Date published: Saturday 27th June 2020 11:36
Liverpool have issued a joint statement with Merseyside Police and the city’s council after “wholly unacceptable” mass gatherings in celebration of their Premier League title win.
Supporters converged outside Anfield on Thursday evening when they were confirmed as champions, while the celebrations continued into Friday as even larger groups gathered at Pier Head waterfront despite social distancing measures still being in place.
Firefighters were also called to extinguish a small fire at the landmark Liver building amid further reports of damage caused across the city centre.
Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson – who is owed an apology – explained that he was “so frustrated and angry and upset” by “a tiny minority besmirching Liverpool Football Club’s name”.
Liverpool themselves spoke out to condemn the ‘wholly unacceptable’ actions in a statement released on their official website:
‘Throughout the last week, Liverpool Football Club, Merseyside Police, Liverpool City Council and Spirit of Shankly 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.
‘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 behaviour 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.
‘When it is safe to do so, we will all work together to arrange a victory parade when everyone can come together to celebrate. Until that time, the safety of our city and our people continues to be our number one priority.’