Fans of the two Merseyside clubs were warned today that inappropriate behaviour will not be tolerated at the two forthcoming Scouse derbies.
Police in Liverpool are asking both Everton and Liverpool fans to enjoy the upcoming Merseyside derbies in the right way and cut out any abusive chanting.
One song in particular is said to be of concern to police, who are anxious that the inappropriate chants heard from both sets of supporters at previous recent derbies will flare up again.
Anyone caught chanting anything deemed offensive faces ejection from the ground and the chance of receiving a Football Banning Order which would prevent them attending matches. Police are taking advice from the Crown Prosecution Service and are drawing up a dossier of unacceptable chants.
"We will speak to the CPS to see if what is sung is viewed as abusive," Football commander for Merseyside police Chief Supt Dave Lewis said earlier.
"We could arrest people and charge them. We won’t be arresting hundreds as we haven’t got the resources to do so and could prompt a mêlée.
"Some of the singing can be abhorrent and we have to draw a line under it."
The action follows the recent investigation by Hampshire police in to the alleged racist and homophobic chanting suffered by Portsmouth's Sol Campbell during his team's fixture with Tottenham Hotspur recently.
"We always urge our fans to behave appropriately, not just at derby games, but at every match," Ian Ross, a spokesman for Everton FC asserted.
"At a previous derby at Anfield there was some pretty unpleasant chanting from both sets of supporters, although it was not racist or homophobic."
The first of the two highly anticipated derbies takes place in the Premier League on Monday evening, and is followed by an FA Cup fourth round tie six days later. Both games take place at Anfield.
Police in Liverpool are asking both Everton and Liverpool fans to enjoy the upcoming Merseyside derbies in the right way and cut out any abusive chanting.
One song in particular is said to be of concern to police, who are anxious that the inappropriate chants heard from both sets of supporters at previous recent derbies will flare up again.
Anyone caught chanting anything deemed offensive faces ejection from the ground and the chance of receiving a Football Banning Order which would prevent them attending matches. Police are taking advice from the Crown Prosecution Service and are drawing up a dossier of unacceptable chants.
"We will speak to the CPS to see if what is sung is viewed as abusive," Football commander for Merseyside police Chief Supt Dave Lewis said earlier.
"We could arrest people and charge them. We won’t be arresting hundreds as we haven’t got the resources to do so and could prompt a mêlée.
"Some of the singing can be abhorrent and we have to draw a line under it."
The action follows the recent investigation by Hampshire police in to the alleged racist and homophobic chanting suffered by Portsmouth's Sol Campbell during his team's fixture with Tottenham Hotspur recently.
"We always urge our fans to behave appropriately, not just at derby games, but at every match," Ian Ross, a spokesman for Everton FC asserted.
"At a previous derby at Anfield there was some pretty unpleasant chanting from both sets of supporters, although it was not racist or homophobic."
The first of the two highly anticipated derbies takes place in the Premier League on Monday evening, and is followed by an FA Cup fourth round tie six days later. Both games take place at Anfield.
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