Why You'll Never Walk Alone will be different for Liverpool vs West Ham as fans invited to join first

Liverpool fans in attendance for the Premier League game against West Ham United at the weekend are being invited to sign along to You'll Never Walk Alone before kick-off

You'll Never Walk Alone prior to the FA Cup fourth round match between Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion.(Image: Lewis Storey/Getty Images)

Liverpool fans are being encouraged to make the Anfield matchday experience more inclusive by taking part in a British Sign Language (BSL) rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone on Saturday.

Arne Slot's side needs the points in the race for the Champions League places and before kick-off against West Ham United, You’ll Never Walk Alone will be sung as usual.

But as part of a 'Signs of Unity' campaign from Liverpool FC and one of its sponsors, Carlsberg, which launched last month, for the West Ham game, fans at Anfield will be invited to take part in singing and signing the Reds' iconic anthem, ensuring deaf and hard-of-hearing supporters can join in.

Developed in collaboration with the British Deaf Association (BDA), the initiative recognizes that many deaf and hard-of-hearing supporters have historically faced barriers to fully participating in matchday traditions.

Research from Carlsberg highlights that 81 per cent of deaf and hard-of-hearing fans want to take part in matchday chants but feel that they are unable to do so.

The special rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone will take place during this season’s designated Red Together fixture and forms part of the club's wider Red Together strategy, which brings together the club’s work across equality, diversity and inclusion.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.(Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Ahead of the game, Cody Gakpo, Curtis Jones, Jeremie Frimpong, Rachael Laws, Fuka Nagano and Gemma Evans have learned BSL signs for You’ll Never Walk Alone.

Supporters are being encouraged to learn the signs leading up to the February 28 fixture so they can take part in the shared BSL performance.

“You can understand that deaf and hard-of-hearing fans feel as if they’ve missed out on part of the match day experience, but at the end of the day, we want everyone to be all one," Liverpool legend and official club ambassador Sir Kenny Dalglish said.

"There are other people who get assistance for the game and there’s no reason to think because you’re hard of hearing that you can’t also get some help when you turn up at a match.

"You’ll Never Walk Alone is a huge part of going to watch a team play.

"You can understand people want to be part of it, and I think it’s fantastic that it’s going to happen for them."

The game versus West Ham will also mark the beginning of a longer-term commitment from Liverpool FC, with BSL fan interpreters set to be present at every future men’s and women’s home fixture.