Why were Manchester City fans waving bananas at Anfield against Liverpool

There were plenty of banners and chants at Anfield during Liverpool's Premier League clash against Manchester City on Sunday. But one unusual sight caught everyone's attention.

Hundreds of inflatable bananas were being waved by Manchester City supporters in the away section.

So, why bananas?

Interestingly, this has nothing to do with Liverpool. It is actually a Manchester City tradition dating back almost 40 years.

The story goes back to 1987, when City supporter Frank Newton borrowed an inflatable banana from a friend following a bet and took it to a match at Maine Road.

What started as a bit of fun quickly became popular among supporters.

Around the same time, City striker Imre Varadi was a favourite among fans. During one match, supporters calling for him to come on as a substitute changed their chant to "Imre Banana".

The nickname caught on, and soon hundreds of inflatable bananas were appearing at Manchester City matches.

The tradition became particularly popular during the late 1980s, when City were playing in England's second division.

This time, however, there was a bigger message behind the display.

Manchester City were playing their first Premier League match since an independent commission found the club guilty of serious financial rule breaches.

City have appealed the decision and continue to deny wrongdoing.

Liverpool supporters gave City a hostile reception at Anfield, with banners and chants accusing the club of wrongdoing.

But the travelling City supporters had their own way of responding.

By bringing back the inflatable bananas, fans were also paying homage to Manchester City's days in the lower leagues of English football, long before the club became a dominant force in the Premier League.

City spent two consecutive seasons in the Second Division during the late 1980s and would later experience life in the third tier as well.

The bananas served as a reminder of those difficult years and the supporters who continued following the club through them

It was both a tribute to the club's past and a show of loyalty and defiance amid the ongoing financial controversy.

After all, Manchester City's history did not begin with wealthy owners and Premier League titles.

And that was the message their supporters wanted to send at Anfield.