Thread by @jc_otoole

So my dad is a massive Liverpool fan and has a football watching ritual that I would like to share. 9 years ago he was given a garden gnome in a #LFC shirt (50th bday) and the tradition of ‘You’ll Never Walk A Gnome’ was born. #youllneverwalkagnome #YNWAG

My dad’s superstitions have made him believe that his Liverpool gnome has an influence over the result of matches. He reckons the gnome has watched every televised match he has (most of them) since 2010, apart from one, which we lost = superstition #YNWAG #youllneverwalkagnome

To keep the gnome happy, and therefore Liverpool playing well, the are some rules that must be followed. Let me take you through them. #YNWAG #youllneverwalkagnome

Rule 1 ‘Stroke The Gnome’ - no matter who you are, how well you know my dad, if you enter a room with him and the gnome in it, you must stroke the gnome and say “You’ll Never Walk A Gnome”, if you don’t and we don’t win, it’s your fault. #YNWAG

Rule 2 ‘The Offering’ - gnome gets an offering of crisps for match start, more if goal needed, choc if goal really needed, and booze if desperate. This was intro’d after some dodgy performances (Hodgson/Dalglish), and worked well. See pic when in need of 4th against Barca 2019.

There are specific criteria of what crisps the gnome likes and this must be followed. Liam buys gnome supplies, hides them so that they don’t get eaten, and brings them out for the match (he eats them at full time).See the special relationship between dad and gnome in screenshot.

Rule 3 ‘The Gnome Must Watch The Match’. The gnome goes where my dad goes, he watched the 2018 #CL final in a pub in Scotland and made every1 in there stroke the gnome. We didn’t win that one because the offerings weren’t right apparently. #YNWAG

And when I am not with the gnome, he never feels far away... #youllneverwalkagnome #youllneverwalkalone

One time when my dad had an unavoidable family commitment, he put the football on the tv, put the gnome at home in front of it with crisps and left the house. “Just because I can’t watch it doesn’t mean the gnome can’t”

Football watching rituals are part of the beautiful game. Me, my brother, my dad, and the gnome will be in Madrid on June 1st for #clfinale 2019 (no tickets yet though). If you see us come and stroke the gnome for good luck. #YNWAG #YNWA #youllneverwalkagnome #youllneverwalkalone

My dad when he found out him and the gnome were in the @LivEchonews last night! (Just kidding this was Liverpool beating Cardiff 2-0 over Easter weekend #YNWAG)