Liverpool Football Club is investigating after a fan was left with head injuries when a lit flare was thrown at her face during the final game of the Premier League season.
The woman, who has asked not to be named, had travelled to Anfield from the South West to watch the Reds take on Wolves in the tense season finale on Sunday May 22. Liverpool won the game but lost out to Manchester City in the race for the league title.
Towards the end of the match, as Mo Salah finally put the Reds ahead, a red flare landed in the Wolves section. The flare was then thrown back from the Wolves section towards Liverpool fans.
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The female fan said: "It was like slow motion, I could see it flying towards me but I just couldn't move out of the way. I was very disorientated and my initial instinct was that my hair was on fire (I could see flames and smoke) and I thought my nose was broken as I could feel blood."
The woman was supported by surrounding fans and stewards and led to a first aid room where she was treated by paramedics, St John's Ambulance staff and a doctor. She said: "I had a very nasty bump on the head, a crack to the nose and was in shock with extremely high blood pressure."
Thankfully she was not knocked out and did not have concussion but weeks later she still had bad facial bruising, scars, head pain and a cracked nose. She now wants to raise the issue of flares at football matches and how dangerous they can be.
She said: "We are seeing more flares at matches and I don't think people know how dangerous they can be. I would like to see football clubs do more to stop people bringing flares into football grounds."
Liverpool FC said it was investigating the incident and working with Wolves to establish the facts and identify the culprits. The club said no fan should have to experience something like this at a football match.
A club spokesperson said: “Liverpool Football Club condemns the use of pyros and flares by any supporters. Being in possession of a pyrotechnic device at a football match, or attempting to bring a pyrotechnic device into a football stadium, is also a criminal offence. In addition to any possible criminal prosecution, anyone found guilty of breaching the terms and conditions of entry, will be subject to LFC’s sanction process which could include lifetime bans from future LFC matches.”
