Liverpool Fans Target Man City’s 114 Breaches at Anfield
Manchester City arrived at Anfield on Sunday for their first match since being found guilty of 114 Premier League financial-rule breaches, with Liverpool supporters making the case a central part of the build-up to the fixture.
Why the atmosphere carried wider significance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Charges | 114 Premier League financial-rule breaches |
| United supporters’ clock | Reset to 51 years |
| Previous clock total | 35 years before its removal in 2011 |
| City’s 2011 trophy | FA Cup |
The reaction had already begun in Manchester on Saturday, when Manchester United hosted Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford. Supporters in the Stretford End restored the club’s old “ticking clock”, a banner which had once counted the years since City last lifted a major honour.
The original display ran through United’s dominant Premier League era and reached 35 years before City’s 2011 FA Cup victory brought it to an end. Following the verdict, United fans revived it with a count of 51 years, treating City’s honours since the Abu Dhabi takeover as void in their own protest. The cover of the United We Stand fanzine similarly placed an asterisk over each City title.
At Anfield, stalls outside the stadium sold scarves, flags and shirts directed at City. One shirt, styled in the manner of an Oasis design, carried the line: “What’s The Story, Tainted Glory?” A large sky-blue banner used the same theme, while further signs inside the ground referenced Oasis songs and lyrics.
Liam Gallagher also entered the pre-match discussion online, telling a supporter that he was outside Anfield among Liverpool fans before kick-off.
Liverpool’s coach received a loud welcome as supporters gathered on the approach to the stadium, setting off flares and singing for the home side. City’s bus, however, reached the ground with far less direct contact from the crowds.
Police arrangements brought both teams into the area at almost the same time but from separate routes. City used an entrance behind the Anfield Road end, avoiding the sort of confrontation seen in 2018, when their team bus was damaged after objects were thrown as it travelled through crowds.
Once City were inside, banners, placards and balloons ensured the home support’s view of the case remained visible. Relegation is among the potential sanctions available, a prospect that recalled City’s past years outside the top flight.
City supporters responded with a familiar symbol from that earlier period, bringing inflatable bananas to Anfield in a revival of a tradition associated with the club’s lower-division seasons.
