Everton fan group slams council for “deeply inappropriate” Nazi Germany, Auschwitz station comparisons

Everton's Fan Advisory Board has criticised Liverpool councillors after proposed improvements to Sandhills station were compared to Nazi Germany and Auschwitz during a planning meeting.

The comments have since prompted apologies from both councillors, while the Everton fan group has urged Liverpool Council to focus on addressing the genuine concerns supporters have about the station ahead of UEFA Euro 2028.

Everton fan group calls for Sandhills plans to be revisited

During a Liverpool City Council planning meeting, Liberal Democrat councillor Pat Moloney described plans to introduce corralling areas and sterile zones at Sandhills as being “like something out of a horrific death camp”, while fellow councillor Richard Kemp compared the proposals to “a greeting camp at Auschwitz”.

Both councillors have since apologised for “any offence caused by the comments”.

Everton's Fan Advisory Board described the comments as “deeply inappropriate, insensitive and entirely unhelpful”, arguing that they had distracted from legitimate concerns about the station.

“Such language does nothing to advance legitimate concerns about Sandhills and instead distracts from the issue supporters want resolved,” the group said.

The Board has called for the proposals to be “revisited urgently”, with greater consideration given to shelter, facilities, accessibility, queue management and the overall supporter experience.

It also highlighted poor lighting and a lack of parking, insisting that concerns extend beyond simply the length of time supporters spend waiting at the station.

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said he had written to Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey calling for both councillors to be suspended pending an investigation.

Rob Galkoff, secretary of the Everton Fan Advisory Board, described the facilities at Sandhills as “woefully inadequate” and called for improvements to be made before Euro 2028.

Hill Dickinson Stadium is due to host five matches during the tournament, while Everton will also celebrate their 150th anniversary in 2028.

FGG Says: Sandhills improvements cannot wait for Euro 2028

The political row surrounding the councillors' comments has overshadowed what is ultimately a legitimate issue for Everton supporters.

With Hill Dickinson Stadium regularly attracting tens of thousands of fans on matchdays and five Euro 2028 fixtures scheduled to take place at the ground, Sandhills needs to be capable of handling those crowds safely and comfortably.

The Fan Advisory Board is right to push for better facilities, shelter, accessibility and crowd management, and the focus now needs to return to delivering those improvements rather than allowing the controversy to dominate the discussion.