Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Tom Victor & Sophie Halle-Richards

Disgust over plane banner flown over the Etihad during Man City v Liverpool match

A plane flying the banner including the words 'British to be a minority' was flown over the Etihad Stadium during Manchester City's clash with Liverpool this weekend.

Kevin De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus were on target for the hosts, while Diogo Jota scored Liverpool's first equaliser and Sadio Mane levelled things up in the 46th minute, with the game finishing 2-2.

The banner, spotted by a number of people watching the game, baffled football fans. "British To Be Minority By 2066" was the wording on the banner, with a photo appearing on Twitter during the first half, the Mirror reports.

READ MORE: Man City to investigate mocking of Hillsborough incident at Liverpool fixture

Footage of the plane travelling across the skies above the east Manchester stadium were posted on the social media site during the match. "Words fail me" was the verdict from one viewer, while another claimed the message "makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

One football fan pointed out that "British is already the minority. There's like 7 billion other people".

"2066 is oddly specific," another pointed out. It comes less than two years after a controversial banner was flown over the same stadium during City's game against Burnley. On that occasion, "White Lives Matter Burnley" was the message displayed.

Good Morning Britain presenter Adil Ray condemned the banner on Twitter saying: "A plane flew over the Etihad with a banner "BRITISH TO BE MINORITY BY 2066". It’s actually quite scary that these incredibly stupid racists have the money to spend on this. If by British they mean people like them I can’t think of anything better."

The plane was flown over the Etihad Stadium (Matt McNulty - Manchester City/Manchester City FC via Getty Images.)

The result at the Etihad means City still have a slight upper hand in the race for the title. They remain a point clear of Liverpool, with both sides having seven more games to play. Riyad Mahrez hit the post from a free-kick, and the Algeria star later missed the target in the final minute of stoppage time when given a chance to beat Alisson.

City and Liverpool are due to meet again in the semi-finals of the FA Cup next weekend. However, before then, both teams are back in Champions League action as the quarter-finals conclude.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.