A letter has been sent to all match-going Manchester City and Liverpool fans, urging supporters to report unacceptable and inappropriate behaviours in games between the two rivals.
Last week, MEN Sport reported that both clubs held a high-level meeting in November to call a truce after a number of unsavoury incidents in matches between City and Liverpool - culminating in an acrimonious fixture at Anfield in October where coins were thrown at the City bench, and unacceptable graffiti mocking the Hillsborough disaster left in the away concourse. City alleged their bus was attacked on the way out of Anfield, as it was on the way in to the same stadium in 2018, while the Blues felt that pre-match comments from Jurgen Klopp about their spending power also contributed to a toxic atmosphere.
However, the clubs have now come together to attempt to improve relations off the pitch and in the stands, with last month's meeting being attended by supporter representatives of both clubs, plus safety officers and senior management. Now, City CEO Ferran Soriano and Liverpool counterpart Billy Hogan have sent a letter to supporters asking for their help.
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The letter, which will be sent to season-ticket holders and UK match-going fans from both clubs, condemns a minority of supporters for 'behaviours and actions that have no place in our game.' Fans are asked to report any such incidents, including 'inappropriate gestures, chanting, throwing of objects, as well as any and all forms of discrimination.'
The clubs have vowed to ban any fans responsible for such behaviour, while other activities are planned this week to improve relations and educate fans in the build-up to Thursday's Carabao Cup clash. Liverpool will bring a larger-than-usual following to the Etihad due to EFL Cup regulations regarding away supporter allocation.
The letter reads: "We write to you today on behalf of both Manchester City FC and Liverpool FC, ahead of our Carabao Cup match at the Etihad Stadium later this week.
"As with any meeting between our clubs, it promises to be a fantastic spectacle of football and we are sure that you are all counting down to kick-off with much anticipation following the break in domestic football for the World Cup.
"The passion and enthusiasm that we see from our fans when we play each other – at the Etihad Stadium or Anfield – is part of what makes matches between our clubs so special, and we know you are committed to creating a stadium environment where everyone is welcomed, accepted and has a fantastic matchday experience.
"Regrettably, based on recent meetings between our clubs, we also know that a minority of fans are responsible for behaviours and actions that have no place in our game.
"We are therefore writing to ask for your full support in tackling these behaviours and to ensure that both of our Clubs’ good names are preserved. You can help us by reporting any incidents via the options at the bottom of this email so they can be investigated.
"We appreciate that some fans may not be aware of the impact of their behaviours on other fans, both inside and outside the stadium, and we will continue to work with our fans on this education.
"It is however important for everyone to be aware that we are fully committed to dealing with unacceptable behaviours and will take action by issuing bans to those found to be responsible.
"We have engaged the Chairs from both our respective fan groups in our discussions and have their full backing to help create the right environment for our matches.
"If we all stand together to report the behaviours and actions that cause harm - including inappropriate gestures, chanting, throwing of objects, as well as any and all forms of discrimination - then we can all concentrate on supporting our teams.
"Thank you for taking the time to read this email, and for your commitment to help eliminate unacceptable behaviours in football.
"We hope you enjoy the match.
"Kind regards,
"Ferran Soriano, Chief Executive Officer, Manchester City FC. Billy Hogan, Chief Executive Officer, Liverpool FC.
"Fans can report any incidents on matchday by talking to a stadium steward, downloading the Kick-It-Out app, visiting https://www.liverpoolfc.com/redtogether/reporting-online-abuse or emailing mancity@mancity.com."
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