So my dad is a massive Liverpool fan and has a football watching ritual that I would like to share. 9 years ago he was given a garden gnome in a #LFC shirt (50th bday) and the tradition of ‘You’ll Never Walk A Gnome’ was born. #youllneverwalkagnome #YNWAG pic.twitter.com/kB30Xshil2

— Joe O'Toole (@jc_otoole) May 21, 2019

A dad has a Liverpool gnome that he watches matches on television with and makes people stroke it for good luck when they enter the room.

Liam O’Toole’s son shared the family’s rituals with the world on social media in a series of tweets with photos and videos.

My dad’s superstitions have made him believe that his Liverpool gnome has an influence over the result of matches. He reckons the gnome has watched every televised match he has (most of them) since 2010, apart from one, which we lost = superstition #YNWAG #youllneverwalkagnome pic.twitter.com/zqhU5ji0CJ

— Joe O'Toole (@jc_otoole) May 21, 2019

He claims a friend started the now common household occurrences by buying the garden gnome for his dad’s 50th birthday.

Joseph told the Liverpool echo:

It sat on the shelf in the living room for a while but during one particularly difficult match it was brought down from the shelf for good luck.

A few minutes after the gnome was brought down Liverpool scored so it then became a good luck charm.

To begin with I thought he was just doing it to make us laugh and to joke around but then a couple of times I came home and he was on his own, watching the match with the gnome sitting on the table.

When my friends have come over, or my sister’s boyfriend comes in, before they are even allowed to sit down, they must stroke the gnome.

To keep the gnome happy, and therefore Liverpool playing well, the are some rules that must be followed. Let me take you through them. #YNWAG #youllneverwalkagnome pic.twitter.com/zi9AIMseJd

— Joe O'Toole (@jc_otoole) May 21, 2019

The gnome is said to have watched “every televised match he has (most of them) since 2010, apart from one, which we lost”.

The plastic figuring wearing a Liverpool shirt is also offered a variety of snacks depending on how badly the team need a goal.

Rule 2 ‘The Offering’ – gnome gets an offering of crisps for match start, more if goal needed, choc if goal really needed, and booze if desperate. This was intro’d after some dodgy performances (Hodgson/Dalglish), and worked well. See pic when in need of 4th against Barca 2019. pic.twitter.com/k3vYL3sWgg

— Joe O'Toole (@jc_otoole) May 21, 2019

There are specific criteria of what crisps the gnome likes and this must be followed. Liam buys gnome supplies, hides them so that they don’t get eaten, and brings them out for the match (he eats them at full time).See the special relationship between dad and gnome in screenshot. pic.twitter.com/viZkkTE6an

— Joe O'Toole (@jc_otoole) May 21, 2019

Rule 3 ‘The Gnome Must Watch The Match’. The gnome goes where my dad goes, he watched the 2018 #CL final in a pub in Scotland and made every1 in there stroke the gnome. We didn’t win that one because the offerings weren’t right apparently. #YNWAG pic.twitter.com/Rdz2xap94u

— Joe O'Toole (@jc_otoole) May 21, 2019

And when I am not with the gnome, he never feels far away… #youllneverwalkagnome #youllneverwalkalone pic.twitter.com/XoQbEmGxJT

— Joe O'Toole (@jc_otoole) May 21, 2019

One time when my dad had an unavoidable family commitment, he put the football on the tv, put the gnome at home in front of it with crisps and left the house. “Just because I can’t watch it doesn’t mean the gnome can’t” pic.twitter.com/QP9mgH40hG

— Joe O'Toole (@jc_otoole) May 21, 2019

Football watching rituals are part of the beautiful game. Me, my brother, my dad, and the gnome will be in Madrid on June 1st for #clfinale 2019 (no tickets yet though). If you see us come and stroke the gnome for good luck. #YNWAG #YNWA #youllneverwalkagnome #youllneverwalkalone pic.twitter.com/dWujdnmjRU

— Joe O'Toole (@jc_otoole) May 21, 2019