Now I’m never, ever one to take the “I have a major opinion on something, quick, make a blog post!” action, but today, I have to make an exception.
Earlier this afternoon, I visited Anfield (as an away fan) and was overwhelmed by the occasion, and the way Liverpool fans carried themselves before the game. As our entrance was on Anfield Road, we felt obliged to pay our respects at the JFT96 memorial, simply because of the occasion, and because, like us, these fans were once away fans, but unfortunately – they never came home…
The pre-match tributes to the 96 were also brilliant, and very well done by Liverpool FC, I’m almost certain the friends and families of the victims would have been touched by the goings on, on and off the pitch before the first whistle.
I really felt a strong tension before the game, I felt like the whole world was watching us as United fans, and waiting for us to do something wrong. We didn’t. We performed impeccably (maybe not on the pitch – that’s a different story, though a win’s a win) and we were right behind our players in full voice.
Obviously the usual songs were sang by both sets of fans, “banter” if you will, about life on opposite sides of the Mersey, but that was inevitable. This is arguably the biggest rivalry in all of football, after all.
Then came the end of the game. Between 15-20 Liverpool fans stayed behind to taunt the United fans, by doing airplane gestures with their arms, and singing Munich songs. Although they were a small minority, it provoked some United fans to react by chanting “Murderers”. Now I cannot stress enough how vile I find this chant, and any chant about a human disaster (including Munich, Heysel and obviously Hillsborough), but because there are fans who retaliate with such a chant, I find it astounding that Sky Sports showed United fans singing “murderers” as well as “always the victim…” but didn’t put into context. This just adds fuel to an already ferocious fire between these two sets of fans.
“Always the victim…” was sang toward Liverpool fans who were being escorted out of the stadium by police, but were fighting against them as if they’d done nothing wrong – hence “never your fault” this was in no way aimed toward Hillsborough, and it never is – in recent months it has been sang toward Luis Suarez, but that’s another can of worms that doesn’t need to be opened here.
The Sky camera that captured such chants was from the other side of the ground, so the Liverpool fans cannot even be seen, but if you were to consult CCTV at Anfield, you would find that what I am writing is true – I’m not one to lie.
The reason I have written this blog post, isn’t to clear United’s name – the fans that sang “Murderers” were in the wrong, there is no doubt about that whatsoever, but it is to put it into context for those people that weren’t there, as the way it has been depicted on Sky Sports News this evening, it looks like United fans just randomly broke into song.
A reported 6 arrests were made this evening with regards to singing about a human tragedy – all Liverpool fans. Think of that what you will, but I was at the ground today, and hearsay from folk who weren’t present is what is going to make this situation spiral out of control, instead of blowing over, and being forgotten about.
Today was about football. It was also about 96 families finally getting justice. There is no need for anymore animosity, and I personally feel these chants should be treated the same way as racist and homophobic chants are now treated – zero tolerance. If you are racist on or off the pitch there is no question about it, you will be banned. That is how these chants need to be treated. It is the only way they’ll stop. This isn’t “banter” this is human tragedy being mocked and it needs to be put to an end.
“Between 15-20 Liverpool fans” Disregard the drunken twats then, its only a few people that aches for attention.
You can clearly hear in the video that more then a few of the away fans singing. If i didnt know better it sounded like it was the majority of them.
Saddest moment in football. Portrayed yet again as a bunch of idiots
so, a few morons where letting the majority down!.. so what! why is this worth commenting on? its like the “chicken or the egg” scenario! whos arsed? MOVE ON!
I suggest you apply for a job at the scum newspaper mate…
More lies ..
Small minority you say.. Sounded to me, and anybody with ears, like it was the majority who joined in those chants…
Of course ye were provoked.. any evidence of this?? Your word I’m afraid is not good enough, for as you have already demonstrared with your ‘minioity’ comment you are unable to give an accurate and honest account of the incident.
Why didn’t any of yer fans capture this provoking moment on yer phones ?? Scousers nicked all yer phones I bet . Of of course Sky are also involved in some grand conspiracy against ye.. and ye call us Paranoid !
What a joke
Thanks for your heartfelt comments and honest opinion and just what happened today after the match. You sound like the vast majority of decent fans who want to follow their team and love the beautiful game.
However it’s apparrent that there are 100’s of fans singing the sick chants in response to 15-20 provoking fans so lets not try and gloss over it as a few idiots.
I agree that there ought to be a Zero Tolerance approach to these types of chants. Whilst physical violence has lessened at Football these dyas the verbal violence appears to be the weapon of choice.
Sadly, some fans believe that passion is measured by how much hate amnd vitriol they fire at the opposition rather than how voiceiforous they are in support of their own team.
Best Wishes
Ian (LFC Season Ticket Holder KOP 205)
Was there also…and it wasn’t a couple that responded, it was the whole bleeding lot. F’ing embarrassed to support the club today.
Im a Liverpool fan (a scouser) and those fans who stayed behind to do what they did are just troublemakers…you get them in every city. The kind of people who are in and out of jail. It would be nieve to attribute it to anything else and they should not be taken seriously. They are not welcome at Anfield and should be banned for life. They are not there for the football and they would be just as likely to taunt or fight their own fans…there are some evil people in the world and some of them end up at football matches unfortunately.
Fair man, balanced and treated the blog in the spirit it was meant.
Much as I dislike Utd, quit badgering the blog author. It’s what she saw, and fair play for putting it on a blog, and respecting the occasion too.
Every club has twats, bar none. I’m not surprised that 15-20 Liverpool ‘fans’ would stoop to do plane impressions, and I’m equally unsurprised that a group of Utd supporters would happily take the bait and reciprocate. It doesn’t matter who started it. Nor does it matter which bunch of twats was greater in number. 15 Liverpool idiots vs 100 from Utd, or the other way round. It doesn’t matter. Suffice to say every club has them, and they should be banned.
The only controversy today should be on the pitch. Now, that was another matter. Very dubious refereeing and Halsey should be made to answer for his inconsistencies. But unfortunately he probably won’t be. Sorry Liverpool, Utd just happened to luck out with the major decisions (again). Can’t help it, refs make mistakes and all that. Final result Utd 3 points, Liverpool none, set in stone, and at the end of the day history won’t remember the details.
Fair enough that every club has its twats – but it would of been nice had we just laughed at the Munich taunts for what they were…. Anybody involved on either side should be ashamed of themselves as human beings.
Whether you love or hate opposing fans, it’s good to hear the views of what I consider to be proper fans, yes I will always hate Liverpool as proper Liverpool fans hate United, but it’s driven by the fact that in history we have been both a threat and dominated for a period of time. There is a line that some fans of all clubs cross, yes all clubs and you are right numbers don’t matter, they all need dealing with.
wasnt the utd fans goading the liverpool fans early on in the game about “wheres the munich song?
As a United fan (I wasn’t there today but a mate travelled for it) I say there’s no excuse for chanting Murderers considering the occasions was to pay respect to 96 people who died. That being said, to Liverpool fans, I have to explain the frame of thought of a lot of United fans, including me, the past week.
Last Saturday, the media FALSELY claimed that United fans had taunted Liverpool over the Hillsborough tragedy by chanting..
“It’s never your fault,
It’s never your fault,
Always the victim,
It’s never your fault.”
In reality, this song was chanted by United fans after the ridiculous Suarez / Evra incident for about a year. It’s also sang (as you’ll have noticed) by EVERTON fans. The clue of this, even last Saturday, was in the chant that came before it, which was directed at Luis Suarez. But since the Hillsborough report came out, the media decided to disregard the previous 12 months and decided that this “new” chant was actually about Hillsborough.
Fergie condemned Hillsborough chants but said he didn’t hear any, and the club put out a statement apologizing for any chants that were made. But in reality, there was NONE. The Man United Supporters Trust and other fan groups had to put out statements to make it clear, there was no Hillsborough chanting at Old Trafford last weekend, but it didn’t matter, the Guardian, the Daily Mail, Sky News etc. all piled on.
In mid-week with Galatasaray coming to OT, the fans didn’t sing the “always the victim” chant at all but did sing “We’re Man United, we’ll sing what we want.” And I agree with that, I wouldn’t chant a horrible chant aimed at a tragedy, but I won’t have meaning assigned to my words that is incorrect by a negativity-spewing media or someone looking for a reason to be offended.
I have never chanted about Hillsborough when I’ve been at Old Trafford, and I don’t know ANYONE who has. Therefore, the media’s accusations of hate chants against United were seriously uncalled for. I’ve been to Anfield before and I’ve heard Munich chants and seen gestures but I just let it go over my head, and I also have to point out that most Liverpool fans DON’T sing anything about Munich.
Today, my mate who was there said that while the United fans were being held back (obviously) until the home supporters had emptied the stadium, there was a group of maybe 10-20 Liverpool fans who started doing that stupid airplane gesture. A lot of United fans responded by chanting Murderers at THEM. They were not chanting in an empty stadium, and then, just as said in this blog post, when the Liveprool fans started to grapple with police, they were pointing at the United fans as if they had been COMPLETELY INNOCENT, and then the United fans chanted the “always the victim” chant. They were responding to them personally. Not to an empty anfield!
It’s still no excuse, but even the Murderers chant has NOTHING to do with Hillsborough, it’s about the heysel stadium disaster in 1986, where 39 Juventus fans died and English teams were banned from Europe for 5 years. That is, the entire country was punished for the actions of travelling Liverpool fans, some of whom were convicted of involuntary manslaughter afterwards. That’s 26 years ago now, and people have been sentenced (albeit lightly.. three years) for the tragedy, and so the chant really should never be sung toward any group of fans. But my point, it has NOTHING to do with Hillsborough.
At Anfield today, the only other tragedy related chant from United fans was during the game, “Where’s your Munich chant?”, which again, is a response to the fact that ALL the spotlight has been on United fans, and the Munich chants of some Liverpool fans, or THOUSANDS of City fans, are just not addressed or called out. All the other chants, including chanting “UNITED” during YNWA at the start of the game I have NO problem with. It’s about rivalry. Fan banter makes an atmosphere, the back and forth adds a spice to the game, even if some of the chants are in bad taste.
But ye, I’ve gone on too long but considering the unbelievable reaction of Liverpool fans on Twitter, and (again) the selective reporting from Sky and others, I had to write something about it, because while I don’t condone the Murderers chant even in the context today, I won’t have my club defamed the way it has been for the past week. Liverpool fans who understand this (the majority) will meet me half way, whereas (like some United fans) there will always be a section who are unwilling to do so.
What about when the man u fans sang ‘if it wasn’t for the Scousers we could stand’.
Was that also becouse of Luiz Evra insident !!!
You make a LONG and passioned defence of your club.. as is your right..
You do understand however that ‘never your fault , always the victim’ is implicit in it’s inclusion of Hillsborough.. and to suggest otherwise is either seriously naive or totally disengenious on your behalf.
We never claimed to be ‘victims’ of Hysel.. The reference to ‘victims’ is those 96 people who died and our clubs claim over the past 20 years that Hillsborough was not our fault and that they were, as proven last week, indeed victims..
So defend your club by all means but don’t try to tell anybody that song isn’t a direct reference to or at the very least an inclusion of the events of Hillsborough ..
And I find it a bit rich that your now claiming to be victims of a concerted media attack..
Paranoid .. just a bit.
Typical Utd fan … totally.
Excellent response.
Shame. After the all round applause for Charlton and Rush, I’d hoped the lid might be kept on all this but I was obviously being overly optimistic.
Kudos for you honest impartial assessment too (especially as you’ve brightened my opinion of United fans in the immediate aftermath of all this) and as has already been pointed out, when it comes to these juvenile antics, it’s always six of one and half a dozen of the other. Far too much venom in the air nowadays. I’m sure there were a few United fans in the Anfield Rd end cringing as the chants rang out, just as we’re ashamed of a minority of twats who stuck behind just to taunt an equally sad chapter in footballing history.