'You'll Never Walk Alone' hit No.1 in the pop charts 40 years ago this week. Here, Paul Gray explains what the Liverpool anthem means to him...

Watching the local news in the Midlands the other day there was a piece about the battle to save the world's oldest football league club, Notts County. How refreshing it was to see their bitterest rivals, Forest, helping them stay afloat as numerous red Forest shirts were scattered around the ground in support of their neighbours. I think I am right in saying that these two clubs are the only clubs closer to each other than Liverpool and Everton in England.

Forest striker David Johnston was even on the pitch at half time to show his support in the battle to save this famous club. As the presenter did his closing speech, filmed after the game, there was a wonderful noise in the background, as the ditty first written by Rogers and Hammerstein, and covered by Gerry Marsden echoed round Meadow Lane. That tune was of course, 'You'll Never Walk Alone'.

It struck me as how incredible this song is, and how it reaches across all boundaries across the world. There are so many stories relating to this song, so many emotions, and so many memories every time you hear the song.

A good friend of mine at university once commented that it was "pathetic" that I wanted 'You'll Never Walk Alone' played at my funeral. To her it was just a football song. Something Liverpool fans sung. To me it is so much more. If I were to list the greatest highs in my life, and a lowest of lows I am sure that 'You'll Never Walk Alone' would play a major part in many of them.

This song is integrated into all our lives as Liverpool fans, from the tears shed in the aftermath of Hillsborough, to the triumphs at Anfield, Wembley, Cardiff, Dortmund et al. But it stretches so much further than that. Once I explained what the song meant to me, she had a tear in her eye, and admitted she would always look on YNWA in a different light from that day onwards. Another person touched by it, and I'm sure that she will always think of me whenever she hears that song.

Who could forget the awesome rendition in the San Siro at the AC Milan - Real Madrid European Cup Semi-Final on the Wednesday after Hillsborough? The referee blew his whistle 6 minutes into the game to stop play and hold a minute's silence. About 20 seconds into the silence the Milan fans on the Curva Sud as one started singing YNWA. I have always had a soft spot for the Rossoneri since then. What an unbelievable tribute to Liverpool, the club, the city, and the people than having fellow football fans thousands of miles away singing our anthem.
On a sourer note, when a small minority of Man Utd fans didn't respect a minute's silence at Old Trafford in memory of the victims of Hillsborough, what was booming out of the away end straight after? The Sunderland fans gave a respectful, and defiant rendition of our anthem. How many other clubs have an anthem that is so recognised and so well known?

The same night of the news report there was a round up of Champions League games, and the Bruges fans were also singing it. It is sung by so many fans around Europe, and has been heard in Italy, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Holland, and many other places as well I am sure. Yet it is our song. Celtic may sing in week in week out, and sadly often do a better job than us, but it is still our anthem. The Republic of Ireland National side have adopted it as their anthem as well. The Dutch National team too.

It is not just football fans that love the song. My brother lived in America for a while due to work commitments, and there one of his friends was a huge fan of the musicals. One day, 'You'll Never Walk Alone' was played, Gerry Marsden's version of course, and this American, who had no idea of the concept of football (or soccer sic) expressed her love for the wonderful tune, which she instantly recognised as that from the musical 'Carousel'. When she heard the stories of what it meant to us, the highs, the lows, as well as the idea of 45,000 people singing it together in harmony, tears were shed. She could not comprehend the idea of so many people singing this tune together.

There so many occasions when this song has been sung so well, you could not list them all, but there are a few occasions that stick in my mind.
When Gerard Houllier returned from his life threatening illness, Anfield was a cauldron of noise seen rarely before, but the highlight was undoubtedly the rendition of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' at the end. I've never experienced an atmosphere like it, it was incredible. And the centrepiece, taking pride of place as the focal point of an awesome display was, once again, our famous anthem.

Who could forget the FA Cup Final of 1989, and the tears that were shed by Liverpool and Everton alike as Merseyside joined together to honour our missing friends.

On completing the remarkable Treble in 2001 on an incredible night in Dortmund, it was amazing to see the players, the manager, the coaches, and the other backroom staff united with the fans to sing our song. The Alaves fans, a credit to their club, were belting it out as passionately as any Liverpool fan, and again, two clubs, two sets of fans, bonded together, with this song the focal point. I've got a picture from that night with all the staff, arms around each other in a long line in front of the celebrating fans. Could any other club have this bond? Does any other club have such an anthem?

Strangely enough the singing of YNWA that sticks out most in my mind from last season was probably on the lowest day! Any defeat to the Mancs hurts like hell. Losing 4-0 is just horrible, and something I don't want to experience again, yet with a couple of minutes to go, 4-0 down to our most hated rivals, the first few bars of our song echoedout from the travelling supporters still in the ground. I look around to see fists clenched, faces contorted, veins bulging as 'You'll Never Walk Alone' booms out in sheer defiance, as the pride in our club remains, despite the poor result on the day. How many clubs would still be singing in those circumstances?

A final memory related to the song is one a lot closer to home. Anyone who read the piece I did about how 'I should have been a Blue' may recall me mentioning my Aunt Chris who was a Blue. Sadly, she recently died after a long illness, but at her funeral I was told of one her last nights with her family. The family were gathered around her bed, and they were singing traditional Irish folk songs, hymns and other songs. Aunt Chris was merrily leading the chorus', as her loving family followed her lead. Then she was trying to recall the words to this other song that she loved, but couldn't quite recall.

Having hummed the tune it suddenly dawned on the rest of the family, every one a Blue I might add, that the tune she was humming was in fact 'You'll Never Walk Alone'. One of the last moments together with her Everton supporting family, and my Aunt Chris is singing Everton's biggest rival's anthem!! I can just picture the face of her husband, as he's as bitter as the come, and that thought always brings a smile to my face. So a couple of weeks after her funeral I travel to Goodison Park, and it is fair to say I had a tear in my eye when thinking of my Aunt Chris as we sang 'You'll Never Walk Alone'.

So many memories. So many emotions. 'You'll Never Walk Alone' is more than just a song. It crosses boundaries like few have before. It has touched so many people, both in and out of the football community, and for me it is without rival as the greatest song ever written.