Premier League leaders Liverpool disagree with the Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson. He told the BBC that “the best thing to do is to end the season” and he is concerned about fans gathering outside Anfield amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Anderson does think Liverpool should be crowned Premier League champions (they sit 25 points clear at the top) but that any return to action behind closed doors would cause further problems for the police in the City of Liverpool.
Here was the statement Liverpool released responding to the comments made by Mayor Anderson.
“As a club, we are aware of and disappointed by comments attributed to Mayor Joe Anderson in a media interview which was published today. As well as a lack of evidence to support such claims, we would also point to recent discussions with Mayor Anderson relating to the possibility of any behind-closed-doors football, which concluded that it is important that key stakeholders across the city continue to engage and work collaboratively.”
Liverpool added that they have “engaged with supporters’ groups who have informed us of their determination to respect social distancing measures and, in the event of a resumption of football being announced, we would continue to work with them and other key stakeholders in keeping with our collective desire to achieve this crucial objective.”
The Anfield club added that they’re “in regular contact with the Mayor and his office and we hope these conversations can continue” and their main focus is on helping the NHS and other local charities during the pandemic.
Anderson feared there would be a “farcical” situation if fans congregate outside Anfield to celebrate a title win, even with the games planned to be played in neutral venues.
“I think the best thing to do is to actually end the season. It isn’t just about Liverpool – they’ve clearly won the league – they deserve it, they should be crowned league champions. The bottom line is, though, this is about health and safety and people’s lives and I think football should have to come second in regards to making a choice here,” Anderson said.
Details regarding the Premier League’s ‘project restart’ will be discussed in the latest club meeting on Friday as the UK government are in talks with the league about a possible return to action on June 8.
