Liverpool and Everton will next week oppose plans to make them play at neutral venues when the Premier League restarts, with Merseyside Police having no objections to any matches at Anfield or Goodison Park “in relation to crime and disorder”.
Jürgen Klopp’s runaway leaders will be denied any opportunity to win the club’s first league title in 30 years at Anfield under plans outlined by Mark Roberts, the national lead for football policing and deputy chief constable of South Yorkshire Police.
Police want six “high risk” matches switched to neutral venues amid the coronavirus pandemic - Everton v Liverpool, Manchester City v Liverpool, Newcastle v Liverpool, Manchester City v Newcastle and Manchester United v Sheffield United - and “the game in which Liverpool could secure the league title”, according to a statement.
That could be the Merseyside derby on the weekend of 20-21 June should City lose at home to Arsenal on the reopening night of 17 June. Other games, including several London derbies, are also being considered for neutral venues.
National police want the matches moved to reduce demands on officers during the public health crisis and to discourage fans from gathering outside stadiums. Merseyside Police, however, have confirmed they have no problem with matches taking place in Liverpool as scheduled, although the final decision rests with the local safety advisory group.
Liverpool’s city mayor, Joe Anderson, claimed in April that the season should be cancelled and Klopp’s team awarded the title to avoid the possibility of fans celebrating outside Anfield. His comments were met with dismay by Liverpool, who said there was “a lack of evidence to support such claims”.
Their position has not changed during discussions over Project Restart and the club rejects the suggestion that Liverpool fans, and football supporters in general, can not be trusted to observe lockdown rules. There was further unease at Anfield when it emerged several of their games were being considered for neutral venues. The games identified were not proposed or discussed at Thursday’s Premier League meeting.
Both Merseyside clubs will argue their case for playing at home - only the rearranged derby effects Everton – at a safety advisory group meeting expected next week. SAG meetings involve the clubs, supporters groups such as the Everton Fans Forum and Spirit of Shankly, Liverpool council, police and other emergency services plus the Sports Ground Safety Authority.
Liverpool have been working on detailed plans to play without fans inside or outside Anfield since football stopped in mid-March. The club accepts there are risks but believes they are manageable. For their part, Everton question the sporting integrity of playing the derby at Anfield in December but not the return fixture at Goodison. The clubs will be prevented from hosting matches at Anfield or Goodison, however, should SAG refuse to issue a licence. Given the unprecedented situation it is possible SAG could refuse on government advice.
The assistant chief constable of Merseyside Police, Rob Carden, confirmed: “Merseyside Police is ready to provide whatever policing is required of us in relation to games being played at our Premier League stadia once the season restarts. In relation to crime and disorder we have no objections to any of the Everton or Liverpool home fixtures being played at their respective grounds. We have a good working relationship with both clubs and their fan groups, and are content we can work together in advance of the restart of the season.
“Decisions in relation to public health risk are made by the government and Public Health England and ultimately the final decision rests with the Safety Advisory Group, which is chaired by Liverpool City council in line with the decisions made nationally in relation to sporting events.”
Commenting on the matter during an interview with BeIN Sports, Klopp said: “We didn’t hear that yet [where games will be played]. I’m pretty sure we can sort the season here as well in Liverpool. We have the best fans in the world so now we can have the best stay-at-home fans in the world.”
The Premier League chief executive, Richard Masters, said on Friday he expected a decision on neutral venues in the next seven to 10 days and that he wanted the season “to be played out on the pitch and try to keep it as fair as it possibly can be”. Masters also said there was optimism surrounding a phased return of fans to stadiums during the 2020-21 season.
In a statement the Premier League said its ambition “is to complete all of our remaining fixtures this season home and away, where possible. We are working with our clubs to ensure risks are assessed and minimised, while cooperating with the police at a local and national level.”
It added: “Discussions with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and UK Football Policing Unit have been positive and are continuing. We are prepared for all outcomes and have a neutral-venue contingency.”