Latest news with #JollyMiller
Irish Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Concerns continue to mount over Liverpool FC parade after new image emerges
Concerns are escalating over the handling of Liverpool FC's Premier League victory parade, which culminated in a car ploughing into throngs of fans, resulting in nearly 80 injuries. A total of 79 pedestrians, including children as young as nine and an elderly individual aged 78, were injured when a vehicle struck fans on Water Street following the victory parade on Monday, May 26. In the wake of Monday's distressing events, questions have been raised about various aspects of the parade's organisation, safety measures, and traffic management protocols. The parade drew around one million people to Liverpool's streets as the team bus traversed a 15km route. Many are questioning how the vehicle managed to enter Water Street, which was pedestrianised for the event. However, concerns extend beyond this incident, with attendees raising issues about other parts of the route where cars and larger vehicles shared the road with large crowds. Specifically, the decision to keep one side of Queens Drive open has come under scrutiny. Given the sheer number of attendees, vehicles - including Heavy Goods Vehicles - were on the road simultaneously with many pedestrians, reports the Liverpool Echo. A concerned father, who attended the parade with his five year-old son, has shared photographs with that show large lorries and coaches driving along Queens Drive around 20 minutes prior to the team bus passing through. The images depict people and children in the road as vehicles are passing, raising serious safety concerns. Reflecting on the situation, the father remarked: "Looking at it now after what had happened, how on earth is a lorry allowed to drive through hundreds of people lined on both sides of the road?". Echoing his concerns, a former Merseyside Police officer, who joined the parade with his children near the Jolly Miller pub, revealed: "As soon as we got to the Jolly Miller I could see that they had closed the inbound carriageway, where the parade bus would come through, but they hadn't closed the other side." This led to numerous vehicles, including many Heavy Goods Vehicles, attempting to navigate the crowded road amidst a large number of people who were effectively trapped due to the crowd's size. The former officer noted: "There were lots of us asking what was going on, why were these vehicles being allowed through when there were so many people in the road? It instilled a bit of fear and anxiety. I couldn't believe they were still allowing traffic through that area." Following the alarming incidents during the parade in Water Street, questions are now swirling about the safety protocols established by the organisers. Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims from Merseyside Police shared details of the preparations for the parade, remarking: "In the lead up to this event we have been working closely with event organisers and a robust traffic management plan was put in place for the parade which included a number of road closures throughout the route and the city centre." Liverpool City Council has not yet released an official comment on questions surrounding its safety measures, but acknowledged receiving correspondence from elected officials on the issue, noting that council officers will respond in full shortly. On Friday, 53 year old Paul Doyle appeared in court, facing several charges in connection to the incident at the parade; he is being held on remand and will return to court for his plea hearing in August.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
New Liverpool parade images raise questions as cop 'couldn't believe' his eyes
Attendees of Liverpool FC's Premier League victory parade reported chaotic scenes along the 15km route, with vehicles - including heavy goods lorries - sharing roads with dense crowds Concerns are mounting over the organisation of Liverpool FC's Premier League victory parade after a car ploughed into crowds on Water Street, injuring 79 people - including children as young as nine. Roughly one million fans had gathered for the celebration on May 26, and questions are now being asked about various organisational elements beyond the Water Street incident. Attendees reported chaotic scenes along the 15km route, with vehicles - including heavy goods lorries - sharing roads with dense crowds. One father, attending with his five-year-old son, captured images of large vehicles navigating Queens Drive just 20 minutes before the team bus arrived, with children clearly visible in the road. The dad said: "Looking at it now after what had happened, how on earth is a lorry allowed to drive through hundreds of people lined on both sides of the road?" A former Merseyside Police officer was equally concerned about Queens Drive staying open as he joined the parade close to the Jolly Miller pub with his children. He told Liverpool Echo: "As soon as we got to the Jolly Miller I could see that they had closed the inbound carriageway, where the parade bus would come through, but they hadn't closed the other side. "This meant that lots of vehicles, including dozens of Heavy Goods Vehicles, were trying to get along the road among loads of people, who were basically penned in because of how big the crowds were. There were lots of us asking what was going on, why were these vehicles being allowed through when there were so many people in the road? It instilled a bit of fear and anxiety. I couldn't believe they were still allowing traffic through that area." Calls are growing louder for answers about traffic management and crowd safety - and how the celebration ended in disaster. Cllr Alan Gibbons, who leads the Liverpool Community Independents Group, submitted a Right to Know request to Liverpool City Council requesting "urgent clarification and accountability" over safety and planning for the event. In an email to council chief executive Andrew Lewis, Cllr Gibbons said: "It is important to know whether sufficient measures were undertaken to protect the public. Based on footage circulating on social media and mainstream news outlets, a number of critical questions arise surrounding the circumstances of the incident, the preparedness of the authorities, and the overall safeguarding of the public." Clir Gibbons raised several questions about incident details and response, and whether lessons were learned from past events. He specifically asked about risk assessments, identification of vehicle-borne threats, and measures taken to prevent unauthorised vehicle access to parade routes. He added in his email: "Why does footage appear to show no visible police presence in the vicinity at the time of the vehicle entering the area? What was the contingency plan in the event of a vehicle breach, and how was it communicated to officers and stewards on duty?" Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Carl Cashman has also called for a judge-led full independent inquiry into the parade. Speaking about the safety measures taken ahead of the event, Merseyside Police's Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims said: "In the lead up to this event we have been working closely with event organisers and a robust traffic management plan was put in place for the parade which included a number of road closures throughout the route and the city centre." Paul Doyle, 53, from Liverpool, appeared in court on Friday charged with various offences connected with the parade crash incident. He was remanded in custody to appear in court next for a plea hearing on August 14.
Glasgow Times
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Liverpool celebrate Premier League success with fans in city centre parade
Red smoke canisters were let off as the team's open-top bus – emblazoned with the words 'Ours. Again' – crawled its way through the heaving mass of supporters who defied the rain to celebrate a record-equalling 20th championship. They and the club had been denied this occasion when they ended a 30-year drought in 2020 due to coronavirus restrictions but they made up for the missed opportunity on a dank day by the Mersey. The 10-mile long parade took three-and-a-half hours but the finale on the Strand was worth the wait for those who had gathered in the shadow of the Liver Building before 10am to ensure a prime spot. Liverpool City Councillor John Hughes estimated in excess of one million people were attending, beating the 750,000 present for the 2019 Champions League parade. Hundreds ignored police advice not to climb on structures – or adhere to the 'no pyro' request – as every vantage point, ranging from multi-storey car parks, scaffolding, rooftops, on top of petrol stations, traffic lights and lamp posts, was taken. An estimated one million people turned out to watch Liverpool's title parade (Peter Byre/PA) Head coach Arne Slot said it was the best day of his career. 'By far the number one, far more than you could expect or dream of maybe,' he said. 'I won a few things before but this cannot compare with anything.' It began at Allerton Maze in a relatively calm environment with Henry, in dark glasses and dressed in a red hoodie and poncho to keep out the rain, availing himself of the refreshments aboard the bus early on. The players were taking Van Dijk's advice to make sure they enjoyed the moment, with Toxteth-born Curtis Jones front and centre for most of the route alongside Dominik Szoboszlai and the departing Scouser Trent Alexander-Arnold at the back of the bus, standing on the seats to hold the trophy above his head. Mohamed Salah (left), Dominik Szoboszlai (second left), Curtis Jones (centre left) and team-mates on the bus during Liverpool's parade (Peter Byrne/PA) Jones said: 'Unbelievable. It's my second one (title) but this one feels more special as I've played more of a bigger role in this.' The first two and a half miles raced by in 40 minutes with the streets fully lined but not packed. The remainder of the route was more of a crawl, often stop-start, and where the bus made the turn towards the city centre at the Jolly Miller pub the crowd was 20 to 30 people deep in places. That had almost doubled by the time they reached the closing stretch where on-board DJ Calvin Harris, originally recruited by fellow Scot Andy Robertson for the 2022 cup double parade but requested by Van Dijk this time, cranked up the fans' favourite tunes.
South Wales Argus
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
Liverpool celebrate Premier League success with fans in city centre parade
Red smoke canisters were let off as the team's open-top bus – emblazoned with the words 'Ours. Again' – crawled its way through the heaving mass of supporters who defied the rain to celebrate a record-equalling 20th championship. They and the club had been denied this occasion when they ended a 30-year drought in 2020 due to coronavirus restrictions but they made up for the missed opportunity on a dank day by the Mersey. The 10-mile long parade took three-and-a-half hours but the finale on the Strand was worth the wait for those who had gathered in the shadow of the Liver Building before 10am to ensure a prime spot. Liverpool City Councillor John Hughes estimated in excess of one million people were attending, beating the 750,000 present for the 2019 Champions League parade. Hundreds ignored police advice not to climb on structures – or adhere to the 'no pyro' request – as every vantage point, ranging from multi-storey car parks, scaffolding, rooftops, on top of petrol stations, traffic lights and lamp posts, was taken. An estimated one million people turned out to watch Liverpool's title parade (Peter Byre/PA) Head coach Arne Slot said it was the best day of his career. 'By far the number one, far more than you could expect or dream of maybe,' he said. 'I won a few things before but this cannot compare with anything.' It began at Allerton Maze in a relatively calm environment with Henry, in dark glasses and dressed in a red hoodie and poncho to keep out the rain, availing himself of the refreshments aboard the bus early on. The players were taking Van Dijk's advice to make sure they enjoyed the moment, with Toxteth-born Curtis Jones front and centre for most of the route alongside Dominik Szoboszlai and the departing Scouser Trent Alexander-Arnold at the back of the bus, standing on the seats to hold the trophy above his head. Mohamed Salah (left), Dominik Szoboszlai (second left), Curtis Jones (centre left) and team-mates on the bus during Liverpool's parade (Peter Byrne/PA) Jones said: 'Unbelievable. It's my second one (title) but this one feels more special as I've played more of a bigger role in this.' The first two and a half miles raced by in 40 minutes with the streets fully lined but not packed. The remainder of the route was more of a crawl, often stop-start, and where the bus made the turn towards the city centre at the Jolly Miller pub the crowd was 20 to 30 people deep in places. That had almost doubled by the time they reached the closing stretch where on-board DJ Calvin Harris, originally recruited by fellow Scot Andy Robertson for the 2022 cup double parade but requested by Van Dijk this time, cranked up the fans' favourite tunes.
Irish Independent
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Watch: Liverpool celebrate Premier League success with fans in city centre parade
Red smoke cannisters were let off as the team's open-top bus – emblazoned with the words 'Ours. Again' – crawled its way through the heaving mass of supporters who defied the rain to celebrate a record-equalling 20th championship. They and the club had been denied this occasion when they ended a 30-year drought in 2020 due to coronavirus restrictions but they made up for the missed opportunity on a dank day by the Mersey. The 10-mile long parade took three-and-a-half hours but the finale on the Strand was worth the wait for those who had gathered in the shadow of the Liver Building before 10am to ensure a prime spot. Liverpool City Councillor John Hughes estimated in excess of one million people were attending, beating the 750,000 present for the 2019 Champions League parade. Hundreds ignored police advice not to climb on structures – or adhere to the 'no pyro' request – as every vantage point, ranging from multi-storey car parks, scaffolding, rooftops, on top of petrol stations, traffic lights and lamp posts, was taken. Head coach Arne Slot said it was the best day of his career. 'By far the number one, far more than you could expect or dream of maybe,' he said. 'I won a few things before but this cannot compare with anything.' It began at Allerton Maze in a relatively calm environment with Henry, in dark glasses and dressed in a red hoodie and poncho to keep out the rain, availing himself of the refreshments aboard the bus early on. The players were taking Van Dijk's advice to make sure they enjoyed the moment, with Toxteth-born Curtis Jones front and centre for most of the route alongside Dominik Szoboszlai and the departing Scouser Trent Alexander-Arnold at the back of the bus, standing on the seats to hold the trophy above his head. Jones said: 'Unbelievable. It's my second one (title) but this one feels more special as I've played more of a bigger role in this.' ADVERTISEMENT The first two-and-a-half miles raced by in 40 minutes with the streets fully lined but not packed. The remainder of the route was more of a crawl, often stop-start, and where the bus made the turn towards the city centre at the Jolly Miller pub the crowd was 20 to 30 people deep in places. That had almost doubled by the time they reached the closing stretch where on-board DJ Calvin Harris, originally recruited by fellow Scot Andy Robertson for the 2022 cup double parade but requested by Van Dijk this time, cranked up the fans' favourite tunes.
