Treatment of football fans is “time bomb” warns Spirit of Shankly’s Gareth Roberts

Gareth Roberts from Spirit of Shankly has warned that the treatment of football fans in Europe is a “time bomb” for another disaster.

Roberts, speaking at the Liverpool Centre for Cultural, Social and Political Research at Liverpool John Moores University, discussed the 2022 Paris Champions League Final and the treatment of Liverpool fans by French police.

And he issued his warning when asked whether there had been any genuine policy changes in the four years since.

He said: “I think it’s a time bomb, the way football fans are being treated in Europe at away matches.

“UEFA need to start doing something… they need to have standards about is this city, is this ground, is this policing, is the stewarding fit for purpose, it’s the minimum ask.”

The plea follows several trips to Europe, where Liverpool fans faced harsh policing this season.

Liverpool’s trip to Galatasaray in September saw fans shuttled by bus several hours before the match, with no alternative access to the away stand.

Travelling fans were also not permitted to bring power banks to charge their phones and were held on the ground for two hours after the final whistle.

Moreover, a popular tradition of fans buying team caps as souvenirs was prohibited, and authorities seized them from fans entering the stadium.

📢We have only just been advised by the Turkish police that any fans who have have purchased any merchandise i.e. Galatasaray caps or souvenirs you will not be allowed into the stadium with these and they will be taken from you by the authorities.

— Liverpool FC Help (@LFCHelp) September 30, 2025

Liverpool also faced Marseille in January, with fans being ordered not to visit certain areas of the city or display any club colours.

Following the match, fans were again held in the stadium for several hours, leading to overcrowding and limited access to toilets.

Around two hours since full time and many Liverpool supporters are still not close to leaving Stade Vélodrome.

Kettled onto overcrowded stairwells and corridors with difficult access to toilets because of the density.

People frustrated but calm despite being treated like cattle pic.twitter.com/qvc19KwoSX

— Daniel Austin (@_Dan_Austin) January 21, 2026

Newcastle United issued a formal complaint to UEFA over the treatment of their fans following their November visit to Marseille.

Newcastle recorded similar overcrowding as well as “unnecessary and disproportionate force” by the police.

In the days following Roberts’ warning, a BBC article by Daniel Austin raised awareness of fan treatment in Europe this season.

Similar incidents were reported by Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and Aston Villa fans across trips to Italy, Turkey and Germany.

Whilst there were some positive experiences, notably among Manchester City fans who travelled to Norway to face Bodo/Glimt, Austin warned of worsening security trends, “stripping fans of dignity and in some cases leading to dangerous situations.”

These experiences reflect the sentiment of Roberts, who added: “You put your trust in these people (UEFA) when you take your son or daughter to a final or an away match.

“Quite frankly, they don’t deserve our trust as things stand right now.”

Organiser of the LJMU event Dr Jan A. Ludvigsen said: “I’m not sure if there’s any sort of policy impact (from the talk), necessarily, but I think it’s more important that people become aware of the fact that there are issues.

“I think it’s one of those topics that, because there are football games every three games, it fades away quickly.

“It’s very important to spend time and learn more about the situation. Just so fans can endure better conditions in future events.”

(Feature image used free under Alamy licence)