Manchester City fans revive inflatable banana tradition

Manchester City supporters revived the club’s inflatable-banana tradition at recent matches, displaying the yellow props at Anfield and during Saturday’s home game against Ipswich Town. The return has coincided with the fallout from an independent commission’s finding that the club breached Premier League financial rules, a decision City are appealing. The bananas appeared in the away section at Anfield in the team’s first match after the commission’s verdict, and filled parts of the stands at the Etihad Stadium for the Ipswich match. Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca said before the home game that he hoped to see many bananas in the stadium, saying they could help create a welcoming atmosphere. The revival has also brought renewed attention to former City striker Imre Varadi, whose nickname, Imre Banana, became associated with the tradition. Varadi told The Sun that his inflatable-banana business was receiving thousands of orders from around the world and that demand had surged. The figure comes from Varadi’s own account; no independent sales data was provided. The tradition dates to 1987, when supporter Frank Newton brought an inflatable banana to Maine Road, the club’s...