Liverpool Hit Back At 'Worst Fans In Europe' Report
Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry insists UEFA should focus on their own shortcomings in their organisation of the Champions League final rather than trying to "deflect attention" on to Reds fans by branding them as the worst behaved in Europe.
A UEFA report which will be presented to sports minister Richard Caborn tomorrow will brand Liverpool fans the worst in Europe. European football's governing body, who commissioned undercover police agents to compile the report over the last four years, say there have been more incidents involving Reds supporters than anyone else. The report paints a damning picture of the Anfield club's fans' behaviour at last month's Champions League final in Athens, accusing Reds fans of stealing tickets from their fellow supporters, charging the gates to get into the ground without tickets and causing trouble outside the stadium which ended with tear gas being used. But Reds chief Parry believes UEFA's failure to heed the club's warnings about potential security and ticketing problems were to blame and felt they were now trying to pass the buck, having praised Liverpool fans before the final.
"The shortcomings in the management of the situation in Athens were apparent to anyone who was there," Parry told the club's official website www.liverpoolfc.tv. "These latest comments from UEFA should not deflect attention from that reality. What is most surprising about the latest comments from Mr Gaillard is that on the eve of the final, he quite rightly commented that Liverpool supporters 'have a tradition of good behaviour'.
"Let's not forget that these same supporters who Mr Gaillard is claiming are now the worst in Europe were praised by UEFA president Michel Platini after our semi-final victory against Chelsea only last month, commended for their behaviour in Istanbul in 2005 and actually honoured by UEFA at a gala dinner in Monte Carlo in 2001 as joint Supporters of the Years with Alaves after the UEFA Cup final."
Richard Caborn, the British Sports Minister, who is meeting Platini on Tuesday, added: "I have a lot of sympathy with the Liverpool fans who paid their hard-earned money for genuine tickets but couldn't get into the ground. "The reasons for this need an urgent explanation. We have already raised the matter with the Greek authorities through our embassy in Athens and Government officials are also talking with UEFA. I will be putting this issue high on the agenda at a meeting I am to have with Michel Platini."
Parry added: "To have a stadium with no counting system and no turnstiles is unforgivable for any standard of game, let alone a major final. "We produced a report for UEFA a week beforehand predicting, sadly, all of the things that did go wrong. We told UEFA our intelligence suggested there were 5,000 forged tickets in existence. "They knew and we knew that thousands of fans would travel without tickets and we stressed the need for a proper check at the outer cordon."
Liverpool's Lord Mayor Paul Clark has hit back at UEFA's claims in the Liverpool Daily Post. He said: "UEFA appear to be trying to avoid the blame for the disorganisation of the final." Cllr Clark, who attended the Athens match, added: "To make matters worse, instead of looking at their own faults UEFA are blaming the people of Liverpool. "Saying this is typical of Liverpool fans is unfair and reflects badly on the image of the city."
Les Lawson, spokesman for the official LFC supporters' club, said: "This is typical of UEFA. Rather than look at their own shortcomings, they want to shove the blame somewhere else. "The fact they are not willing to stand up and take responsibility is worrying for fans, because that means they will never learn from their mistakes."
UEFA spokesman William Gaillard had earlier said: "The incidents involving Liverpool fans have been well known to us before the trouble at the Champions League final which involved Liverpool fans last week. "That was just the latest example. What other set of fans steal tickets from their fellow supporters or out of the hands of children? "We know what happened in Athens, and Liverpool fans were the cause of most of the trouble there. "There have been 25 incidents involving Liverpool fans away from home since 2003 and these are in the report - most teams' supporters do not cause any trouble at all."
