Liverpool FC fan Peter Carney, 67, is responsible for some of the most memorable banners Anfield has seen, and his latest tribute honours Kevin Keegan. The banner, which reads 'Kevin Keegan walked on water', will be displayed at Anfield on Saturday as fans pay their respects to the former player ahead of the home game against Nottingham Forest.
A career of tributes
Carney has made countless banners over the years, celebrating the club's greatest players and marking its darkest days. His memorial banner in the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster is still remembered today, and more recently he paid tribute to Diogo Jota and his brother Andre after they tragically died last year.
When Keegan died last month, Carney knew he had to create his own tribute. He told the ECHO: "He was a great great player, I just wanted to mark his presence in my life."
The inspiration behind the banner
Keegan's career spanned nearly two decades, with three league titles, a European Cup and an FA Cup among his honours at Liverpool. After leaving in 1977, he had a successful career abroad before returning to England, where he played for and later managed Newcastle United.
Carney wanted to keep his message short and clear, drawing on his earliest memories in the stands. He said: "My banner says 'Kevin Keegan walked on water'. It comes from a song we used to sing for him that goes 'Kevin Keegan walks on water, na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na'. [to the tune of the Christmas carol, Deck the Halls]"
Making the banner
After deciding on the message, Carney thought about how to make it and where it would be seen. He said: "I had to go and get the stencil done quickly. I thought I'll do it in Times New Roman font and it has to have a Shankly badge on, because as they say, he was the greatest player Shankly ever found, so the song goes."
He added: "But he was a Shankly lad, Shankly was his hero."
The flag was initially placed next to the Hillsborough memorial and was later held aloft on the Kop when Liverpool took on AS Monaco at Anfield earlier this month. It then made its way to St James' Park as Liverpool played Newcastle last weekend.
A special tribute
While Carney has eulogised many former legends over the years, paying tribute to Keegan has proved extra special. He said: "One thing I think about, that epitomised Keegan is his enthusiasm. Shankly said, 'You've got to have enthusiasm.' Well, Keegan had enthusiasm, he wanted to be the best he could be.
"Even in the game, he was always enthusiastic, he was always sharp, his eyes were bouncing all the time, he'd think 'I'm going to find a bit of space, where do they want it?' That's the way he played, so I had to have a Shankly badge on it."
