Police condemn Liverpool fans for celebrating Premier League title win at Anfield

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free

Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice

Merseyside Police have condemned fans who decided to celebrate Liverpool’s famous Premier League title victory by travelling to Anfield, and have urged supporters to ‘do the right thing’ and put peoples’ health first following scenes of widespread jubilation in the city on Thursday night.

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side clinched their first Premier League title in 30 years without kicking a ball as Manchester City succumbed to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Chelsea, leaving them with an insurmountable 23-point gap at the top of the table with just 21 points left to play for.

The result sparked wild celebrations for the Liverpool players, who watched the game together at a private screening outside their team hotel, while Klopp broke down in tears while trying to explain what the success meant to him during a television interview.

But the celebrations were minuscule in comparison to what was happening at Anfield, where fans turned the sky red with flares and chanted club anthem ‘You;ll Never Walk Alone’ long into the night, enjoying what was for many the first league title success in a generation.

Fan numbers continued to grow long after midnight, with some scaling the walls of the Anfield, and Merseyside Police confirmed that while most still observed social distancing by celebrating in their own homes, there were many who breached guidelines to venture to the stadium.

Merseyside Police Assistant Chief Constable Rob Carden said: "I would like to congratulate Liverpool FC on deservedly winning the Premier League title, and thank the thousands of Liverpool fans across Merseyside who celebrated at home, as they have for the previous games played behind closed doors.

"The overwhelming majority of fans have recognised the fact that now is not the time to gather together to celebrate, and chose to mark the event safely. They are a credit to this city.

"Unfortunately, as we have seen throughout the lockdown period, not everyone adhered to the regulations in place. Although the vast majority of celebrations were good natured, a large number of people chose to gather outside the stadium.

"In the days ahead, we urge supporters to do the right thing and celebrate safely with members of your household and in your social bubble. By doing this you keep yourself, your family, friends and neighbours safe.”

The north-west has been one of the worst-hit regions by coronavirus, with Liverpool’s death rate well over the average across England and the R rate believed to be around 1.

"As we all know, Merseyside has been disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and we must all do what we can to prevent further cases and deaths in our communities,” Assistant Chief Constable Carden added.

"We understand people will feel jubilant that Liverpool has secured the league title for the first time in 30 years, and the time will come when fans can return to Anfield to applaud the team and to celebrate their achievement.

"Please follow the advice of the players, the manager and the club by putting safety first. The club is encouraging fans to share their experiences of watching future games at home with the hashtag #LFCAtHome on social media, and we all look forward to sharing your experiences of celebrating safely."