One of the Premier League’s biggest games of the season – Manchester United vs Liverpool – takes place on Sunday, but there are fears tragedy chanting could overshadow the match.
Liverpool will be looking to extend their lead at the top of the table when they travel to Old Trafford, while United are aiming to get back on track following the 4-3 loss to Chelsea on Thursday.
But sadly this is also a fixture that has been affected by tragedy chanting in the past, with several United fans arrested and one charged following unsavoury and sickening scenes during the FA Cup clash between the two sides in March.
But what exactly is tragedy chanting and what have football clubs and the Premier League been doing to kick it out of the game?
What is tragedy chanting?
By definition, the Premier League classify tragedy chanting as: ‘Offensive chanting, gestures or behaviour based on football-related tragedies.’
Prominent examples include the Hillsborough stadium disaster in 1989 where 97 Liverpool fans died, as well as the 1958 Munich air disaster which killed 23 people including 11 Manchester United players and staff.
Despite being widely condemned, the issue is still rife in football today.
What have Liverpool and Man Utd said about it?
Both clubs have continued to strongly condemn supporters for tragedy chanting, with United describing the events at last month’s game as ‘unacceptable’.
Ahead of Sunday’s match, Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag wrote in his programme notes: ‘The atmosphere our fans generated was incredible that afternoon [the FA Cup win].
‘And if we can produce the same noise levels around Old Trafford today [Sunday] then we have already seen what a positive force it can be and the impact that it has on the players.
‘As such, it is part of my duty to remind every supporter fortunate enough to be at today’s game that it must be enjoyed in the proper way, and not used as an excuse for abusing rival fans about Hillsborough, Heysel or any other historic tragedies.
‘This is one of the truly great rivalries in world sport, for so many of the right reasons, and it is our responsibility to keep it that way.
‘Whether the clubs meet at Old Trafford or Anfield, all supporters must focus entirely on backing their team and both Jurgen [Klopp] and I trust that we can count on that happening today.’
Liverpool boss Klopp echoed his rival’s sentiment in his pre-match press conference: ‘I think [the issue] is super important.
‘There are different aspects but one aspect is that I don’t hear it, honestly, when I am on the sideline but I get told it happens and that is obviously not great but in general it is just helpful that we educate our kids in specific things: respect, understanding, all these kinds of things.
‘I just see it that way that two of the biggest clubs in the world, let’s just show a bit of class in these moments, so don’t sing this or that, just show class, have a fight on the pitch, let’s just play football, if you want be happy, if you lose, whatever.
‘But besides all of that just show a bit of class, that would be my wish really for all of us.’
What is being done about it by football clubs?
Ahead of the 2023/24 season, the Premier League alongside the Football Association and the English Football League, introduced tough new measures inorder to crackdown on tragedy chanting.
This included ‘enhanced sanctions’ for those involved, with supporters found guilty facing stadium bans and criminal prosecution.
In 2023, James White, 33, was banned from football for four years for wearing a shirt with the No.97 and the words ‘Not Enough’ – a clear reference to Hillsborough – at the FA Cup final.
Clubs have the power to issue longer, if not lifetime bans to fans found guilty.
They have also been working on education and rehabilitation programmes to eliminate the issue, with the foundations of Liverpool and Manchester United recently coming together to inform young people about the tragedies and the impact on their communities.
‘It is unacceptable to use the loss of life, in relation to any tragedy, to score points, and it is time for it to stop,’ said John Shiels, CEO of the Manchester United Foundation.
‘We are proud to come together with LFC Foundation as we believe education will break the generational cycle on this issue and help thousands of young people across this region understand the impact tragedy-related abuse has.’
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