Man charged with tragedy chanting following Liverpool v Manchester City match

A 19-year-old man has been charged with tragedy chanting and eight others have been arrested following a Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City.

Kian Holt, from Medlar-with-Wesham, Lancashire, faces a charge under Section 3 of the Football Offences Act 1991.

He is due to appear at Sefton Magistrates' Court on 8 January, Merseyside Police confirmed.

In addition to Holt, eight other men from Greater Manchester and Cheshire aged between 28 and 57 were arrested on suspicion of the same offence during the high-profile fixture at Anfield.

These individuals have been released on bail as investigations continue.

Meanwhile, two other men, aged 58 and 47, from Rochdale, were also arrested in connection with the chanting but were later discharged for voluntary attendance.

Merseyside Police have not disclosed further details about the nature of the chanting, but the Football Offences Act makes it a criminal offence to engage in any form of offensive or disruptive chanting related to football tragedies.

The arrests follow heightened concerns over antisocial behaviour during top-flight matches, with clubs and authorities increasingly cracking down on such incidents.