When Manchester City Fans Went Bananas

In 1987, Manchester City supporter Frank Newton arrived at Maine Road carrying something rather unusual: a giant inflatable banana. The joke soon caught on, and before long City fans were waving yellow inflatables in their thousands. Striker Imre Varadi acquired the affectionate nickname ‘Imre Banana’, while the terraces became a riot of brightly coloured plastic fruit. Other clubs joined the fun with inflatable fish, animals and all manner of improbable objects. At a time when English football was struggling with falling crowds and a gloomy reputation, the sight of supporters cheerfully brandishing enormous bananas brought some welcome humour to matchdays. The craze spread far beyond Manchester, but City’s Maine Road faithful remained its most famous ambassadors. Football supporters have always been inventive; this time, they really did go bananas.