Sarah Langworthy, Communications Officer. Tel 0151 225 5582. Mob 07793 660 570.
PRESS RELEASE EMBARGOED UNTIL 6AM MONDAY 16 MAY 2016
City council announce potential victory parade plan
PLANS are in place for a potential victory parade should Liverpool Football Club win the UEFA Europa League.
The title holders will not be confirmed until Wednesday 18 May, however due to the major logistics behind an event of this scale, the city council is announcing its intentions today to ensure residents and businesses in the city can prepare for the potential event.
Should Liverpool FC win the title, the city council will then formally invite them to hold a victory parade in the city the following day - Thursday 19 May. It will start at 5pm and is expected to last for several hours, with rolling road closures on the route which will inevitably cause disruption.
The city council has been working to plan out the event, which will see the Liverpool team parade the Europa League trophy on an open top bus.
The route starts on West Derby Road, at the junction of Green Lane, and will head towards the city centre travelling along:
· Islington
· Churchill Way
· Dale Street
· Water Street
· The Strand
· Wapping/Chaloner Street (junction of Sefton Street), where it will end.
Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said: “We know many people are superstitious and don’t want to think about a victory parade until the title is in the bag, but unfortunately that isn’t an option for those involved in organising an event of this scale.
“Whether we have a parade depends on the results on Wednesday, but due to the number of roads being closed and the impact this has on businesses and residents, it makes sense that we are as prepared as we can be. We need the information to be made public in order to cause as little disruption as possible.
“There is of course the safety element as well – we will undoubtedly see massive numbers of people head into the city to mark this fantastic achievement and we want people to be able to celebrate the success of their team safely.”
If it takes place, the parade is expected attract hundreds and thousands of people, so the city council has key advice for fans:
· Utilise the full length of the route. There will be no central focal point to the parade and the bus will not be stopping along the way.
· Decide which part of the route you want to wait at and arrive in plenty of time.
· Be patient – it is impossible to predict how long it will take the team bus to travel along the route.
· Due to the number of people coming in to and out of the city, it is anticipated there will be long queues for public transport.
Merseyside Police will be supporting the city council to ensure members of the public can enjoy the parade safely.
Chief Superintendent Jon Ward said: “Should the parade take place we would expect a large number of people to gather along the route and we will be supporting Liverpool City Council, who are the organisers of the event.
“There will be large number of police officers on the streets throughout the area, who will be providing a reassuring presence and making sure that fans can enjoy the parade in safety.
“An extensive road closure programme will be put in place and some disruption to traffic is unfortunately inevitable, but a route has been planned to give thousands of residents the chance to celebrate Liverpool’s success.
“I would ask people to make themselves aware of which roads are affected so they are fully prepared and make use of public transport wherever possible.”
Put Merseytravel message in here
ENDS
Notes for Editors
Press accreditation
Liverpool Football Club will be dealing with all requests for access to the media bus. Please email
Please note, press access is extremely limited and not everyone is guaranteed access.
Merseyside Police
To help ensure that people going to the parade have a good day Merseyside Police is issuing the following, easy to remember, crime prevention measures, which can be used by people to avoid becoming a victim of crime during the celebrations.
· Make sure your purse/wallet/mobile is not on display and that you don't leave your handbag unattended
· When in crowded places be aware of who is around you and where your purse or wallet is and don't carry large quantities of cash
· Take care of your mobile phone and be aware of those who are around you when you use it
· Don't get involved in arguments - just walk away
· Be responsible for your belongings and ensure if you have a bag that you don't leave it unattended
For more information, please contact Sarah Langworthy, Communications Officer, on 0151 233 0071 or 077936 60570.
For the latest news from Liverpool City Council, visit www.liverpool.gov.uk or www.twitter.com/lpoolcouncil
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Liverpool City Council Newscentre, Room 130, Municipal Buildings, Dale Street, Liverpool L2 2DH. Out of hours 0151 233 3040.