Everton fans condemn 'death camp' comments in station row

Everton Fan Advisory Board has urged Liverpool Council to stop using the club as a "political football" after a debate around improvement to Sandhills station led to comparisons to Nazi Germany.

During a planning meeting this week, Liberal Democrat councillor Pat Moloney said plans to implement corralling areas and sterile zones at the station were "like something out of a horrific death camp", while fellow councillor Richard Kemp likened the plans to a "greeting camp at Auschwitz".

Both councillors have since apologised for "any offence caused by the comments."

In an open letter, Everton Fan Advisory Board described the comments as "deeply inappropriate, insensitive and entirely unhelpful."

"Such language does nothing to advance legitimate concerns about Sandhills and instead distracts from the issue supporters want resolved," the fan group said.

Responding to the comments on Wednesday, Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram told BBC Radio Merseyside he had written to Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, calling for both councillors to be suspended pending investigation.

The Board said the proposals should be "revisited urgently" with greater consideration given to shelter, facilities, accessibility, queue management and overall supporter experience.

Concerns which continued to be raised were "not just the length of the wait" but also the conditions at the station, the group continued, which included poor lighting and a lack of parking.

The development of Hill Dickinson Stadium was "planned and constructed over several years, and the challenge of moving tens of thousands of supporters to and from Liverpool's waterfront was entirely foreseeable," the letter said.

"Our ask is simple: stop using Everton and its supporters as a political football and work together to deliver the improvements fans have been asking for," the fan group added.

Rob Galkoff, secretary of the Everton Fan Advisory Board, told BBC Radio Merseyside the facilities at the station were "woefully inadequate".

He called for solutions to be found before UEFA Euro 2028, when the stadium is due to host matches, and Everton celebrates its 150th anniversary.

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