Post Paris Update

Following our open meeting with supporters last week, we formally met representatives of Liverpool FC on Thursday 9 June.

In the aftermath of the shambolic organisation and management of the Champions League final, it is easy to forget that this event is just another in the long line of misery Liverpool fans have endured this season.

From being over policed in Milan, through being badly treated at Benfica, determined category 1 match in Villareal, this has been yet another season of significant challenge for travelling LFC fans.

Yet pre and post-match discussions with LFC and Merseyside Police gave no indication that the reasons for the above rest with LFC fans – therefore, they must lie clearly with the organisation for these games, led by, UEFA.

It is also abundantly clear that the French authorities were at significant fault in the arrangements before, during and after the match in Paris.

We believe LFC are as frustrated as LFC fans about the poor organisation of UEFA’s games and we believe it is in all of our interests to collectively challenge UEFA, for the good of our fans, for the good of football.

Everything we did last week was a collective with a common purpose to call out UEFA and the French authorities in order to demonstrate it was them and not us.

What we do not want to do is undo that collectivism, create an environment that allows others to capitalise and also potentially damage the unity that we have.

Our supporters want, need and expect us to collectively lead the challenge.

Spirit of Shankly formally request that LFC:-

  • Along with SOS maintain calls for the review into the incidents in Paris to be truly independent and a process of due diligence is formally undertaken, involving all relevant parties, to appoint the right individuals to participate in and lead the inquiry
  • Work with SOS to hold all relevant authorities to account
  • Collaborate with SOS to pursue unqualified apologies for the smears laid on LFC fans both in the immediate aftermath of the game and in subsequent announcements by both UEFA and French Government officials and for UEFA to immediately take down their unsubstantiated allegations from their website
  • Work with SOS and FSE to radically change the terms of engagement supporters have with UEFA which is patently not fit for purpose. Fans must be heard and respected in UEFA with safety of supporters never again being compromised due to organisational failures
  • LFC to support our call to UEFA to improve by start of 2022/23 CL season their risk assessments and consultation with supporters for all CL ties to include at least a set of ‘core’ documents covering policing, stadium organisation, stewarding, transport, local threats, transport etc.
  • LFC to continue commitment to assist any supporters requiring mental health support following the issues in Paris