A 21-year-old man from North Wales was one of eight people detained after reports of tragedy chanting at Anfield on Sunday (January 5), police have said. The man, from Bala, Gwynedd, was detained following the Premier League clash between Liverpool and Manchester United, which ended 2-2.
A 28-year-old man from Hendersonville, Tennessee, USA, was arrested after the game under Section 5 of the Public Order Act (Tragedy Chanting). Also arrested was a 46-year-old man from Church Warsop, Nottinghamshire.
The other six were asked to voluntarily attend interviews under caution. All were interviewed under suspicion of the same offence.
Chief Inspector Lisa Ledder, of Merseyside Police, said tragedy chanting caused “huge distress to families and people directly affected”. She said the behaviour has “absolutely no place in football”, adding: “The tragic loss of life is not a subject for tribal point scoring.
“Regardless of team affiliation, we will continue to work with clubs to take action to identify and bring any perpetrators to justice. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now
“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.” Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
As well as the Bala man, the other five interviewed under caution were:
- A 42-year-old man from Hale
- A 30-year-old man from Stockport
- A 59-year-old man from Congleton
- A 50-year-old man from Manchester
- A 52-year-old woman from Manchester
Find out what’s happening near you