There are lots of celebrations taking place this weekend to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III.
From the coronation concert, to street parties and the ceremony at Westminster Abbey itself, there is plenty going on to mark the occasion this bank holiday weekend.
The coronation will also be marked at all the Premier League games over the long weekend from Saturday May 5 to May 7.
Clubs have been advised to play God Save the King before kick-off of each game, however it is not compulsory.
One club that will play the anthem is Liverpool FC, with the decision taking many by surprise, seeing as fans booed when God Save The Queen was played ahead of the FA Cup final in May 2022.
It will be played ahead of their game against Brentford at Anfield on Saturday, May 6, with the club making the decision despite knowing that fans may well keep up their tradition of responding with a chorus of boos rather than the lyrics.
Here is everything you need to know about why Liverpool supporters aren’t a fan of God Save The King…
Why do Liverpool fans boo the national anthem?
Liverpool fans booing the national anthem first became widespread in the 1980s as a protest towards Margaret Thatcher’s conservative government.
During that time the conservative party were indifferent to addressing the industrial decline that had gripped Merseyside.
During this period the city was grappling with severe unemployment and poverty, with the government even cutting public services.
In 2011 official papers revealed that Margaret Thatcher was encouraged to employ an approach of ‘managed decline’ to the city, which effectively meant withdrawing resources from the area in a bid to get people to leave.
The feeling of abandonment from the government has led to the city and the fans feeling a sense of disconnect to the rest of the country, with banners reading ‘Scouse not English’ often seen among the crowds at Anfield.
The Hillsborough disaster also fed into the resentment felt by the people of the city towards the state, as former Conservative MP Irvine Patnick was one of the sources who contributed to The Sun’s controversial coverage that blamed Liverpool fans for the tragic event.
97 football fans died as a result of the Hillsborough football stadium disaster (Picture: Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)
After being revealed as one of the sources in 2012, Mr Patnick issued a statement saying: ‘I would like to put on the record how appalled and shocked I was to discover the extent of the deceit and cover-up surrounding these events.
‘It is now clear that the information I received from some police officers at the time was wholly inaccurate, misleading and plain wrong. However, I totally accept responsibility for passing such information on without asking further questions.
‘So, many years after this tragic event, I am deeply and sincerely sorry for the part I played in adding to the pain and suffering of the victims’ families.’
What has Jurgen Klopp said about booing the national anthem?
Following the decision by the club to go ahead and play the national anthem this weekend, LFC manager Jurgen Klopp had his say on the situation.
‘This is definitely a subject I cannot really have a proper opinion about because I am from Germany. we don’t have a King or a Queen’ he said.
‘I have no experience with that. Watching from the outside it’s a nice thing to watch when all the weddings are massive things in Germany but it’s like watching a movie because we don’t feel that.
‘I’m pretty sure a lot of people in this country will enjoy the coronation but others will not be interested and some will not like it.
‘I think that’s all I can say, and the rest my position is the club’s position.’
The club’s statement on the decision reads: ‘Just over a week ago, the Premier League contacted all home clubs and strongly suggested to mark this historic occasion across home matches this weekend and provided a list of activity for clubs to get involved in’,”‘ Liverpool said on its website.
‘Before kickoff, players and officials will congregate around the center circle when the national anthem will be played. It is, of course, a personal choice how those at Anfield on Saturday mark this occasion and we know some supporters have strong views on it.’