Liverpool delete New Year tweet following anti-Semitic abuse

Liverpool Football Club deleted a tweet in which they wished their Jewish supporters a happy new year after it was met with a series of anti-Semitic responses.

The club posted a message to their Jewish supporters on their official account, which read: “Liverpool FC would like to wish all our Jewish supporters around the world a happy new year. #RoshHashanah”.

Kick It Out, football’s equality and inclusion organisation, contacted the club having received a number of complaints about the anti-Semitic abuse on the club’s site, while also reported the alleged hate crimes to True Vision, the police’s online reporting facility.

The Anfield club removed the tweet several hours after posting it – though did so independently of any advice from Kick It Out. A spokesperson said: “Due to a number of offensive comments that were attached to a tweet on the official LFC twitter account, the tweet and comments have since been removed from the account.”

A spokesperson for Kick It Out said: “It is encouraging that a football club recognises these holidays and religious landmarks – Liverpool did the same for Ramadan – but extremely sad when a club does that in a proactive manner and gets these responses. Premier League clubs appeal to supporters around the world and it would have been nice for Liverpool’s Jewish supporters to see this message from their club, that’s the bigger issue. It should be welcomed that clubs are doing this is in a proactive manner.”