{"id":296475,"date":"2023-11-06T22:25:40","date_gmt":"2023-11-06T22:25:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports-life-news.com\/?p=296475"},"modified":"2023-11-06T22:25:40","modified_gmt":"2023-11-06T22:25:40","slug":"liverpool-turn-up-the-heat-on-luton-town-after-fans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports-life-news.com\/soccer\/liverpool-turn-up-the-heat-on-luton-town-after-fans\/","title":{"rendered":"Liverpool turn up the heat on Luton Town after fans"},"content":{"rendered":"
Liverpool were forced to contact Luton on Monday questioning their response to the tragedy chanting that marred Sunday’s draw between the two sides.<\/p>\n
Bedfordshire Police confirmed in the afternoon that they were in discussions with Luton about the issue.<\/p>\n
Not long after, the FA released a statement ‘strongly condemning’ the offensive songs’ and revealing they are seeking observations from Luton and the police.<\/p>\n
But before that, Mail Sport understands, the Anfield club were compelled to send correspondence regarding the lack of public response from Luton about the behaviour of a section of their fans.<\/p>\n
Liverpool also offered to help educate Luton and their fans on tragedy chanting and the hurt it causes.<\/p>\n
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Luton fans were heard tragedy chanting during their home 1-1 draw against Liverpool\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Bedfordshire Police have been confirmed they were in discussions with Luton about the issue<\/p>\n
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Liverpool contacted Luton in regards to their response to fans tragedy chants about the Hillsborough Disaster<\/p>\n
Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n
The two sides meet again at the end of February in the return fixture and they are keen to avoid a repeat.<\/p>\n
Liverpool and their fans have worked with supporters of other clubs including major rivals Manchester United and Manchester City on the issue in the past.<\/p>\n
Luton broke their silence shortly before 7pm to finally condemn the chanting and apologise.<\/p>\n
But they also insisted, following an internal investigation by their safety and security team launched ‘at the earliest opportunity’, that ‘a number of people may have taken part without knowledge’ of the significance of the songs.<\/p>\n
Chants of ‘always the victims, it’s never your fault’ – a song that refers back to the Hillsborough Disaster – could be heard during the 1-1 draw.<\/p>\n
The chanting was called out by co-commentator and Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher live on air.<\/p>\n
The issue of tragedy chanting was one thrust into the spotlight once again ahead of the new season.<\/p>\n
A ‘crack down’ was announced by the FA following discussions including a number of relevant parties which contributed to the raised eyebrows about the delayed reaction to Sunday’s events.<\/p>\n
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Luton Town went 1-0 up courtesy of former Manchester United academy product Tahith Chong<\/p>\n
‘The issue is focused on offensive chanting, gesturing and displaying offensive messages based on football-related tragedies, which causes significant distress to the victims’ families, survivors and affected-club supporters,’ the FA said in July.<\/p>\n
‘Football authorities, supporter groups and law enforcement organisations, including the police and CPS, have united to crack down on fans who participate in this vile form of abuse.<\/p>\n
As part of ‘tough new measures’ introduced, anyone found guilty of tragedy chanting faced stadium bans and potential prosecution.<\/p>\n
An FA spokesperson said on Monday: ‘We are aware of the tragedy chanting during yesterday’s Premier League fixture between Luton Town and Liverpool, and we are seeking observations from Luton Town and further detail from the Police. We strongly condemn chanting of this nature and will continue to work closely with our stakeholders across the game, including the clubs, leagues, fan groups and the relevant authorities to proactively address this issue.’<\/p>\n
In their statement Luton said they were ‘extremely disappointed that a small number of supporters soured the occasion.’<\/p>\n
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Luton celebrate after taking the lead but were pegged back by Luis Diaz in a difficult week for the Colombian<\/p>\n
They added: ‘We see the route to persuading supporters not to repeat these chants in future is through communication and education. On this basis we are reviewing CCTV and media footage from the match, and will speak to witnesses to identify individuals who may have taken part. Any perpetrators could face stadium bans and potential criminal prosecutions.’<\/p>\n
The Premier League also announced in June that ‘a series of new measures to address the unacceptable rise in anti-social behaviour’ including tragedy-related chanting had been agreed upon following their AGM.<\/p>\n
Stewards are understood to have been given new guidance to increase their awareness of the issue and greater power to deal with guilty fans.<\/p>\n
The Premier League said: ‘The Premier League condemns the tragedy-related chanting heard at yesterday’s match between Luton Town and Liverpool.<\/p>\n
‘We continue to treat this as an unacceptable issue and are committed to addressing it as a priority. Those found guilty of tragedy-related abuse face an automatic club ban and will be referred to the police.’<\/p>\n
It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n