Football seeks to rid itself of tragedy chanting. With the help of the law
Plus: A shock resignation at Liverpool City Council
Dear readers — the soggiest and most depressing summer in memory continues apace, but if there’s one thing that can be described as neither soggy nor depressing, it’s The Post’s Monday briefing. Once again we’re kicking things off in celebratory tones after a great weekend: 16 new paying members signed up across Saturday and Sunday, a big welcome if that’s you. And if you’d like to join them (and 1162 others) well, we won’t try to stop you…
The Post
What an amazing response to our weekend read, which saw David Lloyd return to the 80s and 90s — the decades where Liverpool witnessed a mass exodus of talented young people (a “pyroclastic flow”) to ask what was lost, and whether we learnt any lessons…
The comments section turned up a brilliant debate as ever. Some felt we’d captured the essence of Liverpool’s problems perfectly. Others felt the “Liverpool-bashing” went too far. But what do you think? Here’s a flavour of the comments, do get among them:
- “Cracking article — touched a raw nerve with me and I imagine so many others.”
- “What a great read. Such a well crafted piece.”
- “A very interesting post where I veered between ‘do one will you’ and ‘fair point well made’. I even learnt a new word, pyroclastic.”
Today’s edition looks at the issue of tragedy chanting. For years, Liverpool FC supporter’s groups have campaigned for tougher measures to crack down on rival fans singing songs that mock the Hillsborough disaster, and a recent announcement from the Football Association looks like progress. Elsewhere, we’ve got a shock resignation at Liverpool City Council, cocktails and vinyl on Bold Street and perhaps even a slight improvement in the weather. But no promises.
Editor’s note: Last week, paying members of The Post received two great editions. The tale of the ultra-powerful Liverpool industrialist whose story has been mostly written out of the history books (until we got hold of it) and a deep-dive into the moral conundrum of Jordan Henderson’s transfer to Saudi Arabia (with a hefty £700,000 a week wage), which has left many Liverpool fans feeling betrayed. All of our work is funded by paying members, from the salaries of writers and editors to the coffee and biscuits. If you’d like to support what we do — and receive 16 editions a month in return — we’d love to have you on board. We’re now 22 members short of the 1200 mark and it would be great to get there before the month’s out.
This week’s weather
Monday ⛅ Sunny intervals and a moderate breeze with highs of 17°C
Tuesday 🌧️ Light rain and a gentle breeze with highs of 17°C
Wednesday ⛅ Sunny intervals and light winds with highs of 21°C
Thursday ⛅ Sunny intervals and a moderate breeze with highs of 26°C
Friday 🌦️ Light rain showers and a moderate breeze with highs of 21°C
Weekend 🌦️ Light rain showers and a moderate breeze with highs of 20°C
This week’s weather forecast is sourced from BBC Weather and it’s for Liverpool.
Open Newsroom: If you want to tell us about a story or give us some information, please email editor@livpost.co.uk. We are always happy to speak to people off the record in the first instance, and we will treat your information with confidence and sensitivity. Here are a couple of groups we’d be particularly keen to hear from:
- If any Post readers play in the local Merseyside chess leagues, and would be willing to talk about recent accusations of cheating, email jack@livpost.co.uk.
- We’re looking into Liverpool’s grandest pubs. From Dr Duncans to The Vines, the city has a whole host of architecturally stunning public houses that have stood the test of time. Yet some are facing financial difficulties that could see their doors closed for good — know a place that fits the bill? Get in touch abi@livpost.co.uk
The big story: How can we get rid of the tragedy chanters once and for all?
Top line: New measures to crack down on tragedy chanting could see the criminal prosecution of offenders singing songs mocking Hillsborough and other disasters.
Context: Tragedy chanting is a term used to describe songs sung by football fans mocking tragedies experienced by rival supporters. Most notoriously, these include songs about the Hillsborough disaster, in which 97 Liverpool fans were killed in 1989, and the 1958 Munich air crash, in which 23 Manchester United players and staff died. Following talks between football’s governing bodies and the Crown Prosecution Service, singing these songs can now be classed as a public order offence.
"The guidance, which assists prosecutors when making legal decisions on cases, set out how lawyers can apply for Football Banning Orders which not only stop fans attending matches, but also can impose other restrictions, such as not being able to travel to certain areas, or be allowed in pubs at game time and travel during tournament times.”
The sanctions being put forward include the following measures:
- Clubs have unanimously agreed to make criminal prosecution of offenders a key aim.
- Increased powers to ban supporters from stadiums, including possible bans from attending Euro 2024.
- Educational measures are also being rolled out, including in-stadium, in-classroom and in-person resources.
Not everyone is in favour of legal action though. Earlier in the year a Manchester United fan was arrested at the FA Cup final for wearing a shirt with the number 97 on the back below the words “Not Enough” (a reference to the number of deaths at Hillsborough). In June he pleaded guilty to “displaying threatening or abusive writing likely to cause harassment” and was fined over £1000.
“With the greatest respect, you can’t just arrest people for offending others. Where does it end?” read one widely shared tweet. The opinion-based online magazine Liverpolitan has previously questioned the use of the law in such scenarios, while fully condemning the actions of any perpetrator. After Liverpool FC said they would bring “the full force of the law” down on tragedy chanting in April last year, they asked: “But what does the law say and should the singing of ugly songs be protected under freedom of speech provisions?”
Many others, however, believe legal action is one of the most effective ways to stamp out tragedy chanting once and for all. Labour’s West Derby MP Ian Byrne has campaigned on this issue for a long time, and responded to the new measures by saying: “Delighted to see the football authorities across the board act with a raft of measures to eradicate the tragedy chanting which poisons our game.” Byrne also leads the Truth Legacy Project initiative, which seeks to educate people about the Hillsborough disaster.
Bottom line: Although questions have been raised over the freedom of speech implications of making arrests for offensive language, the criticism has been fairly muted. Numerous Liverpool fan groups have fought for decades to eradicate tragedy chanting, which many Hillsborough survivors — or relatives of those who lost their lives — cite as incredibly distressing to hear during matches. Speaking to The Times last year, well-known campaigner Margaret Aspinall, who lost her son James at Hillsborough, said: “We have been hurt enough and we do not need these vile chants to hurt us any more.”
Your Post briefing
A strange court case came to its conclusion at Wirral Magistrates court last week, in which a citizen journalist using the alias 'Art Hostage' was found guilty of harassment after making numerous online accusations about high-profile murders, including the killing of Olivia Pratt-Korbel. Art Hostage — real name Paul Hendry — is known for his large followings on Youtube (7,000) and Twitter (11,000). On the former, he posts lengthy transmission-style videos in which he reels off information about gangs and criminality in Liverpool, often openly naming gang members or linking them to unsolved crimes. Merseyside Police initially issued a "cease and desist" order after Hendry made claims about the killing of nine-year-old Olivia, which they feared would disrupt the trial of her killer, Thomas Cashman. He agreed, but then made comments about a separate trial which ultimately led to a man being assaulted. He was fined £1,010.
Frazer Lake — the council's cabinet member for adult social care and health — has resigned, stating he will be leaving the role to take up a job at a trade union. The shock announcement came just weeks after former mayor Joanne Anderson claimed both she and Lake tried to remove the director of Liverpool’s children’s services after reading a heavily critical Ofsted report. The Ofsted report — published in May this year — cited “serious weaknesses” in the system for children who need help or protection, with children “being harmed or at risk of harm”. Lake has faced backlash over his surprise resignation on social media, with some accusing him of jumping ship as a result of the report. He has repeatedly stated on Twitter that his resignation had nothing to do with the report’s findings.
A photographer who captured Liverpool’s changing landscape over six decades ago has gone viral on Twitter. Matt Ballantine posted images taken by his father Malcolm — a BBC broadcast engineer — during his visits to Liverpool in 1966, including images of slum clearances in the city and areas recovering from the bombing raids of WW2. Malcolm, now 81, said: "As a Londoner working for five weeks in Liverpool, I used to wander around on my day off just taking photographs. I developed the negatives but never printed the photos. I put them in a drawer and forgot all about them until a few years ago.” Take a look at the striking images here.
An investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) has unveiled the shocking trading of weapons in Merseyside as part of a deep dive into Liverpool crime brothers Craig and Ashley Gallagher. ‘Belter’ machine guns, pistols and Scorpions (the weapon used to kill Elle Edwards in December last year) were all being flogged via Encrochat — an encrypted phone network used by criminals. Craig Gallagher, from Childwall, was recently jailed for 24 years for the transfer of firearms, however his brother, Ashley, remains a fugitive, believed to be hiding overseas.
Home of the week
This four bedroom detached home in Southport is on the market for £320,000. It has a glass conservatory, a good sized garden and a real showstopper of a family bathroom. Take the full tour here.
Post Picks
🎵 Liverpool DJ Roy heads to Bold Street on Wednesday for an exclusive vinyl night at cocktail bar L'Aperitivo. The event starts at 7pm and is free entry. Find out more here.
🧀 Wirral Farmer’s Market is back on Saturday, with everything from an eclectic array of European cheeses to fresh veg, meat and poultry. Have a look.
🏢 Also on Saturday, Pete Hooton and Keith Mullin from The Farm will host the Liverpool Music Icons Tour: a whistle stop tour of some of the most important venues in the city centre. The tour starts at LIPA, before weaving in and out of gig spots, recording studios and pubs. Find out more about the tour here.
🎸 Indie legend Miles Kane performs a stripped back acoustic set at Hangar 34 this Friday, ahead of the release of his new album, One Man Band. The event starts at 7pm — buy tickets here.
Our favourite reads
In case our weekend read didn’t fully sate your appetite for David Lloyd’s writing, here’s a recent piece written for Wirral’s Left Bank magazine. It’s a several thousand word globetrotting lesson in the art of regeneration, spanning from Leith to Nantes to Malmö and all the way back home. And it asks the question: what moves do you make when you’re a plucky former shipbuilding community caught in the orbit of a flasher, more famous neighbour? Lucky for those on the other side of the river, it turns out the answer isn’t to just curl up and accept your fate. If you know your history — and your geography — then you’ll know that the sky’s the limit.
“‘There’s a lot to be angry about, isn’t there?’ singer Graham Sayle says in his warm scouse accent.” Sayle, the frontman of High Vis, is a man on a mission to bring out hardcore’s vulnerable side. He was born in New Brighton in the 80s, during the days of high unemployment and decay. His brother —- who has cerebral palsy and is autistic — was badly bullied, his former shipyard worker uncle died of asbestosis, one of his friends was killed. Speaking to The Face though, Sayle explains how music has helped him reconcile the past: “It’s like a fucking self-help album! A lot of it is me trying to understand myself and forgive.”
An interesting piece from the art world in The Critic, which criticises the “heavy-handed” 2023 edition of the Liverpool Biennial: uMoya: The Sacred Return of Lost Things. “The art in uMoya feels like an afterthought to an elaborate but not entirely convincing idea,” writes Pierre d’Alancaisez, who questions whether the exploration of slavery and colonialism lives up to its lofty ambitions. It’s not all bad news. D’Alancaisez praises Belinda Kazeem-Kamiński’s Respire — where a video of people breathing in and out of red balloons in reference to the killing of George Floyd is a “gentle and understated” portrayal of how “violence can be repurposed into meditation”. Nonetheless, he concludes that “this Biennial is guilty of advancing half-considered curatorial ideas”.
Letters from readers
Liverpool is very tribal too, don't forget. People live and enjoy things in their local areas. The city as a whole might be floundering (it's not, like but...)but there are plenty of wonderful things happening on a small scale all over the place, and it's these things that make life worth living, ‘Why does Liverpool lose its brightest and its best?’, Eliza Lewis
As a life-long Shankly Red I am considering a temporary departure from my club and going to Marine AFC where you can watch Northern Premier League grass roots football all season for the price of a couple of LFC games. This time I cannot stomach the "Klopp's midfield crisis" headlines. My gripe is the wages have lost touch with ordinary people who pay for it to the point of obscenity. In these times of hardship and all, ‘Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has traded LGBT allyship for £700,000 a week: what do fans think?’, Ed Conley
