Yahoo Lifestyle Liverpool, city calls out ‘unacceptable’ fans who celebrated after title amid COVID-19 pandemic
Liverpool fans were extremely excited following the club’s title earlier this week, and rightfully so.
After all, it was their first league English title in 30 years.
Fans took to the streets to celebrate after Manchester City fell to Chelsea, which solidified Liverpool’s title on Thursday, and then returned on Friday night, and even set off fireworks at the Royal Liver Building, per ESPN.
Fears of COVID-19, which is still raging around the world, were seemingly forgotten completely — something the club isn’t happy about.
“Throughout the last week, Liverpool Football Club, Mereyside Police, Liverpool City Council and Spirit of Shankley have worked together to consistently remind people that the region is still disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and ask people to celebrate LFC’s Premier League title win safely,” the club said in a joint statement with local police and the city council, per ESPN.
“Several thousand people turned up at the Pier Head on Friday June 26 and some chose to ignore the social distancing guidance and risk public safety. Our city is still in a public health crisis and this behavior is wholly unacceptable.
“The potential danger of a second peak of COVID-19 still exists and we need to work together to make sure we don't undo everything that has been achieved as a region during lockdown.”
There were more than 310,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United Kingdom as of Saturday afternoon, according to The New York Times, and more than 43,000 deaths attributed to it.
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The coronavirus pandemic wasn’t the only reason Liverpool and the city were upset. Thirty four people were injured, three “seriously,” according to the BBC during the gatherings. A small fire that was set at the Liver Building caused at least $10,000 in damage, too.
The Friday celebrations, mayor Joe Anderson told BBC Radio, left him “frustrated and angry and upset.”
“People were urinating in doorways of the Cunard building because people gathered there with cases and cases of beer,” he said, via the BBC. “About 95 percent of fans have behaved remarkably well, brilliantly, and listened to our pleas not to gather together, and yet there are a tiny minority besmirching Liverpool Football Club's name … On Thursday, when they gathered outside Anfield, you could argue that the passion was there and we had to accept that was inevitable.
“But what we saw yesterday was pre-meditated, planned, thought through, and drink played a major part in that. That's no [longer] acceptable now in this city.”
The team made it clear that it wants to celebrate its title properly, and plans to in the future.
That, however, can only happen when it’s finally safe.
"When it is safe to do so, we will all work together to arrange a victory parade when everyone can come together to celebrate,” Liverpool said in a statement, via ESPN. “Until that time, the safety of our city and our people continues to be our number one priority."
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