Itâs beautiful, it should be in the tunnel.
The current Liverbird on it doesnât look good. Itâs the worst of the 3 versions we had.
I assume you need an account to see this but well worth it⌠the stadium is of course not so close to the river as this shows itâŚ
Liverpoolâs original âThis Is Anfieldâ sign sells for nearly eight times guide price
Re: Liverpool Echo
The original âThis Is Anfieldâ sign has sold for ÂŁ115,000 - almost eight times more than the estimated guide price. The rectangular red sign, which includes the clubâs name, the famous Liver Bird symbol, and the phrase âThis Is Anfieldâ was sold to a UK-based buyer on Wednesday afternoon.
The sign that hung above the playersâ tunnel at Anfield during the 1970s had been expected to fetch between ÂŁ10,000 and ÂŁ15,000. However, the winning bid stood at ÂŁ115,000, with the final total reaching ÂŁ149,500 after commission and VAT.
Sports memorabilia auctioneers Budds said it was âa record priceâ for any UK sports stadium interior sign. While David Convery, speaking on behalf of Budds, added: âWe pride ourselves in bringing to auction historical and emotive football items.
So sad, actually.
Whatâs the story, when did it stop being in the clubâs hands?
It should be in the tunnel. Or in the museum at least.
Just stumbled across thisâŚ
The original 1972 âThis Is Anfieldâ sign recently changed hands because it was put up for auction by the family who had preserved it for 47 years. [1, 2]
The chain of ownership moved from the club to its newest owners through a series of key events:
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Removal and Gifting (1979): The original sign, installed by legendary manager Bill Shankly, hung in the tunnel from 1972 until 1979. When it was replaced due to wear and a design refresh, former player and manager Roy Evans gifted it to a family friend and former Liverpool youth player, Ronald Wilson. [1, 2, 3]
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Life on the Isle of Man (1979â2026): Ronald Wilson took the sign to Douglas on the Isle of Man, where it was displayed at the familyâs Rutland Hotel for over 20 years. When the hotel was sold in 2000, the sign passed to his children and was kept in his son Ianâs office. [1, 2, 3]
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The 2026 Auction: Following Ian Wilsonâs retirement earlier this year, the family decided to sell the iconic piece of memorabilia. It went under the hammer at Budds Auctions on September 9, 2026, fetching a record-breaking hammer price of ÂŁ115,000 (ÂŁ149,500 including fees). [1, 2]
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The New Owners: The historic sign was purchased by The ARC Hotel, a local boutique hotel located right in the Anfield area. The hotel bought the sign so it could be returned to Liverpool and publicly displayed for supporters worldwide to see and stand beneath.
https://x.com/liverbirdjen/status/2097951812015800821
https://www.instagram.com/p/DdE_F9-RfDa/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&stkn=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
I was surprised the initial valuation was so low, great bit of memorabilia
Thanks for that backstory. Doesnât see unreasonable in the end; itâs going to be back on display (as it was before). LFC history is actually richer if the club doesnât hold onto/buy back everything - provided they arenât sequestered away in a vault and are, to some extent, displayed in a not insensitive spot then it adds to the social tapestry of the club to have items like these across the city. Sounds like things have worked out okay.
Hope he doesnât injure any of them 