On Monday evening, before Everton played Spurs, a red flare was set alight at the Dixie Dean statue at Goodison Park. Dean, is of course, a legend of Everton FC and Toffees fans regularly leave flowers at the statue to remember Everton fans who have passed on.
Merseyside Police say that there was no extensive damage to the statue but added they found the incident "disappointing and disrespectful". A video of the flare burning went viral Monday evening. You can see the flare had been placed under the arm of the statue.
The Dixie Dean statue is a place where relatives lay flowers for those who've recently past away. 😡pic.twitter.com/XaBXO6yW1P
— The Everton FC Podcast - All Together Now (@ATNCAST) July 6, 2020
The vandalism was widely condemned by Liverpool supporters on social media. One of the most articulate voices of criticism came from the grandson of Bill Shankly, Christopher Carline who wrote the following on Facebook:
To the idiots who went and vandalised the Dixie Dean statue; seriously assess your life and actions.
You’re the same people who simply fuel the nations false opinion on Liverpool fans that we’re ‘outraged by everything and ashamed of nothing.’ You’re not Liverpool fans and you’re the same people that have soured our celebrations following the long wait for a league title by shooting fireworks at buildings and attacking police. If the statue of me grandad was attacked in this manner you’d be calling the perpetrators scum and a disgrace. There is a word for that. Hypocrisy.
If you even remotely knew the history of LiverpoolFC you’d know that my grandad and Dixie Dean were great friends. You’d know that my grandad visited Dixie weekly long into his retirement to chat about football and keep his spirit high. You’d know my grandad was with Dixie the day he died. You’d know he was devastated at losing him. And you’d know he read the eulogy at his funeral. You’d also know that we as the Shankly family are great friends to this day with the Dean fmily is including the truly amazing Melanie Prentice David Prentice Scarlett Rose Prentice and Danny Prentice
You see they had respect for each other my grandad and Dixie. Fierce rivalry yes. But respect. They came from a different era that has sadly long disappeared. It’s ok to be rivals. But do yourselves a favour and go and get some respect. For yourselves and other
There'd be many encouraging signs of solidarity between Liverpool and Everton supporters in recent years - especially around commemorations of Hillsborough. We hope Liverpool's title win won't create greater enmity between the two groups of supporters.
