When it comes to football anthems, there is none more famous than You’ll Never Walk Alone.
Sung by Celtic fans around the world on a match day, it’s a song synonymous at Celtic Park.
Whether it be before a Champions League night or Scottish Premiership fixture, Hoops fans will belt out the iconic chant better than anyone else.
But what is the origin of the chant and why do Celtic supporters sing it before games?
Why do Celtic sing YNWA?
The origins of why date all the way back to 1966 when the Bhoys faced Liverpool in a Cup Winners’ Cup semi-final at Anfield.
Given the close connection between Liverpool and Celtic over the years due to the Irish heritage and working class culture engrained into both fanbases.
There’s also plenty of player crossover throughout the years, most notably Kenny Dalglish.
Ever since that day at Anfield, both teams have sung the song before games and when they faced each other in the 2003 UEFA Cup quarter-final, it was performed at Parkhead before kick-off.
Who wrote YNWA?
The song was originally composed by Richard Rodgers and written by Oscar Hammerstein II for their Broadway musical, Carousel, which came out in 1945.
In the musical Nettie Fowler sings the song to her cousin Julie Jordan after Julie’s husband, Billy Bigelow, dies but the better-known version is the cover sung by Liverpudlian-based band, Gerry and the Pacemakers.
They sang their cover in 1963 and it then soon became a staple of Liverpool fans’ pre-match traditions.
What are the lyrics to YNWA?
When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm
Is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of the lark
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on walk on with hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk alone
When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm
Is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of the lark
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on walk on with hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk
You’ll never walk
You’ll never walk alone.
Do any other clubs other than Celtic and Liverpool sing YNWA?
It isn’t just Celtic and Liverpool that are known for singing the famous song before games.
Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund also sing the song as do Eredivisie outfit, FC Twente.
Other teams that have also been heard singing the chant include FSV Mainz 05 (Germany), FC Admira Wacker (Austria), Genoa (Italy), Club Brugge (Belgium), FC Tokyo (Japan), CD Lugo (Spain), and Aris Thessaloniki (Greec) amongst others.
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