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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Ian Doyle

Liverpool ejected 16 Chelsea fans after Hillsborough chants as home support praised

Liverpool ejected a number of Chelsea supporters from Anfield on Saturday as they continue to address the offensive singing that has once again marred a match involving the Reds.

A total of 16 fans were removed from the away end for offensive chants in relation to the Hillsborough disaster during the goalless Premier League meeting between the sides.

It is understood each supporter was given an initial warning by stewards not to repeat the chants, and were then escorted from the stadium after failing to comply.

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There has been a rise in such chants since the return of full stadia following the coronavirus pandemic, with Liverpool continuing to work with the relevant authorities to ensure they are eradicated altogether.

The Reds, meanwhile, regard the game against Chelsea as a success in the ongoing attempts to banish homophobic chanting from Anfield.

There were two separate and isolated incidents of such chanting involving home fans outside the stadium before kick-off, with both being arrested and presently dealt with by Merseyside Police.

It prompted a message to be read over the public address system inside Anfield during the game to remind supporters homophobic chanting will not be tolerated.

In the first game of last season at Norwich City, Liverpool fans were roundly criticised for mass homophobic chanting towards Chelsea player Billy Gilmour, who was on loan at Norwich at the time.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp subsequently met with the founder of the Kop Outs initiative, Paul Amann, and spoke strongly about the need for a change in attitudes, with the club's Red Together campaign also working with Kop Outs and other fans.

The Reds believe supporters have acknowledged the message and improvements have since been made, but that there were two arrests on Saturday indicates more work needs to be done.

Writing in the matchday programme for the game, Klopp said: “With Chelsea being our opponents, it makes sense that I also show gratitude to our supporters for the work they have done in stopping a chant which does not fit in with the traits of our city, our club or our people.

“I will not refer to it by name in this column because I think the less we can hear about it and see it the better but the really, really positive thing is that fans have come together to try to make it a thing of the past. Hopefully this will carry on not only today but also in the future.”

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