Manchester City's away end was filled with inflatable bananas during their Premier League match against Liverpool. The inflatables, around four feet in height, have been a fixture at City matches for decades.
Origin of the inflatable bananas
The origin story behind City fans and inflatable bananas is somewhat disputed. Some claim it was a play on words for striker Imre Varadi, who played for the Blues in the 1980s, with supporters chanting 'Imre Banana' in response. Others claim it was a playful response to the doom and gloom of English football at the time, with the hooliganism crisis at its peak.
Spread to other clubs
Other clubs began getting involved as well. Stoke City fans took pink panthers to matches, while Grimsby Town supporters were seen with inflatable fish on the terraces. But at City, this trend stood the test of time, with the Banana becoming a de facto club icon.
Return to the terraces
City fans have used the inflatable bananas as a reminder of when the club wasn't competing at the top end of English and European football. In the wake of the independent commission's guilty verdict, the bananas have made an emphatic return to the terraces. For City fans, it's a demonstration that, regardless of the perils the club faces, they will still go bananas when supporting their team.
