Sung at every match, Fields of Anfield Road has become one of Liverpool’s most institutionalised songs, but do you know the history behind the Kop anthem?
Liverpool and Celtic share a bond that goes way beyond football; their mutual songs are the result of a relationship that has its roots in Liverpool and Glasgow’s Irish ancestry.
Of course, You’ll Never Walk Alone is the anthem that links the teams; the Hoops embraced it after visiting Anfield in the 1966 European Cup Winners’ Cup.
The Fields of Anfield Road, an adaptation of The Fields of Athenry, is probably the second-best-known Liverpool song, and the history of the Reds singing their version goes back to the late 1990s.
History of The Fields of Athenry
Before telling the story of how Liverpool came to sing the tune, we must go back to The Fields of Athenry’s origins.
The song was written in 1979 by Dublin-born folk singer-songwriter Pete St John. The lyrics follow the story of a young man who is deported to Australia after stealing corn to feed his family during the Irish potato famine.
It was first recorded by singer Danny Doyle in 1979, before being released by the likes of The Dubliners, Paddy Reilly and Dropkick Murphys.
Having been sung by fans of the Irish national team, Celtic brought the song to Parkhead in the ’90s as a result of their Irish heritage – the club was formed in an attempt to fight poverty in the East End of Glasgow.
The Fields of Athenry (chorus)
Low lie the Fields of Athenry
Where once we watched the small free birds fly
Our love was on the wing
We had dreams and songs to sing
It’s so lonely ’round the Fields of Athenry.
History of The Fields of Road
Though the exact dates are slightly hazy for those involved, Liverpool supporters took the song and made it their own in 1996 following a visit to Celtic Park.
Supporter Gary ‘Fergo’ Ferguson, who came up with the new lyrics, recalled: “We played at Celtic in, I think, a testimonial and it was getting belted out.
“I thought we should sing that without the religious undertones, and one night I just had The Dubliners on and started to put words in for Liverpool.
“Bearing in mind that around 1995/96 Anfield was going through a patch in time when the atmosphere was, to be blunt, dreadful at times, I was hoping with the help of the lads I could get it up and running.”
The song caught on and quickly grew into one of the Kop’s biggest hits, with fans recognising the nod to their city’s ancestry while keeping the terraces football-focused.
The Liverpool version of this anthem, The Fields of Anfield Road, is one of the most powerful songs in the club’s repertoire. While it follows the same haunting melody as the Irish original, the lyrics have been adapted to pay tribute to the legendary figures who built the club’s “magnificent history.”
The Fields of Anfield Road lyrics
Outside the Shankly Gates
I heard a Kopite calling
Shankly they have taken you away
But you left a great 11
Before you went to heaven
Now it’s glory round the Fields of Anfield Road.
All round the Fields of Anfield Road
Where once we watched the King Kenny play (and could he play!)
Stevie Heighway on the wing
We had dreams and songs to sing
Of the glory round the Fields of Anfield Road.
Outside the Paisley Gates
I heard a Kopite calling
Paisley they have taken you away
You led the great eleven
Back in Rome in ’77
Until there’s glory round the Fields of Anfield Road.
All round the Fields of Anfield Road
Where once we watched the King Kenny play (and could he play!)
Stevie Heighway on the wing
We had dreams and songs to sing
Of the glory round the Fields of Anfield Road.
Beside the Hillsborough flame
I heard a Kopite mourning
Why so many taken on that day?
Justice has never been done
But their memory will carry on
There’s glory round the Fields of Anfield Road.
All round the Fields of Anfield Road
Where once we watched the King Kenny play (and could he play!)
Stevie Heighway on the wing
We had dreams and songs to sing
Of the glory round the Fields of Anfield Road.
Fields of Anfield Road for the 20th anniversary of Hillsborough
In 2009, a Liverpool Collective released The Fields of Anfield Road to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster.
Cast frontman John Power wrote a final verse which remembers the victims of Hillsborough and the fight for justice, with input from ex-players such as Bruce Grobbelaar, Phil Thompson and John Aldridge.
The track reached the top 20 in England, but notably it reached No. 1 in Scotland.
It was fitting that the song used to remember the disaster came from the club that had reached out so touchingly in the aftermath of Hillsborough.