LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 25, 2018: A Liverpool supporter holds his scarf up as he sings "You'll Never Walk Alone" during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brighton & Hove Albion FC at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

183 radio stations play You’ll Never Walk Alone in unison to show solidarity in isolation

To show solidarity in a time of uncertainty and self-isolation, 183 radio stations across Europe played Liverpool’s anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone in unison.

With the coronavirus pandemic spreading across the world, many countries are already in lockdown and more are set to follow in the coming weeks.

In the UK, the government ruled on Friday evening that pubs, restaurants and shops were to close as the public were advised to self-isolate and practise ‘social distancing’.

This is a necessary reality, but one that will leave many struggling with loneliness, and in an initiative prompted by Dutch 3FM DJ Sander Hoogendoorn, radio stations over Europe played You’ll Never Walk Alone on Friday morning.

Stations from 31 countries, including England’s BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2, played the Gerry and the Pacemakers song at 7.45am, with Hoogendoorn explaining that “we all have to do what we can to beat this crisis.”

“Things like this just go beyond the boundaries of radio channels,” he continued.

“That’s why I thought, ‘why don’t all radio morning shows play the same song at the same time?’

“You’ll Never Walk Alone would be our choice as it could speak to those doing an incredible job working in healthcare right now, those who are ill or those who can’t leave their house for a while.”

PA systems at Celtic Park, Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion and Borussia Monchengladbach’s Borussia-Park also joined the initiative, though the decision was made not to do so at Anfield.

And in a video showing DJs and fans around the world singing along, it highlighted how powerful the anthem Liverpool adopted back in 1963 can be.

For the story of how the Reds began singing You’ll Never Walk Alone before games, and the influence it has had, read our Greatest Moments piece charting the anthem’s origins here.