Eight people have been arrested after tragedy chants were heard during Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Manchester United at Anfield, police have confirmed.
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Eight arrested at Liverpool v Man Utd gameReports of tragedy chanting at AnfieldPolice send message after taking swift actionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Merseyside Police revealed they had detained eight people at the Premier League match on Sunday following reports of tragedy chanting. The force said a 46-year-old man from Church Warsop, Nottinghamshire, and a 28-year-old man from Hendersonville, Tennessee, United States, were arrested under Section 5 of the Public Order Act (Tragedy Chanting). Police added that five men and one woman were asked to voluntarily attend interviews under caution on suspicion of the same offence.
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Chief Inspector Lisa Ledder said: "Football fans who chant about tragedies cause huge distress to those families and people directly affected. The tragic loss of life is not a subject for tribal point scoring, and this behaviour has absolutely no place in football. Regardless of team affiliation, we will continue to work with clubs to take action to identify and bring any perpetrators to justice. I hope the arrests of these individuals sends a clear message and acts as a deterrent to others that you risk getting a criminal record and ending up in custody if you choose to engage in this despicable behaviour."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Both Liverpool and United have been subjected to tragedy chanting over the years. The former have been targeted by rival fans over the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, where 97 Reds fans were killed at an FA Cup clash against Nottingham Forest. And United have been targeted over the 1958 Munich Air Disaster, which saw eight players die on a flight back from Belgrade. The police and others want to stamp this out from the game once and for all.
AFPWHAT NEXT?
Elsewhere, Liverpool are next in action against Tottenham on Wednesday in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup whereas United face Arsenal in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday.
