Z Cars Ringing Out At Anfield
Z Cars - a tune which lets Kopites know you're in the home of the enemy and you're not welcome there.
The song which greets the Everton players as they charge onto the Goodison pitch in front of the blue and white hordes.
The song which, thankfully, I only usually have to hear once a year unless Sky are late cutting to the adverts before kick-off.
It is to Liverpudlians what You'll Never Walk Alone is to Evertonians, the song that you most associate with your most bitter rivals and one that I could never contemplate being played at Anfield.
Until today.
This might be a wild, ridiculous suggestion which could end up with loads of Reds calling me for everything but when Liverpool play Toulouse at Anfield on Tuesday night I'd love to hear George play Z Cars over the Anfield tannoy for one simple reason - little Rhys Jones.
Everyone knows what happened to Rhys and I don't know a single person who was not moved by the way his parents conducted themselves in last night's press conference.
As a blue, Z Cars was his song. The one that made him stand up to attention and his heart swell with pride when his hero Mikel Arteta and the rest of the Everton players ran out at Goodison.
He may have been a bluenose but he was one of us - a lad from Liverpool who lived for his football.
His family deserve our solidarity and I can think of no better way of showing it than putting our traditional football rivalries to one side if only for one night and playing the one song that meant the world to him.
Just as the families of the 96 - and the rest of us for that matter - took great solace from the Milan fans singing You'll Never Walk Alone in 1989, doing this would have exactly the same effect.
I haven't forgotten the solidarity that was shown to us by ordinary Everton fans in the aftermath of Hillsborough and this is our chance to repay the favour to at least one family of ordinary Evertonians in their darkest hour.
I know this is controversial and I know there will be those of you who think I'm talking nonsense but just think of the message doing something like this would send out to the rest of the world.
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Tony Barrett
There on Tuesday,will certainly pause for thought,could of been one of mine,condolences to his Mum and Dad and family. YNWA
go for it , a great idea most bitters are our family and friends but dont dream of glory glory man utd or blue is the colour
Here here
I recall the first game after Shankly's death. Everton were playing away - at Stoke, I'm sure(ish). I well recall Bob Azurdia (what a bloke!) announcing that a crew of Blues at the Victoria Ground had put a tannoy request in for YNWA to be played. Tis true.
Great idea, as a lifelong red (Kop S/T holder for most of my life) and resident on the Croxteth Park estate, I would certainly back this idea. Football rivalry needs to be put to one side at times like this, and I hope LFC will certainly do something to show solidarity with the blues. It could have been anyones child, any of us in that car park and I don't think your idea is as controversial as it sounds. Maybe play Z Cars during a one minutes silence for the lad?
An idea I would fully support.
Its time to stand once again solidy as a city Red or Blue and say enough is enough
Tony as a blue i applaud your suggestion,Thank you
as a blue, just the thought of you lot doing this for us is making me well up. If you do it it'll not be forgotten.
I think this is a wonderful idea. It would bring back memories of the 1989 FA Cup Final when the chant of "Merseyside, Merseyside" was going around Wembley.
I'm welling up just writing this.
KOT - An Everton fan
A cracking idea from an ugly fella. You don't talk a lot of sense for most of the time Tony, but you're spot on here. As a city we must stand together - regardless of shirt colour. Z Cars at Anfield on Tuesday night would be a fantastic y to remwaember young Rhys, and show the world that in times of trouble our city unites. I just hope that the club read this suggestion and make it happen.
Good idea for a tragic event.
Let's do it.
How could anyone disagree with you? Football both divides and unites Merseyside - on Tuesday night it should be (and will be) united!
Toffee Dan
It could of been anyones son lets go for it my condolances to his familly(a normally unbending red)
great shout. also think black arm bands this weekend should be worn.
Load of crap all this. I'm still in shock over the young lads death, but why do we have to do anything? Just seems forced and inapropiate. Just let the authorities and Rhys parents decide.
As for bringing us closer to Evertonians, I don't want anything to do with that scum. They'll be back to their witty murderers and Steven Gerrard chants a week later.
Rhys was a blue, and for any blue, the Z-Cars theme tune being played instead of You'll Never Walk Alone would cause a great amount of satisfaction.
Surely thats worth it.
In the wake of the murder of Ken Bigley, Liverpool was said to be a city full of 'woe is me'-ers. Thats not true. The truth is, the people of Liverpool give a damn. When one of our sons is lost, so many of us morn, and rightly so.
Everton was that little lads world. Never again will he stand in Goodison, and watch his pride and joy fight. Three minutes, three measly minutes, to remember a boy who touched the hearts of his classmates. Thats not enough. But its all we can do.
Lets remember a kid who was, by all accounts, a cracking little man. He's been robbed of life, its the least he deserves.
Great idea Tony. I don't agree with "Cally" saying he wants nothing to do with the Evertonians. This is not about getting closer to 'Evertonians', or worrying what the bluenoses will be singing about us or members of our team at their next match. This is about Liverpool people in general standing together to remember this little boy.
Hopefully we will hear z cars on Tuesday for Rhys.
Kerry
'As for bringing us closer to Evertonians, I don't want anything to do with that scum. They'll be back to their witty murderers and Steven Gerrard chants a week later.'
i despair, i really do
its a great idea tony! gutted i wont be there to witness wot could possibly be a one off event. to hear z cars at anfield!!
an cally u dont know wot u r on about, im guessin u r from out of the city cause wot has happened is more than just football! its our city, its one of us who it has happened to an it could have happened to anyone! an thiscity comes together as one when something like this happens! that is wot makes liverpool special!!!!
great idea tony, i hope it happens.
Thats mibbe so cally but this is an 11 year old little lad shot dead it wasnt his fault that some everton fans are muppets.I stay in scotland but think its a fantastic idea and i hope the club do it or do something for the family at this sad time.YNWA RHYS
Cally I know people like that on both sides - this is for the majority of decent people wo care more about life and death than football
what i lovely idea tony, i was born and bred to be a red just like little rhys a blue, but in time of trouble we has a city stand up has a city together and united we stand, has a mum myself i carnt think about what his parents are going through but one thing i do know if your idea happens i will be on me feet at the match showing my support for this family and showing them if your red or blue ynwa!
Cally, you need to take a reality check. I'm a Red, but I think the suggestion is, at the very least, worth considering. I'll be at Anfield on Tuesday & I certainly wouldn't object to it. Rhys' family need to know that the whole of Merseyside is with them at this horrible time.
How ironic that Cally takes his moniker from perhaps the most sporting & dignified player in LFC's history.
I don't go for all this 'special city' nonsense. If it was that special we wouldn't have gangs running amok and shooting 11 year old kids.
I have nothing but distain for the notion about scousers and self pity, as I know how compassionate we are, and can be, but I just think this time it's inappropiate.
The Everton tribute was more than enough. I'd rather just pay my own respects and let the family grieve in peace.
I think this is a good idea and I'm all for us playing Z cars. RIP little Rhys, Dixie Dean will take care of you up there.
Great Idea,make it happen!
As a mad blue I think your idea is really good. When my mates died at hillsborough I sang ynwa for them and all reds. Any idiot who looks at the suggestion with narrow eyes belongs in the scum they come from!
I think it,s a great idea; it should be played and let all real supporters show our support for one of the good guys.
r i p Rhys ,youll never walk alone
Great Idea!
Unfortunatly i won't be there on Tuesday but what would be the harm in this. After all this is a unique situation this city finds it's self in.
Red, Blue, White, Black or whatever colour! Scousers always stand shoulder to shoulder at times like this.
Lets show the world again that we unite in tragady and no matter what things are thrown at us we will always come back stronger
Just hope someone at LFC see's this and hopefully George can do the rest on Tuesday
I think that it's a brilliant idea Tony and one that I and the thousands of others inside Anfield tomorrow night will wholeheartedly support.
As for Cally's claim that a tribute from our end would be inappropriate, I have to beg to differ on this one. Was it inapproprate for both fans to sing YNWA at the cup final a month after Hillsborough? Was it inappropriate for the chain of scarves linking Anfield to Goodison in the aftermath of the disaster inappropriate? Was it inapprorpiate for AC Milan supporters to sing YNWA in the San Siro days after Hillsborough in tribute to those who died? I don't think so and I'm sure a fair few reds will back me up on that.
Whatever's done in tribute to Rhys will be supported by all at Anfield tomorrow and there's even suggestions of a blue banner paying tribute to the little lad being paraded before the Derby County match but at this stage it's just a suggestion.
That's the great thing about this city, we pull together in times of tragedy. Did Manchester pull together after the IRA bombing in 1996? To my knowledge they didn't but we have pulled together after everything we've had to deal with; the murder of James Bulger, Hillsborough, the beheading of Ken Bigley and now we're united in grief over the death of little Rhys Jones.
God Bless Rhys
YNWA
Have just read about this on RAWK and think it a great idea and a touching gesture to the Jones family.
Unable to be there tonight to honour this young boys life so tragically cut short but will pay my respects before the game like so many others who can't be there.
You'll Never Walk Alone
As a fanatical Toffeeman - It's great to see decency amongst our RS rivals.
- whom we enjoy such great banter with :p
I'm from a family of blues - with a sister married to a red...
so there you have it!
nice touch
we should have played ynwa on saturday too at goodison
john birkenhead
Hi Tony,
Am writing my thesis at home in Malta, but listening to the game on internet. Was moved by the crowd's response to your suggestion to play the Toffee tune before the match. This is another proof that football can unite cities when the going gets tough. Well done for your noble thought...at times simple thoughts are the hardest to come by...
MAN U fan from Malta