Varadi: Man City banana craze 'brought fun back' at Anfield — SkimNews
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- Imre Varadi told BBC Radio 5 Live Drive that seeing inflatable bananas re-emerge at Anfield was "amazing" and "bringing a lot of fun back into the game," as the craze he sparked in the late 1980s resurfaced decades later
- Varadi was nicknamed "Imre Banana" by Manchester City fans during his two-year spell at the club (October 1986 to September 1988), scoring 26 goals in 65 appearances after joining from West Brom before moving to Sheffield Wednesday
- City fans first began bringing inflatable bananas to games when the club played in the old Second Division, with the craze continuing into the early 90s and intermittently since, before dozens reappeared at Sunday's Liverpool fixture
- Manchester City took a 3-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, their first match since being found guilty of 114 charges related to Premier League financial rule breaches between 2009-10 and 2017-18
- City supporters deployed bananas at Anfield as "a nod to their time as a yo-yo club in the 1980s," with the club now facing possible sanctions including a points deduction or Premier League expulsion
- Varadi now sells inflatable bananas via the club and operates an X account under the handle @imre_banana, telling the broadcaster: "I started it but it was 40 years ago and it's still going strong now"
Why it matters: The banana revival is a deliberate fan choice to invoke the club's "yo-yo club" 1980s identity on the day of their first match after the 114-charge guilty verdict, reframing a potential sanctions crisis as a heritage celebration. Varadi, who originated the tradition commercially and personally, now monetizes it through official club channels.
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