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Joey Jones with his banner from the European Cup Final in Rome in 1977.

Liverpool beat Borussia Monchengladbach 2-1

It is now 48 years since Liverpool won their first European Cup, beating Borussia Monchengladbach in the European Cup final in Rome in 1977.

Goals from Terry McDermott, Tommy Smith and a Phil Neal penalty earned a famous 3-1 victory for the Reds.

Yet one of the most iconic images from the showpiece at the Stadio Olimpico is the unfurling of a banner that has gone down as one of, if not the, most famous in Liverpool history.

Put together in honour of left-back Joey Jones, who has sadly passed away at the age of 70 after a period of illness, the fan-favourite became the first ever Welshman to win the European Cup after helping the Reds beat Monchengladbach.

READ MORE:Liverpool hero Joey Jones dies aged 70READ MORE:Joey Jones statue to be commissioned as Wrexham pay tribute to Liverpool hero

And having previously helped Liverpool beat Saint-Etienne in the quarter-finals and Zurich in the semi-finals, the famous banner was born.

It read: “Joey ate the frogs legs, made the Swiss roll, now he's munching Gladbach."

Created by the late Phil Downey, who passed away in June 2019, and his late best friend Jimmy Cummings, who passed away at the age of just 43 in 1999, the 24ft tribute to Jones swiftly became synonymous with the Reds’ first European Cup win after being unfurled in the Eternal City ahead of the game.

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And Downey would reveal how the famous banner came to life, recalling two previous banners they made during Liverpool’s run to the final, brain-storming sessions in the pub and a late-night inspirational comment from his own mother.

“I was sitting in work, working in the same place as Jimmy Cummings,” he said to LFC TV in 2019, months before his death.

And I went home that night and my mother said to me, “Why don’t you join them all together?”

Liverpool fans with the famous Joey Jones banner in Rome at the 1977 European Cup final between Liverpool and Borussia Moenchengladback

“It was like a eureka moment!

Greatest achievement in life.”

Jones would later admit the banner meant as much to him as his European Cup winner's medal.

Speaking to BBC Wales in 2014, he said: "It was made by a couple of fans who I really respected and I think as much of that banner as I do of the medal.

"To make a banner about myself, when there were such great players in Liverpool football club, made me feel 10ft tall."

The most famous banner in Liverpool's history made a return to Anfield in February 2019, as the Reds ultimately marched on towards another European Cup win.

It was displayed on the Kop ahead of Liverpool's Champions League round-of-16 first leg tie against Bayern Munich.

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Jones was actually reunited with the banner only last month.

During a short spell at The Maelor hospital, he was greeted by surprise visitors - former Reds team-mate David Fairclough, Mike Berry (Jones' cousin), Gerry Downey (cousin of banner creator, Phil) and his daughter, Hannah Downey - as well as the 24-foot banner made to honour the former Wales international.

Fairclough said after the visit: "Joey was on top form and it was great to chat about our LFC days.