Anfield Stadium announcer George Sephton has paid a touching tribute to 'Liverpool legend' Gerry Marsden, who will be remembered as the Reds take on Manchester United this afternoon.
The Gerry and the Pacemakers singer passed away at the age of 78 a fortnight ago (Sunday, January 3) with tributes flooding in from around Merseyside and beyond.
He will be pictured on the cover of the official matchday programme which can be purchased by clicking here.
Marsden, whose band The Pacemakers recorded the iconic Liverpool FC anthem You'll Never Walk Alone , were also behind hits including Ferry Cross The Mersey , I'll Be There , How Do You Do It? and I Like It .
Marsden found fame in the Merseybeat scene in the 1960s and was close friends with John Lennon.
"It is impossible to say [how much he meant to Liverpool FC ] because he is ingrained in the psyche of the club and he is part of the matchday experience," the Voice of Anfield, Sephton, told the ECHO on the Allez Les Rouges podcast.
"He was one of those people who makes you feel like an old friend. When I think of him, I think of his permanent grin from ear to ear.
"He got to be a global star and Liverpool - the football club and the city - will be forever associated with him. There will be millions upon millions thinking of Gerry every time Liverpool play.
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" You'll Never Walk Alone has transcended pop music and it is a ritual now - the only true anthem in football.
"I'm quite pleased in a selfish way that we can't have people at the Manchester United game because if I put that song on and they started singing, I would be in bits.
"There is going to come a day when we have 54,000 people in there and we sing You'll Never Walk Alone together for the first time.
"There is going to be a few big days when this is all over to mark [things like Gerry's passing] properly."
You'll Never Walk Alone became a football terrace anthem for Liverpool, Marsden's hometown club, soon after it topped the charts in 1963.
At the time, it was traditional for the top 10 songs in the charts to be played before kick-off at Anfield.
But even once You'll Never Walk Alone dropped down the charts, supporters demanded that it continued to be played and has been ever since.
Marsden was also made an MBE in 2003 for services to charity after supporting victims of the Hillsborough disaster.
