The Anfield experience in 2026

Key Highlights

• At 7.17pm, with less than half an hour before an FA Cup tie, it was already “clear that some of these fans are not going to see the game begin”. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe cause is not mystery but policy.
• Since November, every supporter entering Anfield has been subject to a search, part of enhanced security measures ahead of the full rollout of Martyn’s Law.
• The logic is hard to argue with; the execution has been harder to absorb.
• “The mood among fans stuck outside never boils over,” Jones writes, “but there is clear frustration.” The queues are long, the explanations often arrive late, and the emotional tone of arrival has shifted from anticipation to calculation. Supporter groups have not rejected the principle.
• Gareth Roberts of Spirit of Shankly told Jones that “their aim is to improve security and safety so their reasons are understandable but maybe it has been introduced too quickly before the necessary logistics were in place”.