According to Tasnim news agency, the English FA Cup final, which was held between Chelsea and Liverpool on Saturday night, was accompanied by a political margin that was not to the liking of the English government. A group of Liverpool fans – the team that eventually won the penalty shootout – whistled whistle-blowing “God save the Queen” when Prince William entered London’s Wembley Stadium, as has been the custom since the 1980s. They did. Their move provoked a reaction from Boris Johnson’s government spokeswoman Lindsay Hill, who told the Daily Mail that the move by Liverpool fans was shameful and condemned their treatment of the British prince.
The remarks of the spokesman of the English government were accompanied by the reaction of the head coach of Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp, and he defended his team’s fans. He said: “Well, of course I have my own opinion, but in such cases it is better to ask why this happens. Our fans do not do that for no reason. I have not lived in England long enough to understand why they moved. This is definitely rooted in a historical issue. These are questions that you journalists can better answer. The fans of the team are often extremely smart and it is impossible for them to do something for no reason.
Historical roots in the Hillsborough tragedy
Liverpool fans’ dissatisfaction with the British government is rooted in what happened on April 15, 1989, in the famous Hillsborough tragedy. On that day, between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in the semi-finals of the FA Cup, 97 fans lost their lives due to the crowd that took place behind the fences of Sheffield Stadium. In fact, the choice of the stadium, despite its small capacity by the then government headed by Margaret Thatcher in order to gain popularity among citizens who were not happy with the Conservative Party, caused this incident to happen.