Reports in today’s press note a reduced allocation for our game away to Manchester City at the Etihad on Saturday 1 April.

In 2019, Liverpool FC’s allocation for this fixture was 3,028. When supporters returned after Covid, this was reduced to 2,880. The reason for the reduction, we were told, was due to missiles being thrown from the home end at away supporters. Rather than reduce tickets in the home section, where the aggravation came from, Manchester City reduced the away allocation.

Manchester City are now looking to reduce this further with reports of just 2,400 tickets available for the upcoming fixture for Liverpool fans.

We acknowledge there have been issues involving both sets of supporters in recent seasons, but this course of action is counter productive.

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.

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.

We look for support from LFC and urge Manchester City and the relevant authorities to rethink and reverse their decision.