Arne Slot was asked on Friday about the Liverpool supporters’ planned protest against ticket price increases, and he said the team still needs its fans behind them when Crystal Palace visit this weekend. Spirit of Shankly, the club’s main supporters’ group, said it will hand out thousands of yellow cards outside the stadium before kick-off and encourage fans to raise them in the 13th minute.
Slot said disputes are part of football, but argued that even when supporters are protesting, they are still there for the team. He pointed to a protest two weeks ago against Fulham and said Liverpool still had backing that day. “That is what is needed tomorrow especially for someone like Freddie Woodman and the rest of the team,” he said.
The protest follows Liverpool’s decision to raise ticket prices from next season, a move Spirit of Shankly has urged FSG to reverse. In an open letter before the Crystal Palace game, the group said it understands the need to run the club sustainably, but does not believe that should come at supporters’ expense.
The letter set out the numbers behind that argument. It said Liverpool’s total revenues have grown by 133% to £703m, matchday revenue is up by 85%, and matchday operation costs have increased by 85% over the past decade. The group said those figures show the costs are covered and asked why fans should carry the burden now.
Earlier this month, some fans walked around the stadium during Liverpool’s win over Fulham holding a banner reading “No to ticket price increases.” That earlier demonstration and the yellow-card plan this weekend show the same message is growing louder: the argument between supporters and the club is no longer about whether there is a complaint, but how far the club is willing to go before it listens.
Spirit of Shankly said supporter representatives face a long-term responsibility to protect the club’s traditions for future generations. Slot, meanwhile, said the team will need the crowd on its side at Anfield, regardless of the protest. That leaves Liverpool heading into the Crystal Palace game with the same split that has now become impossible to ignore.
