LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, June 2, 2019: Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold kisses the trophy during an open-top bus parade through the city after winning the UEFA Champions League Final. Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur. 2-0 in Madrid. To claim their sixth European Cup. (Pic by Paul Greenwood/Propaganda)

Smaller-scale Liverpool trophy ‘parade’ could take place in September

Liverpool have been promised a title parade as soon as it is safe to do so—and that could be in September according to one report.

With public gatherings currently restricted and discouraged, the prospect of the club arranging the usual post-season parade after a major trophy is won is effectively nil.

They are, however, in discussions with the government over a potential timeline, reports the Mail.

For the Champions League parade last year, an estimated 750,000 people gathered to salute Jurgen Klopp and his team after their triumphant return from Madrid—and this league title, 30 years in the waiting and making, could be even larger.

And while the headline in the aforementioned report suggests a September parade is in the pipeline, it’s a rather smaller-scale one than the massive city gathering which will likely take longer to be organised.

Indeed, it’s not entirely clear whether the “Anfield trophy parade” refers to an actual showing through the streets that we’re used to seeing, or merely that the trophy will be shown in front of fans at the stadium.

The current target is for Premier League grounds to allow fans back in from the start of next season, in small numbers which gradually increase—but there remain obstacles to overcome there, too.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Wednesday, June 24, 2020: Liverpool and Crystal Palace players kneel down in support of the Black Lives Matter movement before the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Crystal Palace FC at Anfield. The game was played behind closed doors due to the UK government’s social distancing laws during the Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

  • Premier League clubs in talks with government over when fans can return
  • 10 per cent of less capacity would see clubs making a loss even with fans
  • 20 per cent capacity seen as more viable and fans inside ground are not the issue
  • Crowded public transport and close gatherings getting into the ground are bigger concerns
  • Plans also dependent on no second wave of coronavirus emerging

As such, if all goes according to plan, there could be supporters inside Anfield from mid-September or so, which is when the suggested ‘parade’ could occur.

Even if this is only an initial showing for those fortunate enough to be back inside the ground when it eventually reopens, the Reds have already promised they will put on a full-scale celebratory parade when safe to do so.

That was reiterated this week by City council CEO Tony Reeves and, arguably, the wait for it and the anticipation of being able to fully unleash the celebrations will only add to the expectant nature of the occasion.

It remains to be seen whether any players who depart the Reds this summer will return to be ‘on the bus’ when Liverpool are eventually allowed to hold the parade—but the fans will certainly come in their hundreds of thousands.