A new campaign aims to ensure every supporter feels the full power of Anfield’s most iconic matchday moment
For Liverpool FC supporters around the world, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” is far more than just a song. It is a deeply held promise, a rallying cry, and a cornerstone of the club’s identity. Every home matchday at Anfield, approximately 60,000 fans rise together to belt out those four iconic words in unison, creating an atmosphere that is widely regarded as one of the most powerful and emotional experiences in world football. The moment represents everything that makes Liverpool FC unique — a profound sense of pride, togetherness, and belonging that bonds the club’s supporters across generations.
Yet despite the unifying spirit the anthem is meant to embody, not all fans have been able to fully participate in that shared experience. For members of the Deaf and hard of hearing community, the tradition of matchday chanting and singing has long felt out of reach. Research highlighted as part of this campaign reveals a striking statistic — 81% of Deaf and hard of hearing football fans want to join in with matchday chants but feel unable to do so. This means that a substantial section of the football community is being unintentionally excluded from some of the most joyful and memorable moments the sport has to offer.
Recognising this gap, Carlsberg, one of Liverpool FC’s longest-standing partners, decided to take action. Working closely with the club and with guidance and support from the British Deaf Association, Carlsberg developed four simple yet meaningful British Sign Language signs — one for each word of the anthem’s title: You’ll, Never, Walk, and Alone. The signs were carefully designed to be easy to learn and perform, so that any fan, regardless of their prior knowledge of sign language, could pick them up quickly and join in before kick-off.
The campaign was timed to coincide with Liverpool’s home Premier League fixture against West Ham United on February 28th, with fans encouraged to sing and sign YNWA together as a unified show of inclusion and solidarity. The goal was not just to raise awareness, but to create a genuine, lasting change in how matchday traditions are experienced across the entire supporter community.
For those wishing to learn the signs, each gesture is straightforward. “You’ll” is signed by holding both palms open and facing inward, placing the dominant hand beneath the other, and then sweeping both hands outward so the palms end up facing upward. “Never” involves forming a fist with the non-dominant hand, then using the dominant hand to make a smooth downward sweep along the outside of that fist. “Walk” is represented by holding up the non-dominant index finger with the palm facing outward and pushing the hand forward in a short, deliberate motion. Finally, “Alone” is signed by spreading the fingers of the dominant hand with the palm facing outward and pushing it out and behind the other hand in one smooth, continuous motion.
At its heart, this initiative carries a simple but powerful message — that the beautiful game belongs to everyone, and that no fan should ever feel like an outsider when the whole stadium comes alive. With this campaign, Carlsberg and Liverpool FC are not just teaching a few hand gestures. They are extending an invitation to thousands of fans who have long stood on the sidelines of one of football’s greatest traditions, and telling them that from now on, they too will never walk alone.
