This banner was created by Spion Kop 1906, a group of fans who are responsible for many brilliant LFC flags. Here’s a link to their Twitter account.

It was created in honour of Owen Mcveigh, an 11 year old fan who died in December. It was unveiled at Anfield last night at the League Cup semi-final match against Stoke.  Owen was a keen Liverpool supporter and often helped Spion Kop on match days. You can read more about him and the flag here:  Owen McVeigh

I think it’s an amazing banner, visually very simple but also highly allusive. The text.’It’s off to the match we go’ is sung on the terraces and presumably chosen both because it relates to the Seven Dwarves’s song  Snow White as well as also being a reference to Owen’s own regular match-going.

The boy on the flag is wearing a shirt with Owen’s surname on it and the number 12, which suggests he will continue to be present on the terraces as a member of the LFC family into the future.

The choice of simple black silhouettes for both figures heading off away from us into the white/light might also be seen to signify moving in to a life beyond.

Anfield has seen similarly affecting tributes to other supporters who have died, showing that banners are not just used to glorify the team on the pitch, but also to affirm the importance of the individual fan to the club. This is echoed in the photograph as the fans applaud the banner in the time honoured tradition.