Manchester City will face Liverpool away in the Premier League. For this match, Manchester City fans have displayed inflatable bananas.
Photos from the scene show Manchester City fans holding numerous inflatable bananas and displaying them before kickoff. Reviving this tradition serves as both a symbol of unity for the club during difficult times and a tribute to Manchester City's identity and history. Amid speculation about the team's future, fans are finding moments of levity and togetherness.
This tradition reportedly originated in August 1987 when Manchester City fan Frank Newton brought a five-foot-long inflatable banana to Maine Road for a match against Plymouth Argyle. His action brought a touch of lighthearted fun during the gloom that then enveloped English football.
Another popular theory is that the craze stemmed from fans in the Kippax Stand adapting striker Imre Varadi's surname into chants of "Imre Banana," which solidified the inflatable banana's status as an unofficial mascot and encouraged thousands of fans to bring bananas to matches.
The movement peaked on Boxing Day in 1988, when over 10,000 travelling Manchester City fans brought inflatable bananas to Stoke City's Victoria Ground. To the delight of the away supporters, Manchester City players even ran onto the pitch with giant yellow bananas before the match began.
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