture so they can join the shared BSL performance. The club has also committed to having BSL fan interpreters present at every future men’s and women’s home fixture as part of an ongoing accessibility approach.
Immediate reactions
Sir Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool legend and official club ambassador, framed the move in stark terms: “You can understand that deaf and hard-of-hearing fans feel as if they’ve missed out on part of the match day experience, but at the end of the day, we want everyone to be all one. ” Those words are being positioned alongside practical steps to broaden participation on matchdays.
Inside the squad, attention remains split between inclusion work and on-field priorities: the head coach Arne Slot’s side needs the points in the race for Champions League places, and the signing initiative will run alongside the usual pre-match anthem with supporters invited to add signing to singing.
Quick context
The BSL rendition forms part of the club’s wider Red Together strategy, which brings together equality, diversity and inclusion activity under one banner. Supporters have been given time to learn signs ahead of the scheduled fixture so the shared performance can include as many people as possible.
What’s next
lfc will test the in-stadium rollout on February 28 and monitor uptake and feedback from deaf and hard-of-hearing supporters and wider fans; organisers say the aim is to embed BSL provision at future home games. Expect follow-up announcements on how the club and partners will measure impact and whether the approach will be expanded to additional fixtures and fan-facing services as part of ongoing Red Together work. lfc representatives will also track how the presence of BSL fan interpreters affects matchday participation going forward.
