FROM THE SKETCHPAD TO THE KOP
Matthew Owen 09 March 2006
How did a chat amongst a group of friends in an Istanbul street cafe last May result in a brilliant new banner making its debut on the Kop on Wednesday night? Let Matthew Owen explain.
The final in Istanbul is already the stuff of legend. You couldn't move for splendid banners, perhaps the greatest collection ever assembled for a football match. The city and the stadium were ablaze with colour.
In a street cafe the morning after, a group of us discussed the banners on show. We talked about a banner of our own, perhaps getting a few Reds to group together and see what we could achieve. The results have been better than we could ever have hoped for.
When we reluctantly returned to England, Gareth posted the banner idea on independent fan site Redandwhitekop.net. From that point on this became a collaborative project. There was a fantastic response - lots of people liked the idea and wanted to contribute either with a donation or a design. Throughout June and July, the debate raged. We wanted to include our European titles and remember the Hillsborough victims, but how?
As ideas flooded in, they divided into two schools: the 'traditionalists' and the 'modernists'. Many banners were in classic Liverpool format but there were also interesting alternatives that reworked the traditional Liverbird format into a new design. We took a vote on the site and the Liverbird designs won, but although the most popular design was very good would it translate to a large format?
Time was passing by; in late October we passed the design ideas to graphic artist Kit Nelson. Taking the reworked Liverbird atop the Champions League ball as a starting point, Kit sketched the idea that became the 'Liverbanner'. We were knocked out. The image was bold and would work well on a large banner. Plus, we'd finally found someone who could draw a bird's claws!
This Liverbird had a fierce and defiant look. In one claw it grasped a scarf, symbolizing the supporters, in the other the Champions League ball, bearing the dates our club has won 'Big Ears'. We loved the space set aside for number 6 and the incorporation of the eternal flame. The resemblance to a Phoenix rising from the ashes was appropriate given the rebirth of the club witnessed in Turkey and the streets of Liverpool. It was a bold statement and we had to make it happen.
Using the initial design, we launched an appeal for funding across both the official and unofficial fans forums. We were delighted by the support from Reds worldwide. Some of the donations came in from people who might only see the banner in place once in a lifetime, if at all. Every donation large or small was great to see.
Not everyone liked the image; there was a body of opinion that favoured a traditional approach. Kit's design was a radical departure and, for some, this Liverbird was a step too far. They were fair criticisms and we could only ask people to suspend judgment until the completed banner was on the Kop.
We took heart however in the near universal support we received for the concept of fan-funded banners. We couldn't please everyone but if the project worked, we could do something different next time. We decided to set up a website devoted to producing banners so that those who had different ideas could get them into production.
As donations came in, we looked for a printer. We settled on
'Scanachrome'. They were the UK's number one large-format printers and, more importantly, their Skelmersdale department was full of fellow Reds! Andy Philips swiftly became an important person in the project as he produced umpteen test prints from Kit's revisions as we made colour changes to try and get the image just right. Scanachrome have been fantastic throughout and I can't praise them highly enough.
The final golden Liverbird on red background was inspired by the European Cup winning kits of the seventies. As a happy coincidence it gave the banner a slightly Spanish look - hopefully Rafa will like it! No doubt he'd approve of the teamwork which went into its production - it took hundreds of supporters to make this happen.
Our first chance to see the banner came last Saturday. The club kindly let us take the banner onto the Kop for a dress rehearsal. A project which began as a casual conversation in Istanbul was finally being brought to completion. Well, almost complete. The acid test was still to come in the shape of the crucial Benfica home leg.
Alas, my ticket-bearing friend was delayed and I had to stay outside as the rest of the team took the banner into the stadium and released it into the crowd. I wouldn't get to see the banner on the Kop after all. Standing next to Shankly and hearing the roar of the Kop gave me a chance to reflect on the near nine months since the banner idea began.
Getting the banner made wouldn't have happened without the efforts and assistance of a wide group of supporters, all keen to do their bit without any reward other than adding to the unique atmosphere within Anfield. Others I have to mention include Frank, the owner of the existing banner who has been very supportive, the HJC who have allowed us to store the banner in their offices and finally the club and individual stewards have been helpful throughout.
The Liverbanner made its first appearance on a night when the team needed the crowd to make the ground shake once more. It made two full circuits around the Kop and the general reaction has been positive. Hopefully it will add one more element to the unique atmosphere in Anfield. We've already started work on
www.kopbanners.org so that more people can get involved in future projects and take their chance to influence the next one. Just with the Liverbanner, this will be an independent, non-profit making venture, entirely funded by supporters.
When you next see it on the Kop remember give it a cheer, and get those singing voices ready in the Main Stand and Centenary or that scary looking Liverbird might just give you a peck!
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