How FC Twente came to own a piece of Liverpool treasure – ‘No better place’

As Liverpool supporters, we know all too well how You’ll Never Walk Alone has the power to unite strangers, and what happened on April 22, 1998, was no exception.

When Gerry and the Pacemakers released their version of You’ll Never Walk Alone, originally written for the 1945 musical Carousel, they had no idea of the long-lasting impact their track would have.

Among the clubs to adopt the anthem after Liverpool were FC Twente, a club in the top tier of Dutch Football formed in 1965.

They started singing the tune in the early 1990s, and in 1998 came a day that helped form a special bond.

After 42 years of Football being played at the Diekman Stadion in Enschede, Netherlands, the ground was to be demolished and FC Twente were to relocate to a new stadium, De Grolsch Veste.

To commemorate the club’s last match at the Diekman, FC Twente tried to bring Gerry Marsden of Gerry and the Pacemakers to Enschede for a live performance.

However, “at the time, he was touring Australia,” remembered the voice of Anfield, George Sephton, when talking on the ESPN documentary, You’ll Never Walk Alone – Debut in the Diekman.

Instead, the club extended an invitation to the long-serving Liverpool stadium announcer, who was keen to go on the Reds’ behalf.

Before Twente’s 3-1 win over Heerenveen, Sephton presented a Liverpool pennant to chairman Cees Anker in addition to a special gift.

“I also took my original vinyl copy of You’ll Never Walk Alone, one I inherited from my predecessor I think,” said Sephton.

“I must have had two or three copies and obviously after a while, they get worn out, but that one, it was only sort of played once a week and it was treasured.

“It wasn’t the sort of thing you’d sort of throw idly into the back of the cupboard. You think, ‘This is part of Liverpool History’.”

The 78-year-old explained the decision to gift the record, saying: “I can’t think of any better place for this to end up because it would be appreciated, it would be looked at.

“It would be a very, very strong symbol of the friendship between the two clubs and the supporters and the link with the song which again, the song is perfect for linking people together.”

To this day, FC Twente supporters still sing the Gerry and the Pacemakers version before every home match.

While the fans had been singing the song at the Diekman Stadion since the early 1990s, You’ll Never Walk Alone had, in fact, been heard before at the ground.

Producers showed Sephton footage of Louis Armstrong performing his version, live in 1959, to which the Liverpool stadium announcer of 53 years said: “That’s amazing, I love it!”

He continued: “It’s not a song anymore, it’s a hymn and before the match, it’s like a religious ritual.

“Because it’s acknowledged worldwide that it’s our tune, we’re just pleased that other people see fit to sing it.

“They’re not trying to replace us, basically it’s a mark of respect. I’m just so happy that we were the club who latched onto it.

“My feeling towards Twente is amongst my happiest memories. Just the welcome I got over there and after all these years, I still look back fondly on the times I spent in Enschede.”