Manchester City fans waved hundreds of inflatable bananas in the away end at Anfield against Liverpool, reviving a tradition dating back to the late 1980s.
The display, organised by supporters’ group 1894, came in City’s first league match since the Premier League announced an independent commission’s guilty verdict against the club. Group spokesman Dante Friend described the gesture as an act of defiance.
How Manchester City's Inflatable Banana Tradition Began
The tradition dates to 1987, when Manchester City were in the second tier. Supporter Frank Newton is credited with bringing a five-foot inflatable banana to Maine Road for a match against Plymouth Argyle that August.
He reportedly borrowed it from a friend after a bet.
Accounts of how the tradition began differ. One version describes striker Imre Varadi warming up at Maine Road as a fan waved a banana at him. By the next game, 25 to 30 bananas had reportedly appeared in the crowd.
That account places the incident in November 1987, while another version links the “Imre Banana” chant to a match against West Bromwich Albion in 1988. The exact date remains unclear.
Varadi made 65 appearances for Manchester City between 1986 and 1988. He later told the Manchester Evening News that he was proud of the craze. He has also turned the nickname into a business, selling inflatable bananas under the Imre Banana name.
The craze peaked on Boxing Day 1988, when thousands of City fans reportedly travelled to Stoke City’s Victoria Ground carrying bananas. The players are also said to have taken part in the display.
The banana also has a darker history in English football.
In 1988, Liverpool forward John Barnes famously back-heeled a banana thrown onto the pitch during a match against Everton, an incident widely associated with the racism Black players faced in English football.
Why Manchester City Fans Waved Bananas at Anfield
The Evening Standard reported that supporters’ group 1894 distributed more than 1,000 bananas to fans travelling to Liverpool. Hundreds were waved in the away end. LADbible, citing The Sun, reported that group spokesman Dante Friend handed some out outside the ground.
A friend told Sporting News that the display was an act of defiance, saying, “The message is obviously defiance.”
The Independent reported that the group also described City’s history as a rollercoaster. AOL linked the bananas to the club’s years in the lower divisions before its recent success.
The display came shortly after the Premier League announced its findings on 29 September 2026.
An independent commission found Manchester City guilty of breaches of the league’s financial rules covering nine seasons, from 2009/10 to 2017/18, and of three of four charges relating to the investigation.
The league said the commission found City used “sham” commercial contracts to inflate revenue and reduce costs by more than £900 million. City says it is innocent and appealed on 1 October.
Liverpool's Reaction to Manchester City's Financial Verdict
SI reported that Liverpool fans booed City’s players and displayed several banners. One in the Kop read, “After All You Really Robbed Us All”, while another featured what appeared to be 114-pound signs.
Late in the match, home supporters chanted “cheat” whenever City completed a pass.
SI reported that Manchester City’s coach was directed to a separate entrance to avoid the largest group of Liverpool supporters, amid memories of trouble before a 2018 Champions League tie.
As City fans were escorted into the away end, minor scuffles broke out with stewards, and some beer was thrown. Inside the stadium, City supporters performed the Poznań, while chief executive Ferran Soriano watched from the stands.
Manchester City won 3-0 after Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch was sent off in the 62nd minute. Erling Haaland scored three minutes later, followed by Jeremy Doku in the 68th and Rayan Cherki in the 78th.
That victory put City three points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
No sanctions have been announced. The commission will hold a separate hearing to determine the consequences, and the appeal process must be completed within 12 weeks.
