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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Ellen Kirwin & Tom Victor

"Words fail me" disgust at banner flown over Etihad during Liverpool v Manchester City match

Fans expressed their disgust as a banner was flown over the Etihad Stadium with the words 'British to be minority' on it during the Liverpool and Manchester City match.

The plane attracted attention during the Premier League match, which ended 2-2, as many fans took to Twitter to share images and videos of the banner. Some fans also called for the pilot of the plane to lose his licence.

"British To Be Minority By 2066" was the wording on the banner, with a photo circulating online during the first half, the Mirror repots. One viewer said: "words fail me", while another claimed the message "Makes absolutely no sense whatsoever."

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One football fan pointed out that "British is already the minority. There's like 7 billion other people". Another Twitter user posted: "They should find out who the pilot was and take his pilots licence off of him."

A third user commented: "It's a shame to say, but this doesn't surprise me. Ever since Brexit, this country has been going down the pan." Another added: "Who pays for these racist banners to be flown over the Etihad? Seriously F*** off."

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.

Clarets captain Ben Mee was asked about that incident back in 2020, and strongly condemned the act. "I'm ashamed and embarrassed that a small number of our hands have decided to fly that around the stadium," the former Man City defender told Sky Sports at the time.

"They have completed the point. There's a group of lads in there that is embarrassed to see that, they've missed the point of the whole thing we are trying to achieve and these people need to come into the 21st century and educate themselves.

"It does not represent what the club is about, what the players are about and what the a majority of the fans are about, that's for sure. It's a small minority of people and I'm really upset that happened."

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