Ahead of Sunday’s Premier League match with Norwich City at Anfield, the club has sat down with prominent Reds supporters group Spion Kop 1906 and hashed out an agreement that will see flags return to the Kop in the usual fashion for the meeting with the Canaries.
The usual flair and bravado was missing from the famous stand during the meeting with West Ham United over a fortnight ago with the Liverpool hierarchy trying to impose restrictions on flags and banners that were described as “needless” and “disappointing” by members of the group. An attempt to have banners registered and to have all flag bearers accredited was promptly and rightly rejected by those who bring so much to the match day experience, but it would now appear that the club have swerved a potential public relations disaster.
“Today we met with the club who have recognised that accreditation and a register is unnecessary,” read a tweet from Spion Kop 1906 after a meeting with the club over the fractious issue. “We’ve agreed a process, on our terms, what we believe will work going forward.”
That, of course, is good news all around. With the atmosphere at Anfield suffering greatly over the last couple of years, the club should be encouraging rather than hindering fan participation at every possible level. Although the expansion of the Main Stand is set to increase match day revenue and help Liverpool compete with their wealthier rivals, keeping Anfield traditions — especially those on the Kop — alive at a time when ticket prices are keeping fans out of the stadium is of the utmost importance.
