Salim Ahmed, a lifelong Liverpool fan from Bristol, was visiting Anfield with his wife and three children when they were spat at and racially abused by a group of youths near the stadium. The incident occurred on the evening of Friday, August 7, as the family admired murals of Liverpool heroes near the Ian Rush mural at the junction of Alroy Road and Anfield Road.
Family targeted in 'despicable' attack
Salim, 39, who runs a marketing business in Bristol, said the family had been excited about the trip, which was planned around his eldest son's birthday and the pre-season friendly against Monaco on Sunday. He told the ECHO: "My son is a crazy Liverpool fan, we all are. Everyone was really looking forward to the weekend and we were planning to go and see all the murals around Anfield in the days before the match. It was his birthday so we wanted to make it a really special occasion."
The family arrived at their accommodation on Friday and drove to the stadium in the evening. As they stood near the mural, Salim said they suddenly felt spit land on them. He said: "We suddenly heard the noise of spit and we felt it land on us. I felt it land on the back of my neck and on my hair. My wife felt it land on her and my little girl, who is only 7, it went on her clothes and her legs."
Youths shout racist abuse
Salim said there were around eight to 10 youths, aged between 10 and 14, some on bikes. After ensuring his wife and children were safe in the car, he returned to confront the group, who cycled away shouting racist abuse. He said: "They were cycling away shouting 'come on then you f****** p***', which obviously confirmed what their motivation was."
He decided not to pursue them further, saying: "Common sense prevailed, I didn't want to leave my family alone in the car." As he returned, a nearby woman called the incident "despicable", and the youths rode back and shouted again. Salim said some of the youths chased the car as he drove away, but the family managed to leave the area.
Police investigation ongoing
Salim reported the incident to Merseyside Police, who he said have been proactive in following up the case. He said: "I felt I had to report it because I don't want this to happen to another family." His daughter asked why the children had spat at them, and he explained that not everyone is nice. He added: "Of course I know not all of Liverpool is like that, elsewhere we had a really nice experience with people helping to show us where to go. We still went to see Liverpool and my son got to see Van Dijk and Szoboszlai, Mac Allister and Endo play at Anfield. But of course this incident overshadowed the trip."
Merseyside Police confirmed the report, describing one suspect as white, aged 13 to 15, wearing dark blue shorts and a light grey top with dark-coloured sleeves. Chief Inspector Andrew Fielding said: "This was an absolutely despicable abuse and assault of a family who were simply enjoying artwork near to Anfield Stadium, only to be confronted by youths intent on causing fear and distress. We are supporting the victims as our investigation continues."
Police are appealing for anyone with information, including CCTV, dashcam, or doorbell footage from around 9.30pm, to come forward. The ECHO understands that Liverpool FC is investigating and is in direct contact with Salim to help the family and police, including monitoring CCTV in the area.
