Alan Smith has had his say about the chants heard from Arsenal fans in their first visit to Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium
The Fans Supporting Foodbanks logo is displayed on the giant screens at Hill Dickinson Stadium when Arsenal fans chanted "Feed the Scousers" during their game with Everton
The Fans Supporting Foodbanks logo is displayed on the giant screens at Hill Dickinson Stadium when Arsenal fans chanted "Feed the Scousers" during their game with Everton
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Arsenal legend Alan Smith has spoken out against the vile chants by visiting fans heard during his former club’s first visit to Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday. The Gunners ensured they returned to the top of the Premier League for Christmas with a 1-0 victory over David Moyes’ men.
However, in contrast to their manager Mikel Arteta’s classy post-match gesture, congratulating the Blues on what he called their “amazing” new home on the Mersey waterfront that “was incredible to witness,” a significant section of Arsenal’s travelling supporters let themselves down with their unsavoury remarks.
Following on from similar chants by Nottingham Forest and Chelsea fans in Everton’s two previous games, Arsenal supporters chanted 'Feed the Scousers' to the tune of Band Aid’s 1984 charity record, Do They Know It’s Christmas? that raised millions of pounds for famine victims in Ethiopia.
Hill Dickinson Stadium staff responded – as they have done when there have been similar incidents in the past at Goodison Park – by displaying the Fans Supporting Foodbanks logo on the big screens inside the ground.
Prominent journalist Henry Winter has already expressed his disappointment in the Arsenal fans’ actions, remarking: “They should be above that” and “anybody who sings that is just wrong,” and now the club’s former striker Smith has spoken out on the issue.
Speaking courtesy of BestBettingSites, the 63-year-old, who won a brace of League Championships, plus the FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup-Winners’ Cup while at Highbury, told the ECHO: “I don’t know if the club have said anything, but it would help, I think, if they did.
“Nobody wants to hear that from their own fans. There’s been a lot of publicity about it, so hopefully it won’t happen next time.”
Meanwhile, Smith has also had his say on Everton not being awarded a penalty when William Saliba kicked Thierno Barry in the area
. Blues boss Moyes claimed he “half choked” when Fulham were awarded a spot-kick against Nottingham Forest for a similar incident just 48 hours later, adding that it’s difficult to assess how his team are being treated by referees right now.
Smith said: “When you see the replays, you think, well, he’s kicked his foot. I always think that with those bouncing balls, there should be a bit more leniency because both players are kicking up into it, and one’s a fraction of a second later than the other.
“So, he kicks the boot. I think it’s a bit different to something that happens on the deck.
“It was one of those 50-50s. But I think Arsenal could count themselves lucky that it wasn’t given as a pen.”
The Gunners subsequently progressed to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup with an 8-7 penalty shoot-out win over Crystal Palace after a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
The Blues return to action on Saturday when they travel to Burnley.