Liverpool FC’s stadium announcer is releasing a book to celebrate his 50 years working for the club.
George Sephton, 75, has become known as the ‘Voice of Anfield’ over his half-a-century career with the Reds. His new book will be looking at his life and times at the club from the perspective of one of its longest serving staff members.
“I was approached over two years ago with the idea of writing this book. It hasn’t been blood sweat and tears but sometimes it has been a bit stressful,” said Sephton.
Over the past week, former Liverpool players such as Robbie Fowler and Jamie Carragher have been promoting the book on their social media. This has been an exciting experience for lifelong Liverpool fan Sephton, who said: “It’s been fantastic. I’ve known them both since they were youth team level. Robbie Fowler is the same age as my son.
“Trent Alexander Arnold has a book waiting for him and so does Jurgen. When he gets back (to their training group in Kirkby) I’ll be on his doorstep nagging him for a photo op.”
In a season like no other, Sephton says his role at Anfield has been strange in a world without fans in the stadium: “It’s starting to get to me now. It’s quiet, it’s really weird. On TV, with the artificial crowd noise, it isn’t too bad but when you’re in the stadium you can hear every kick and every shout, it echoes around the place.
“Spooky is the only word I can think of to describe it. It’s half the problem Liverpool have had this season. We’ve probably got the most vociferous crowd in the business so we’re suffering more than most from the lack of crowd. The fact that the fans have been taken away has been horrible.”
Sephton was fortunate enough to be one of a very small number of people inside Anfield on the night that the Reds were awarded their first league title in 30 years, a position he says he felt very fortunate to be in: “The night we got the trophy there were less than 300 people in the stadium and I was one of them. I felt very lucky. It was very surreal.
“I was slightly aggrieved that I didn’t have anything to do during the ceremony, someone from Sky came over and did all the work, but I have to confess that they did a good job, they made the best out of a bad situation.”
The book includes a foreword written by ex-Liverpool manager and player Kenny Dalglish, a man who George has a long and happy history with: “I remember the day I first met him, it must have been 20 years ago now. I was walking back to my car after a game and Kenny was coming the other way and he stopped and said ‘night, George’.
“I just stopped, thinking ‘he’s just called me George’. I didn’t think he knew who I was! I admire the fella immensely.”
It’s inevitable that after such a long time in one job, questions will be asked when is Sephton going to hang up his record collection: “People ask me not to retire but I keep telling them it’s got to happen some day,” he said.
“I’ve said to people I’ll get through this season, sleep on it and think about what I want to do but I’m looking forward to having a crowd again. If I disappeared in the summer, I would have had 12 months without the audience who I thrive off.
“Conversely, if I got back to it next season in front of a big crowd again, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to take it anymore! We’ve been weaned off it, so to speak!
“My kids and grandkids are certainly very proud of the fact that I’m the ‘Voice of Anfield’ so I wouldn’t want to let them down. I’ll have a break at the end of the season and see how I feel then.”
If Anfield without fans has been difficult, Anfield without George Sephton is unthinkable!
‘The Voice of Anfield: My Fifty Years With Liverpool FC’ is scheduled for release on May 6.