Outraged Liverpool have challenged Manchester City’s decision to slash their visiting ticket allocation for the upcoming showdown at the Etihad on April 1.
And the Anfield club will make a direct appeal to the Premier League to reconsider the reduction, which has cut the number of away supporters by almost 20 per cent.
Fans groups are also frustrated and angered by the decision, with a leading supporters’ union suggesting the issue is not one of public safety but "poor crowd management” by the club. Tensions have run high in recent meetings between the two sets of supporters, with the Liverpool Chief Executive Billy Hogan personally apologising to a 15 year old female fan who was hit by a plastic glass weighted by coins in the last visit to the Etihad.
That was back in December for the Carabao Cup tie which also saw a City fan arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence, after disabled Liverpool supporters were subjected to racial abuse.
City also apologised after the FA Cup semi final last season between the two clubs and again after their visit to Anfield in October, when their supporters chanted throughout a silence to remember the Hillsborough disaster, and sang ‘despicable’ songs about the tragedy.
City have indicated it is the threat to public order that has led to the reduction in allocation, on the advice of the Safety Advisory Group which is a body made up of the local council and police. But Liverpool are angry at the reduction in tickets, which has been reduced by almost 500 on previous post-covid levels, and more than 750, on pre-pandemic numbers.
There is a feeling amongst some fans it is a cynical ploy to reduce the presence and influence of the visiting support, with fans’ union Spirit of Shankly suggesting the decision will sour relations further.
“We acknowledge there have been issues involving both sets of supporters in recent seasons, but this course of action is counter-productive.
“We look for support from LFC and urge Manchester City and the relevant authorities to rethink and reverse their decision.”
The fans’ group also went further by suggesting the issue is not one of fan behaviour but simply poor crowd management by the Manchester club.
“At the corresponding fixture last season, Liverpool fans experienced overzealous stewarding and policing, and were locked in the ground after the match with no access to toilets,” a statement read. “Such undue treatment of supporters serves only to increase tension, which SOS fed back to Greater Manchester Police at the time. Now, it appears, Liverpool supporters are to be penalised further.
“We understand reduced allocations at the Etihad have also happened to other clubs, which don’t seem to be about away fan behaviour, but poor crowd management.”
Liverpool, for their part, have made an official challenge to both City and the Premier League, with Bean insisting it is not the right course of action.
“LFC has been in contact with the Premier League and Manchester City to challenge this decision,” he said.
“Liverpool’s…ticket allocation has been significantly reduced, and (we are) committed to having as many supporters as possible in stadiums for Premier League away fixtures.”
