Man arrested following tragedy chants during Chelsea vs Liverpool match

A man has been arrested following reports of ‘tragedy chanting’ at Sunday’s Premier League football match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.

Some home fans were heard chanting offensive songs during the first half of the match that referred to the Hillsborough disaster. The Mirror reports chants of ‘always the victims’ and ‘murderers’ could be heard coming from the stands.

The Metropolitian Police confirmed on Sunday that one fan had been arrested on suspicion of public order offences, while another man was ejected from the stadium as a result of the incident. The force’s Football Unit said they worked with host club Chelsea to identify the two male suspects.

The arrest comes after football fans were warned ahead of the new season that they face being banned from football matches if they commit tragedy-related abuse. The Crown Prosecution Service also updated its guidance on football related offences so that tragedy chanting can be prosecuted 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.