Spirit of Shankly attended a meeting with LFC and EFC Club officials, a representative of the Blue Union and Merseyside Police on the 4th December to discuss the policing and stewarding for this weekend’s derby.

Spirit of Shankly welcome today’s announcement that no football matches will take place on Christmas Eve. We would like to thank Sky, the Premier League, Liverpool FC and other clubs for listening to supporter concerns about scheduling fixtures on this day.

The Premier League’s Richard Scudamore confirmed on Tuesday 10 October there will be no 4pm kick-off on Christmas Eve. It’s a decision welcomed by Spirit of Shankly, other supporter trusts and fans, and a decision we believe was reached as a result of coordinated pressure from supporters groups.

Football supporters know all too well the impact that changes to the fixture schedule can have. Plans are rearranged and often expense incurred when a match is moved to accommodate cup football or TV scheduling. We have very little, if any, say, despite being the most put on stakeholders in the game. 

Spirit Of Shankly have been made aware that Liverpool’s away fixture against Arsenal, scheduled for 23 December, is being considered for a move to Christmas Eve.

Early in the summer, Spirit of Shankly linked up with Supporters Trusts of other English football clubs competing in Europe this season. We each wrote to our respective club asking them to work with UEFA and the FCO to assist supporters travelling to countries that require a visa for entry. We hoped a collective voice would have a bigger impact.

The new season is almost upon us and for those in European competitions, supporters will be looking at their potential opponents. Not just to weigh up the opposition, but also to work out any potential and no doubt costly travel arrangements.