The Premier League have warned that those found guilty of “tragedy-related abuse” at football matches face an automatic club ban and will be referred to the police.
The governing body released a statement on Monday night condemning the tragedy chanting heard during Sunday’s match between Luton Town and Liverpool at Kenilworth Road.
In the statement, the Premier League said: “The Premier League condemns the tragedy-related chanting heard at yesterday’s match between Luton Town and Liverpool.
“We continue to treat this as an unacceptable issue and are committed to addressing it as a priority. Those found guilty of tragedy-related abuse face an automatic club ban and will be referred to the police.”
The ‘always the victim’ chant was sung by sections of the home fans during the second half of the fixture and could clearly be heard on the Sky Sports’ TV broadcast. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, who was commentating on the match for Sky, condemned the chants at the time.
Speaking after the game, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp said those who directed the taunts at the supporters in the away end should be ashamed. The Football Association then released a statement on Monday afternoon, saying they had requested more information from police over the chants.
The FA statement said: “We strongly condemn chanting of this nature and will continue to work closely with our stakeholders across the game, including the clubs, leagues, fan groups and the relevant authorities to proactively address this issue.”
Meanwhile, in their own statement released on Monday night, Luton “wholeheartedly” apologised “to anyone offended” by the chants at Kenilworth Road and confirmed they have launched an internal investigation into the matter.
