Liverpool secured their place in the Champions League round of 16 on Tuesday night with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Lille at Anfield. Mohamed Salah opened the scoring in the first half, and although Jonathan David brought Lille level just after the hour mark, Harvey Elliott’s strike five minutes later ensured the Reds emerged victorious.
The result kept Liverpool at the top of their group, maintaining their excellent form across all competitions.
However, despite the excitement on the pitch, the post-match discourse was overshadowed by a controversial chant from a section of Liverpool supporters. Following Elliott’s decisive goal, some fans at Anfield began chanting, “You’re not singing anymore,” aimed at the Lille supporters.
Lille’s supporters, who had been vocal and spirited from kickoff, had maintained their energy even as their team trailed. Their chants grew louder after David’s equalizer, briefly silencing Anfield. Yet, when Elliott restored Liverpool’s lead, a portion of the crowd, reportedly in the Upper Annie stand, responded with the contentious chant.
The ‘you’re not singing anymore’ chant is derived from the hymn “Bread of Heaven,” which has been adapted by football fans for various contexts. The original lyrics ‘Feed me till I want no more’ are replaced with ‘You’re Not Singing Anymore’ as a way to mock opposing fans when their support wanes.
This move quickly drew criticism online after the game, with many Liverpool fans expressing disappointment over what they deemed disrespectful behavior.
The chant is often a common feature in football stadiums, used to mock loud rivals after their team concedes. While it can usually be written off as harmless banter, this time around the timing and the fixture in itself played a role in the disgust shown by Liverpool fans. The Kop view the “you’re not singing anymore,” chant as unoriginal and even “small-time.”
One angry fan took to X to say, “Anyone who started singing ‘You’re not singing anymore’ should be identified and banned from Anfield.” Another added, “Glad I couldn’t make it to the game tonight after hearing ‘you’re not singing anymore’ Should get a points deductions.”
One fan was ready to chalk off the winner because of the chant, “Still 1-1. Goal chalked off for the ‘you’re not singing anymore’ shite.” Another posted a picture of an empty Annie Upper stand and tweeted, “Annie upper for the rest of the season please,” hinting that the stand should remain empty from now on.
These reactions come in the wake of it being disrespectful and not the right manner to back your team, especially considering the fact that it was a tight-fought contest against a French side that holds no significant rivalry with Liverpool.
For many loyal Reds the chant clashed with the values of sportsmanship and mutual respect that Anfield prides itself on, and it’s extremely likely that we won’t be hearing the chant or any other rendition of it at Anfield.
