Liverpool fans are in uproar over the decision made by Arsenal to only offer 5,168 of a possible 9,000 for the fifth round FA Cup tie. Despite FA Cup rules stating that a club may request up to 15% of seats, Arsenal, as in the game against Tottenham, have reduced the allocation based on safety grounds. And Liverpool only have themselves to blame.
There previous poor behaviour at the Emirates is one of the two main causes as to why they have been offered almost half of what they should have been. It is all their own fans fault.
Back in 2008, Arsenal played Liverpool in the Champions League Quarter Final. The match was marred by trouble outside of the ground between Liverpool fans and the police. It is the only time there has been a major safety infringement at the Emirates Stadium.
The issues surrounded Liverpool fans turning up with fake tickets, and in many cases, without tickets. The police attempted to control this by forcing Liverpool fans to remain outside of the stadium whilst they hand checked tickets as they went through the turnstiles. This resulted in a backlog of fans outside the stadium, and many fans missing the game.
Rather than Liverpool fans blaming the fans who turned up with fake tickets, they blamed the police. In the video above, their demand seems to be simple ‘Let us in, we do not care’ despite the obvious safety issues created by too many fans being squashed into too small an area. The police made the decision to keep fans outside of the stadium, in the vast concrete surrounding the stadium, whilst they removed those fans with fake tickets and checked those fans going in that they had the correct tickets. The police were correct in their actions. Liverpool fans were the ones in the wrong.
Fast forward 6 years, and Liverpool fans behaviour has not changed. Up and down the country they ‘jib’ in. They did it in Athens & Istanbul. They seem to have no care for their own, or others safety, as they succumb to their own selfishness to see the game. Were they to behave like human beings, rather than animals, they may well of got their 9,000 tickets. But due to their own behaviour, they have had their allocation cut. It is all their fault.
Rather than blame Arsenal, blame the police, blame Islington Council, Liverpool fans need to take a look at themselves. Take a look at those standing next to them. Standing around them. It is the fans who cheat and lie their way into the stadium who create the safety issues we saw in 2008. It shows Liverpool fans can not be trusted when given big allocation’s, and it should not be a surprise that they have their allocation cut.
The other issue surrounds standing. Liverpool fans stand – as do many away fans. The problem is in the FA Cup at the Emirates is when clubs take up the full 9,000 allocation, they get the upper tier. The upper tier is steep and clearly unsafe for standing.
A club can only put on a game once a safety certificate has been issued by local council, in Arsenal’s case Islington. For the Tottenham game, Islington wrote to the club explaining that they would not issue a safety certificate if Arsenal planned to give Tottenham the upper tier:
RE: ARSENAL V TOTTENHAM – FA CUP THIRD ROUND
Further to our discussions, I write to confirm my views on the allocation for Tottenham fans for
this match.The Safety Team did a detailed evaluation of risks earlier in the year regarding issues posed by
having supporters on the upper tier. [REDACTED] the points need to be considered for each
occasion when use is an option. This identified significant risks with persistent standing and
ability to steward and police potentially disorderly and violent behaviour on the upper tier.The cup game against Chelsea proved this to be a correct assumption. Very few of the
spectators on the upper tier sat and those who wanted to were unable to do so unless in the
front rows of seats. The front two rows had been netted, as we did for previous cup games, but
this was breached by spectators wanting to sit and get out of the crowd, or by others leading
chanting and singing. The increased level of stewarding and policing had no impact on
behaviour and attempts to throw missiles onto the Arsenal fans below were witnessed. Flares
were let off in the lower tier and had this happened on the upper tier, this could have
precipitated panic amongst the standing fans.Taking each game on its merits, I would therefore not support the use of the upper tier for away
fans for this game which I believe means restricting the allocation to 5,000. Arsenal v
Tottenham games are always categorised as high risk and this match will be no different. It has
the potential to be more significant as it’s a cup game, and therefore we can only assume that
standing and disorderly behaviour will be prevalent. Persistent standing is always a factor for
visiting Tottenham supporters. No mitigation such as leaving rows vacant at the front addresses
this so the alternative is to limit the allocation to the lower tier where the risks lessen.I have attached the letter sent to Arsenal in March which sets out the reasons why we came to
the need to risk assess the use of the upper tier for each game. I reinforced the need to review
after the observations of the Chelsea match, especially given the recent advice of the SASG on
persistent standing, and conclude that it would not be advisable to use it for this match. As we
found from the review we did earlier in the year, this is in line with other grounds having a steep rake who undertake risk assessments of games before agreeing allocations and I understand from our SASG representative that Tottenham have taken similar decisions in relation to use of their upper tier.
It is likely that we will see the same situation, the same letter, for the Liverpool game. With Liverpool fans issues of travelling over and above their allocation, the game would be a logistical nightmare to ensure fans are sitting in the right seats. Add in the problem of Liverpool standing in the upper tier, and their enjoyment of flairs, the natural result is that they are given a lesser allocation, in the lower tier only. The will blame Arsenal, they will blame Islington, they will blame the police. But it is Liverpool fan’s who are at fault.
The worry is that with Arsenal dropping the allocation, 9,000 Liverpool fans may well still turn up, encouraged by Liverpool fan groups. This will create further problems outside the stadium and simply justify the club offering them a lower allocation. Liverpool fans, you only have yourselves to blame. But of course, you are Liverpool, and it’s never your fault…
Keenos
Follow @KeenosAFC
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon 
That aside , it also points to very poor planning for the stadium
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The problem lies with these fickle Gooners who suddenly come out of the woodwork and want to come to the Emirates as they are sitting on top of the league and the pathetic Gooner hierarchy want to utilise that. Not difficult (even for a thick Gooner) to work out. Not only that, Arsenal don’t want 9000 to out sing the 51,000 joke supporters. Never mind, the 5000 travelling supporters will STIll out sing the pathetic home support as they ALWAYS do. Arsenal: p*sspot club with p*sspot supporters.
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Grow up you mug
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nob
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Hopefully LFC will ensure a reciprocal gesture if any replay bis required.
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You mean like you received Everton’s allocation for the derby so you could cram more Norwegians in to you stadium?
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Reduced not received!
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Crappy story with little bases
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You want to talk about making the ground unsafe . Well you just made it unsafe for the away support on Saturday of which I am one .
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Shit stadium for a Shit club.
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Forever in our shadow
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Forever nomads.
ArseAnal the pride of SE18 6HX
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Perhaps Arsenal could provide better segregation in another lower tier for FA cup games? It can’t be that difficult.
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheRedundantSoldier
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Maby if you would give out the 9000 ticets your suposed to you would not have fans comming with fake tickets. This is clearly a way to get the upper hand in the stadium as 9000 liverpool fans would outsing 50.000 arsenal fans all day long. wont matter as 5000 will also be enugh
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Nice to see the customary bitter and twisted s*urs liker to make a invalid contribution….Does Arsenal moving from Plumstead to Highbury just over 100 years and 5 months ago still making you feel your ancestors pain due the innovation of Sir Henry Norris . Is it still fresh in the memory?…….waits for the reply about 1919..blah blah blah……hummm..1915 s*urs finished bottom of League Division one…due to match fixing between Liverpool and Chelsea who draw to ensure s*urs were relegated. Everything was decided by secret ballots up until the mid 1980’s ( know your facts)…..Sir Henry used the same tactics that s*urs had used at the expense of Lincoln City when they seeked election from the Southern League to the Football league…..Pot , kettle , black comes to mind……..And if any sets of supporters that should feel angry, twisted and bitter about 1919..it should be Wolves and Barnsley..but you never hear them moan and cry over it…..
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The Voodoo?
Such poor grammar. But expected.
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I could be wrong but if I remember correctly there were no such issues when we played Celtic ( a nice bunch may I add !). So maybe the story has some substance. As for the childish remarks….try and make an argument or don’t bother !
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There is no argument . It’s all true. Just read it.
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What a crock. of manure, Arse’s high handed attitude should not be allowed, reducing tickets on the basis of too many arriving without proper tickets makes no sense in anyones world.
The only reason Arsenal would reduce the allocation is because they know this game would sell out even if the ground capacity was doubled. It seems far more likely that the restriction is intended to reduce the amount of vocal support Liverpool have in this game, it’s churlish and petty in the extreme, I hope karma bites and they end up viewing the next rounds games from their collective sofas.
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Read the original post you clown. This bit :
The issues surrounded Liverpool fans turning up with fake tickets, and in many cases, without tickets. The police attempted to control this by forcing Liverpool fans to remain outside of the stadium whilst they hand checked tickets as they went through the turnstiles. This resulted in a backlog of fans outside the stadium, and many fans missing the game.
WE DON’T WANT ANOTHER HILLSBOROUGH BECAUSE OF YOUR SUPPORTERS STORMING THE GATES.
Nothing more needs to be said.
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That’s bang out of order Chris, no-one rushed any gates at Hillsborough so that’s clearly designed to be an inflammatory comment, like much of the article. The allocation being reduced down from 9000 has absolutely nothing to do with the allocation given out in 2008 (which would have been a standard Champions League allocation) and therefore this article is just an opportunity for the writer to insinuate that Liverpool caused Hillsborough as well, just as you have. I like how he also speaks on behalf of all 3,000 Liverpool supporters at that game.
I note that the Black Scarf movement also disagreed with the decision regarding this game. The issue is regarding the FA Cup, and allowing fans the full allocations at stadiums. Liverpool are not in uproar against your fans, hence any ‘defensive’ or ‘reactionary’ article to them being in uproar isn’t needed. No one is angry at Arsenal fans, just the club for not fulfilling the full 9,000 allocation as they should have.
But carry on.
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Yes or No?
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Nothing to do with the fact the 4000 tickets will be going to a bunch of day trippers so they can spend a small fortune in the ‘mega’ store.
Some supporters need to see the wood for the trees. Your club are having you over but you’re unable to see it
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Pingback: Liverpool FC – It’s never their fault | She Wore A Yellow Ribbon
I’m guess with Everton only getting 5,100 tickets they also stormed the gates and turned up with fake tickets years ago and its Everton fans fault that your club ignore FA rules, no away fans in the upper and will not expand the lower to 9,000 is another outrages way for a club to treat football supporters yet as normal the FA decide to refuse to make any statement. How Arsenal are able to just cut the amount of tickets is a disgrace, and before anyone come’s back I’m not moaning at your fans bar the half wit who wrote the original blog
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Asking questions are in fact good thing if you are not understanding
anything entirely, however this piece of writing gives pleasant understanding even.
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