Merseyside Police share major update on bottle-throwing incident at Everton
Everton have picked up their form under the stewardship of David Moyes in recent weeks but action on the pitch is in danger of being overshadowed by incidents off it.
They won three successive Premier League matches for the first time in a long period culminating in a 4-0 hammering of Leicester.
A loss to Bournemouth followed before a sensational last-gasp draw with league leaders Liverpool as James Tarkowski bulldozed a volley into the top corner in the 98th minute.
That strike ultimately led to more trouble between both the players and the crowd as tensions were heightened.
Merseyside police confirm major update after Everton incident
Merseyside police had confirmed on 3 February that they were working with the club using CCTV to find an away supporter who threw a bottle that hit a Toffees supporter during the clash on 1 February.
They released an update in a statement in a post on X (14 February), saying: “We can confirm that a 35-year-old man from Littlethorpe has attended a voluntary interview regarding this matter and he’s been released under investigation pending further enquiries.”
No place for scenes like that in football
Of course, emotions get the better of some supporters when watching their favourite team in action, especially in tense clashes during a relegation battle or a derby match where the atmosphere goes up a notch.
We saw this during the Merseyside derby from the players when Abdoulaye Doucoure and Curtis Jones were sent off after the final whistle as tensions boiled over following a brilliant display on the Goodison turf.
However, things often get taken too far and this was evident against the Foxes when this incident occurred and on Wednesday as Jordan Pickford was struck by a bottle from the travelling support and Doucoure was subjected to racist abuse online.
Everton and Liverpool and the Premier League have condemned those actions in a joint statement but it should not happen in the first place.
There is no place in football for physical harm or any kind of abuse and it is good to see that the authorities are taking it seriously and punishing those responsible and not allowing them to walk away without penalty.
Fans need to enjoy the football and not partake in actions that put others in danger whether than be rival players or supporters, it is not acceptable behaviour.