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Police urged to take action against Liverpool fan for grim gesture at Everton supporters

Police are being urged to take action against a Liverpool fan for grim gesture made at Everton supporters during the Merseyside derby.

Footage surfaced on social media of the fan in the away end, with the Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance ( HSA ) since criticising the person seen in the clip.

They said via their Twitter account: “As a Liverpool fan why would you do this and even think it’s funny. @LFC @MerseyPolice he needs identifying and banning. We’re constantly telling fans of other clubs to stop using Hillsborough and Heysel slurs/gestures yet one of fans goes and does this. When is this ever going to stop 😡”

In response to some replies, they added: “We can’t have one rule for us one rule for others. By doing what he’s doing he’s showing total disrespect to those who died at Heysel.

“That’s Everton fans filming Liverpool fans. You moan if things don’t get called out but then call people grasses…… make your mind up,.”

The game itself saw Everton dent Liverpool’s Premier League title hopes with a 2-0 win at Goodison Park, the Toffees’ first Merseyside win at home since October 2010, thanks to Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin being on target.

The fan’s grim gesture comes in the same week that a Manchester United supporter admitted tragedy chanting, telling a court he was “ashamed.”

Michael Avery, 45, pleaded guilty to a public order offence at Manchester Magistrates’ Court in April 2024 after making gestures related to the Hillsborough and Heysel stadium disasters at the FA Cup quarter-final between Manchester United and Liverpool in March.

Avery, who was ordered to pay £1,205 and given a three-year football banning order, told the court: “I just want to reiterate that I’m just deeply sorry and I really regret what I did. I’m ashamed and embarrassed.

“Everyone that knows me has obviously felt this as well. It’s just a difficult situation. I wish it never would have happened. I regret it terribly. I hope other people look on what’s happened to me and think twice before they do anything at football games.”

Tess Kenyon, prosecuting, told the court the case involved tragedy chanting at the Old Trafford game on March 17th, which Man Utd won 4-3.

A video from a Twitter user, was played in which Avery could be seen putting his hand over his face with his fingers splayed.

The court was told that the gesture was a reference to the Hillsborough disaster, in which 97 Liverpool fans were unlawfully killed following a crush at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final.

Avery was also seen pushing with two hands, which the court was told was a reference to the Heysel stadium disaster, where 39 Juventus supporters died at the Italian club’s 1985 European Cup final meeting with Liverpool.

The defendant, wearing a black long-sleeved polo-shirt, sat with his head down as the short video was played twice.

Ms Kenyon said: “The defendant’s gestures are abusive in the context of what they denote and they were directed towards Liverpool fans at this football match.”

She said in court that the viral video led to the defendant presenting himself at a police station the following day where he told officers people were “getting the wrong end of the stick”.

Ian Huggan, defending, said Avery was a “family man” with a job in the construction industry.

He said: “He feels that he has not only let himself down but his family and close friends.”

Magistrates told Avery, of Cranham Road, Manchester, he was issued with a ban from from attending football matches in the UK for three years and would have to surrender his passport when certain games were played outside the UK.

He was given a fine of £800 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £320 and prosecution.

New guidance from the Crown Prosecution Service means that any chanting or gestures about tragedies can be classed as a criminal offence under the Public Order Act 1986, which outlaws behaviour in public that intentionally causes ‘alarm or distress’.

Football clubs and officials are part of the crackdown with stadium bans and football banning orders issued to fans caught tragedy chanting, while CCTV footage from within the stadium is also handed over to the police.

In some instances, football tragedies such as Hillsborough, Heysel or the Munich air disaster (and sometimes tragedies not football related) may be referenced in a football context, directly or indirectly, in such a way as to amount to abusive or insulting words or behaviour.

Such conduct may amount to an offence under the Public Order Act 1986, notably under section 5 (harassment, alarm or distress) or section 4A (intentional harassment, alarm or distress). A decision whether to charge and, if so, what to charge will depend on the facts of each case.

As mentioned, police are being urged to take action against a Liverpool fan for a grim gesture back at Everton supporters…

@StevieHKop1: Get him banned

@master_kvoth: Well said. This disgusting habit of using tradgedies for one-upmanship needs to stop regardless of what team you support. I hope this person is given some education and is suitably embarrassed by his behaviour

@skonklord: Who the fuck is this and why did no one around him say anything?! Wtf!?! We condemn everyone else for it, then one of our own?! Ffs

@NooseB201: This is pretty disgusting. Never seen a Liverpool fan do this before. Get him banned for life.

@Nirosta: If anyone knows this idiot please do let Merseyside police know. From a Liverpool fan (filmed by an Everton fan). LFC I wouldn’t expect this from one of your own supporters, absolutely disgusting.

@BeniToffee: @MerPolCC Death mocking at a football match. This needs dealing with for consistency purposes. #LFC he’s one of yours, call him out

@DaveW_1878: So @MerPolEFC @LFC @HillsboroughSu1 can we have this ‘fan’ identified and banned please? Or is it different rules for them?

@DJBandy92: It’s just such a weird thing for him to do… it doesn’t even make sense

@DWevill: He definitely should be reported, completely wrong, JFT97 YNWA

@Nirosta: People are laughing with him. Absolutely disgusting

@BluegoblinEFC: Sad that, very sad

@Elizabe30520611: He needs to be Identified Very quickly. the Sooner the better. There is absolutely no need to do this in these days. He is the lowest of the low.

@HopeSolo1990: Great post. Haven’t seen people calling for his name, address, employer etc etc. can’t have one rule for one and one for another. If he gets found and banned I think a lot of fans of other clubs will have a lot more respect for that stance in the future

@CoppellRob: Hope he gets a ban.

@04radders: His face is clear for everyone to see he should be DEALT with

@F0reverEvert0n: If this was a blue he’d be ripped apart on here, it’s ok for reds tho yeah?

@sandrokottos: This is absolutely despicable! I just don’t get why a Red of all people would do this 🤬. And to make it worse, nobody around him seems bothered about it. I hope someone pulled him up on it shortly afterwards because it’s unacceptable. He should be done like the United fan. Grim.

@charlhennessy1: Doesn’t matter what club you support death/tragedy mocking is NOT OK. You deserve the same consequences as everyone who’s done it before you….. no doubt he’s been identified by now. Good on whoever filmed it!

@sarahblue1878: Get him banned from every ground in the country for life. He’ll have time for therapy then

@Vaughanie10: Is this not subject to a 3 Yr banning order now under the new legislation.. A Man Utd fan just got convicted last week for the same thing.. ??

@jrewingL4: State of this stupid twat. How can we ask for ending of tragedy chanting and sympathy to our cause when we’ve got gobshites in our own fanbase doing shite like this. Throw the book at him. Hard.

@jakelawless_: Imagine this was the other way round

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