Liverpool’s footballing prowess has made it the most successful club in England, but that wealth of honours has sometimes been tinged by tragedy.
Among Monday's crowds at the victory parade that was marred by a car striking supporters, were those who had witnessed the 1989 disaster at Hillsborough football ground in which 97 people died. A decades-long search for justice ensued for the families of the victims.
This month, Liverpool announced plans for a new memorial to mark 40 years since the 1985 Heysel Stadium disaster, in which 39 football supporters died before the European Cup final against Juventus in Brussels. The anniversary falls on Thursday this week.
Now the celebration of the 2024/25 Premier League victory – matching Manchester United's record 20 titles to go alongside the club's eight FA Cups and six European Cups – has been marred by horrific scenes.
This week's incident, while not comparable with Heysel or Hillsborough, still sounded echoes of those distressing times.
That there were, to date, no fatalities on this occasion was a measure of the emergency services' preparation for a mass event, with 750,000 people on the streets to celebrate the latest title win.
That meant medics were on hand to look after those injured by the Ford Galaxy that ploughed into the crowd. Police have arrested a white British man, 53, on suspicion of attempted murder, dangerous driving and drug driving.
His ethnicity, released at unparalleled speed by the police, also probably prevented further tragedy after lessons were learnt following last year's stabbings in Southport, a town 30km north of Liverpool, where three young girls were murdered.
Social media, which had sparked race riots after misinformation in the Southport attack, was already fomenting blatant untruths about terrorism minutes after Monday's attack. Liverpool’s sizeable Muslim community was on edge, fearing a backlash, before the official message came out.
Adversity
Liverpool’s resilience was also sorely tested in the 1980s under Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government, when unemployment and economic hardship were rife.
But this created a depth of spirit witnessed in shared adversity that has made the city unique. The strength of character among the city's half-million population was instantly recognisable in the compassion and care shown on Monday night.
“Liverpool has always pulled together in a tragedy or a disaster like this,” Peter Scarfe, chairman of the Hillsborough Survivors Supporters Alliance, told The National.
Alongside footballing tragedies, incidents such as the killing of three girls at a dance class or a terror attack in the nearby city of Manchester have galvanised its people, he says.
“We've got the lived experience of the aftermath of Hillsborough, Heysel, the Manchester arena attack [in 2017] where we had people from Liverpool killed, and then Southport, the city has just pulled together. We either know someone or we know someone who knows someone affected.”
Among those was a woman from his organisation whose father had been injured at Hillsborough. She was at Monday's parade and immediately dropped to her knees to help a man she saw knocked down by the vehicle.
“That's a measure of how many times we've been here as a city and how we pull together and support each other,” he added.
No matter what club they came from, whether its Liverpool or Everton, “everybody will stand” together, said Pat Moloney, a local councillor.
“We've seen this so many times in Liverpool, where there is such a strong local identity and strong support.”
The city’s “virtuous circle of success” had, Mr Moloney suggested, led to them being in places that others clubs had not, where calamity could strike.
That success, said Mr Scarfe, meant that its fans had experienced both distressing and uplifting moments. “They know how to deal with it. They also know how to avoid certain situations. It's not wrong place, wrong time, it's just that with success you travel more, achieve more and experience more.”
Blame game
The Muslims among the Hillsborough survivors had feared that Monday's attack was a deliberate act of terrorism that would be blamed on their community.
“We've got members who are from Muslim backgrounds who were there,” said Mr Scarfe. “The first thing they said to me was, ‘I pray that it's not a Muslim’ because they would have been blamed for this if the attacker’s background had not been released straight away.”
That was important as Imam Adam Kelwick, a faith leader from the Abdullah Quilliam Mosque in Liverpool, warned that far-right social media accounts were making false accusations that the perpetrator was a Muslim, minutes after the attack.
He told The National people had contacted him to say they felt “unsafe”, “isolated and targeted” as the fake news agitators pointed the finger at Muslims.
Mr Kelwick, who lived in Sheffield at the time of the Hillsborough disaster, was at the parade on Monday and said it was a “very sad end to what was a happy day".
But he cautioned against comparing the two incidents, out of respect for the fans who were affected by them.
For some survivors of those earlier tragedies, Monday's crash had a triggering effect.
John Ashton, a doctor and Liverpool supporter who tended to the injured at Hillsborough, told The National the incident brought back memories.
“I've become very apprehensive about big crowds and I'm very sensitive to when arrangements don't look as robust as they should do,” said Dr Ashton.
“So I was feeling quite triggered on Monday night. I think the people who were at Hillsborough may well have found yesterday particularly difficult.”
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
How to help
Donate towards food and a flight by transferring money to this registered charity's account.
Account name: Dar Al Ber Society
Account Number: 11 530 734
IBAN: AE 9805 000 000 000 11 530 734
Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
To ensure that your contribution reaches these people, please send the copy of deposit/transfer receipt to: [email protected]
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
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Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
The five pillars of Islam
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
The specs: Hyundai Ionic Hybrid
Price, base: Dh117,000 (estimate)
Engine: 1.6L four-cylinder, with 1.56kWh battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 105hp (engine), plus 43.5hp (battery)
Torque: 147Nm (engine), plus 170Nm (battery)
Fuel economy, combined: 3.4L / 100km
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
SPECS
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Fixtures
Sunday, December 8, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v USA
Monday, December 9, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – USA v Scotland
Wednesday, December 11, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v Scotland
Thursday, December 12, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v USA
Saturday, December 14, ICC Academy, Dubai – USA v Scotland
Sunday, December 15, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v Scotland
Note: All matches start at 10am, admission is free
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England Test squad
Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Dawid Malan, Jamie Porter, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes.
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
Barcelona 0
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
Saturday 15 January: v Canada
Thursday 20 January: v England
Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly, Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya Shetty, Kai Smith
