Liverpool fans booed the national anthem at Wembley today ahead of the club’s FA Cup final against Chelsea.
It should not come as a surprise, however, as it is part of the Liverpool supporters’ long-established opposition towards the establishment.
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Occasions such as major domestic cup finals, where the national anthem is traditionally performed ahead of kick-off, are an opportunity to voice those views, as explained in this piece by The Independent’s Tony Evans.
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Liverpool fans’ booing of the national anthem became widespread in the 1980s and during the Conservative government’s “managed decline” of the city.
The failings of the government following the Hillsborough disaster further entrenched those feelings.
That anger against social and economic inequality among a left-leaning city and fanbase have remained, and the anthem continues to be booed when Liverpool play at Wembley.
Under the Conservative government in the last decade, many from Merseyside feel they continue to be let down by the state and believe the foodbanks outside Anfield and Goodison is evidence of widening inequalities.
With Liverpool once again returning to Wembley for a major cup final, their first in the FA Cup since 2006, it is therefore a platform for fans to express their frustration at the establishment that they believe continues to let them, and others around the country, down.
