LONDON: Liverpool have described the behaviour of their fans as “wholly unacceptable” after crowds gathered in the city on Friday to celebrate the club’s Premier League title win.
Liverpool were confirmed as English champions late Thursday after second-placed Manchester City lost 2-1 at Chelsea.
Thousands gathered at Pier Head waterfront, a city landmark, on Friday breaking social restrictions in place due to the coronavirus.
The first floor of its historic Liver building was also set on fire.
“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,” read a joint statement from the club, Liverpool City Council and Merseyside Police on Saturday.
“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.”
Liverpool’s fire department extinguished the Liver building blaze quickly and there were zero casualties.
“There are not believed to be any injuries and the fire is thought to have involved a firework,” a spokesperson said.
The city is currently under a dispersal order from Merseyside Police until Sunday, which restricts members of the public entering parts of the city centre.
This has been done so a clean-up operation can take place after the gatherings left behind trails of litter and other disposable materials.
Liverpool's mayor Joe Anderson told BBC Radio that these individuals have brought the club and its city into “disrepute.”
“People were urinating in doorways of the Cunard building because people gathered there with cases and cases of beer," he said.
“About 95% of fans have behaved remarkably well, brilliantly, and listened to our pleas not to gather together, and yet there are a tiny minority besmirching Liverpool Football Club’s name.”
Anderson said he would investigate why no precautions were in place when fans gathered outside Anfield on the night of the club’s triumph.
“On Thursday, when they gathered outside Anfield, you could argue that the passion was there and we had to accept that was inevitable,” Anderson said.
“I’m expecting Merseyside Police to come down really heavy now... it’s about the safety of our city,” he said.
“I am angry that people are not considerate to other people, their families, the NHS and the workers that have to deal with this. Covid has not gone away.”
Liverpool City council has confirmed Liverpool will have a victory parade but only when guidelines allow for it to take place.
“When it is safe to do so, we will all work together to arrange a victory parade when everyone can come together to celebrate,” the statement said. – dpa
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