Groups of Liverpool fans have agreed to remove the display of flags at the Kop end of Anfield for tomorrow’s Europa League clash against Atalanta.
The planned protest is a response to Liverpool’s announcement last week that ticket prices will increase by two per cent for the 2024/25 season.
Liverpool fans voice disappointment about ticket price increase
Various groups of Liverpool fans have come together since last week’s announcement that season tickets and members’ matchday tickets will be increased by two per cent. Liverpool have explained the decision to raise ticket prices due to increased operational costs at Anfield. However, this explanation has not gone down well with Liverpool fan groups, and as a result, there will be no flags in the Kop for the visit of Atalanta on Thursday evening.
Spion Kop organise the flags and banner displays at Anfield before home matches, and on X.com (formerly Twitter), they posted the following statement, “We are disappointed in the football club’s decision towards ticket prices for 24-25. In response, there will be no flags on the Kop for Thursday night’s game. Unlike the club’s own approach, this has been agreed in consultation with other fan groups.
“We will pay our respects to the 97 with Hillsborough flags only at this weekend’s league match (against Crystal Palace on Sunday), as always with it being the closest game to April 15.
“There is still a chance for the club to hold some positive dialogue with the Supporters’ Board in time for Saturday’s meeting. Until then the supporters have one message: No to ticket price increases.”
We are disappointed in the Football Club’s decision towards ticket prices for 24/25. In response, there will be no flags on The Kop for Thursday night’s game. Unlike the Club’s own approach, this has been agreed in consultation with other fan groups
— Spion Kop 1906 (@SpionKop1906) April 10, 2024
Another prominent fan group, Spirit of Shankly, posted a similar statement on X.com, “For a second successive season, Liverpool have chosen to increase ticket prices for supporters. This is despite record commercial revenues and a place as the seventh-richest football club in the world. They didn’t have to do this.”
Klopp responds to planned protest by Liverpool fans
Jurgen Klopp responded to a question about the planned protest by Liverpool fans during his pre-match press conference on Wednesday with the following answer, “That the flags are not there? No, as long as the people are it’s all good. I understand the concerns and the discussion [around ticket price increase] but it’s just a tricky one from my point of view.
“To say I didn’t even know about it [would be a lie], I was told about it pretty much before the press conference. [My] opinion is clear, we want to have the people in the stadium, we want to make it available for everybody and stuff like this.
Jurgen Klopp on the protest at Anfield tomorrow over ticket price increases (no flags on the Kop):
“That the flags are not there? No, as long as the people are it’s all good.”
“I understand the concerns and the discussion [around ticket price increase] but it’s just a tricky… pic.twitter.com/BtRvTaD6Ad
— DaveOCKOP (@DaveOCKOP) April 10, 2024
“We are a self-sustaining club, as long as I’m here we can tell everybody which pounds we earned that went directly back into football – that was always the case. So it’s not wasted or something.
“I could tell you all the good things the club is doing for the community, but I can understand 100% where the supporters are coming from and I’m pretty sure they will find a solution. It starts maybe with a protest and then we need follow-up discussions. But what we should make sure is that nothing gets between us and the supporters – between the two big whistles we just have to be Liverpool