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.”
The years Ramadan fell in May
Ahmed Raza
UAE cricket captain
Age: 31
Born: Sharjah
Role: Left-arm spinner
One-day internationals: 31 matches, 35 wickets, average 31.4, economy rate 3.95
T20 internationals: 41 matches, 29 wickets, average 30.3, economy rate 6.28
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The Cockroach
(Vintage)
Ian McEwan
The years Ramadan fell in May
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Rebel%20Moon%20%E2%80%93%20Part%20Two%3A%20The%20Scargiver%20review%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Zack%20Snyder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sofia%20Boutella%2C%20Charlie%20Hunnam%2C%20Ed%20Skrein%2C%20Sir%20Anthony%20Hopkins%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The five pillars of Islam
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More on animal trafficking
More on Quran memorisation:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
NBA Finals so far
(Toronto lead 3-1 in best-of-seven series_
Game 1 Raptors 118 Warriors 109
Game 2 Raptors 104 Warriors 109
Game 3 Warriors 109 Raptors 123
Game 4 Warriors 92 Raptors 105
Muguruza's singles career in stats
WTA titles 3
Prize money US$11,128,219 (Dh40,873,133.82)
Wins / losses 293 / 149
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Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
THE BIO:
Favourite holiday destination: Thailand. I go every year and I’m obsessed with the fitness camps there.
Favourite book: Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. It’s an amazing story about barefoot running.
Favourite film: A League of their Own. I used to love watching it in my granny’s house when I was seven.
Personal motto: Believe it and you can achieve it.
Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier
Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August
Group A
Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar
Group B
UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
UAE group fixtures
Sunday Feb 23, 9.30am, v Iran
Monday Feb 25, 1pm, v Kuwait
Tuesday Feb 26, 9.30am, v Saudi
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza, Rohan Mustafa, Alishan Sharafu, Ansh Tandon, Vriitya Aravind, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Basil Hameed, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Ayaz, Zahoor Khan, Chirag Suri, Sultan Ahmed
The five pillars of Islam
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
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Pakistan World Cup squad
Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abid Ali, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez(subject to fitness), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Junaid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain
Two additions for England ODIs: Mohammad Amir and Asif Ali
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 2
Rashford 28', Martial 72'
Watford 1
Doucoure 90'
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS
2.30pm Jaguar I-Pace – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt)
1,600m
Winner Namrood, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Musabah Al Muhairi
(trainer)
3.05pm Land Rover Defender – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D)
1,400m
Winner Shadzadi, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
3.40pm Jaguar F-Type – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner Tahdeed, Fernando Jara, Nicholas Bachalard
4.15pm New Range Rover – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m
Winner Shanty Star, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly
4.50pm Land Rover – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 2,400m
Winner Autumn Pride, Bernardo Pinheiro, Helal Al Alawi
5.25pm Al Tayer Motor – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 T) 1,000m
Winner Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
6pm Jaguar F-Pace SVR – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,600m
Winner Scabbard, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
Zayed Sustainability Prize
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
RESULT
Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')
More on Quran memorisation:
Zayed Sustainability Prize
