Merseyside Police have warned supporters not to sing offensive chants ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League clash with Chelsea on Saturday evening.
After the opening day victory over Norwich, the Reds swiftly condemned a group of travelling fans who could be heard using homophobic chants.
Billy Gilmour, on loan at Carrow Road, and parent club Chelsea were the specific targets of the abuse, which has brought the issue of homophobia in football into sharp focus.
Ahead of the west Londoners’ visit to Anfield, matchday police officers tweeted: “The use of the phrase Chelsea Rent Boy is totally unacceptable. It is extremely offensive and a homophobic slur.
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“We don’t want to dehumanise football or stop terrace banter but this must stop.
“You may be arrested and may face prosecution.”
Speaking earlier this month, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp also urged supporters to stop using the chant.
Speaking out, having invited Paul Amann, the founder of Liverpool LGBT+ supporters group Kop Outs, to the Reds' training centre in Kirkby to discuss the impact of homophobic chants, he said: “At the Norwich game, I only heard after for two reasons - the noise, thank God there was noise again, as well as the language, I don't get all the songs - but there was obviously this specific incident."
"I never understand that, why you would sing a song that is against something in a football stadium? I never got that and I never like it.
"Actually, I think it's easy - it's easy to decide not to sing that song anymore. Obviously I've since heard it. It's from no perspective the nicest song in the world, so it's not necessary.
"It obviously makes people uncomfortable of our own fan group. For our supporters group and for me, that means: done, let's go for another one. I really think it's an easy decision and should be an easy decision.
"I can imagine now that people out there think 'Come on, it's only winding them up' and stuff like this.
"But that's the problem: most of the time we don't understand. So we can decide now: this is not our song anymore.
"I'm not sure if people listen to me but it would be nice. I don't want to hear it any more for so many reasons.
"Obviously we live in a time where we learn a lot in the moment. I'm 54 now and when I was 20 we said so many things which we didn't think about and meanwhile, thank God, 34 years later we learn it's just not right to say, even when you didn't think what other people think is behind the message.
"But it's still not right and that's how we should see that as well."
