Liverpool’s original “This Is Anfield” sign has been sold. Shankly, who first installed the sign chose the famous words in 1972 after rejecting “Welcome To Anfield” as too friendly.
The sign was removed in the 1970s and given to former Liverpool boys’ team member Ronald Wilson. His family later displayed it at an Isle of Man hotel for more than 20 years.
UK ONLY
According to BBC Sport, the historic sign, which hung in the Anfield tunnel, sold for almost eight times its estimated guide price of £15,000. David Convery, head of sporting memorabilia at Budds, said the sign and sale “made for a very memorable auction”.
He added: “All sports memorabilia is imbued with some of the magic of the game and its players. But the Anfield sign and the superstition surrounding it added something that went beyond the exceptional.”
While the winning bid was £115,000, the final price reached £149,500 including commission and VAT. Budds described it as a record price for a UK sports stadium interior sign.
The auctioneer said players including Alan Hansen, Kenny Dalglish and Frank McGarvey were pictured with the sign after joining Liverpool between 1977 and 1979.
The sign was also in place during Liverpool’s first two European Cup triumphs in 1977 and 1978. According to Budds, the idea for the sign was initially proposed by a groundsman to club secretary Peter Robinson before Shankly changed the wording to “This Is Anfield”.
Shankly intended the sign to remind Liverpool players who they represented while intimidating visiting teams. Ex-Reds player George Scott said Shankly wanted opponents to know they were “going into a cauldron”.
Former Liverpool manager Roy Evans later gave the sign to Ronald Wilson. It was displayed at Wilson’s family hotel in Douglas, Isle of Man, from 1979 until 2000 before passing to his children.
The sign was later kept in Wilson’s son’s office until his retirement in early 2026. The identity of the new owner remains unknown.
Support DaveOCKOP and enjoy the site completely ad-free. You’ll get an uninterrupted browsing experience while helping us continue to deliver the latest Liverpool news, breaking stories and exclusives. Go ad-free today.