A controversial petition has surfaced online suggesting that Liverpool should move any potential victory parade to London, citing claims that the Reds have a larger fanbase in the south than on Merseyside. Arne Slot’s team are on track to secure a second Premier League title in five years, having opened up a 13-point lead over Arsenal.
Their last title win came in 2020, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, they were unable to celebrate in front of fans, and no parade was held in the city - unlike the one after their Champions League win in 2019 or their League Cup and FA Cup triumph two seasons ago. See the parade for Jurgen Klopp's side below:
Those celebrations drew huge crowds, with an estimated 750,000 people attending the open-top bus parade to bring Liverpool to a glorious standstill. But now, a fan using the alias "King Koppite" is calling for this year's possible celebration to take place in the capital.
Petition To Stage Liverpool's Trophy Parade in London
It has nearly 200 signatures at the time of writing
Liverpool fans letting off red flares in celebration
The petition, set up on Change.org by 'King Koppite,' states: “I, like many other loyal Liverpool FC fans, live in London, far from our team's home city in the North. The South of England and beyond is home to a majority of Liverpool FC's fervent fan base, creating a costly and time-consuming journey for us every time we aim to join in the club's victory parades.
"What we propose is not a dismissal of Liverpool's local heritage, but a recognition of the club's national - even global - reach. With the prevalence of Liverpool FC supporters in the South, moving the title parade to London would simply be a more pragmatic and inclusive approach."
It continues: “Statistics show that London holds the largest concentration of football fans across the whole of England (BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Fans Census, 2019). By moving the parade to our nation's capital, more fans would be offered the opportunity to participate in the celebration, extending the sense of community and shared victory.
“Therefore, we propose a reassessment of the location of Liverpool Football Club's title parades to better accommodate a larger portion of the fanbase, and create more inclusive and accessible celebrations. Sign this petition to help bring the Liverpool FC title parade closer to fans in the South.”
Of course, it is entirely possible that the petition has been set up by a rival fan hoping to mock Liverpool despite their success this season. Everton and Manchester United fans are among those to have shared links to the original petition on X in the hope that it gains more traction.