The reaction from Taylor Swift fans to a taunt following her recent appearance at Anfield on her Eras Tour has caused shock and amazement among Liverpool supporters.
A social media post from X user Mattmatt080 - in which they claimed to be 'five Swifties down' and provoked any others who 'want their jaws testing' - appeared to be the genesis of the dispute.
The accompanying image showed a palm with what looked to be dried blood on it.
A torrent of abuse from users on the social media platform followed, including several references to the Hillsborough disaster.
One user wrote: 'Margaret Thatched was right about you "people",' before later adding a slew of incendiary comments, including the message 'so are you savages' that went with a picture of the fans during the tragedy.
A historic message that was reposted by a user on X led to a wave of vile and abusive messages from Taylor Swift fans
Swifties descended on Merseyside for the three-day stint at the home of the Premier League giants
Liverpool fans reacted in amazement to the shocking abuse that made reference to the Hillsborough disaster
Liverpool fans have reacted in amazement to the shocking escalation and several have reflected on the surprising sequence of events.
'Taylor Swift fans not understanding football twitter humour and bringing up Hillsborough was NOT on my 2024 bingo card I wont lie to yous,' wrote one user on X.
Another said: 'Woken up to find Taylor Swift fans making comments about, and posting images of Hillsborough….honestly what the f*** is wrong with people? The findings of the Independent panel revealing the true events of that day and the scale of the cover up that followed.
'As well as the quashing on of initial verdicts to confirm that those that lost their lives were unlawfully killed, have been known for years now so surely it can’t be a lack of education about what happened?
'Seems more like sheer ignorance to still try and point score with comments that are known to be false, but still said anyway just because someone wants to point score and make a jibe at Liverpool fans. Shows how much people are twisted in the head.'
A third said: 'Taylor Swift fans now resorting to posting Hillsborough photos because they can’t take a joke. Genuinely the lowest sub-class of people.'
'I’m sorry but how has the Taylor Swift fanbase started using Hillsborough as a comeback because some fella posted a joke picture that’s been on Twitter for years.' Wrote a fourth.
Earlier on Saturday, Swift had thanked her fans for braving the rain all day and breaking the all-time attendance record at Anfield as she kicked off her three-day stint in Liverpool.
The American superstar thanked her vocal fanbase on Thursday during The Eras Tour
Taylor swift fans queued from the early hours to see their favourite singer in concert
The stunning turn of events has prompted refreshed analysis of tragedy-related abuse on social media
The Reds iconic stadium was transformed into a sea of pink and red after many devoted Swift fans waited for hours in plastic ponchos to protect themselves from the dreary weather.
The American superstar began performing in front of a 53,000-strong crowd at 7pm tonight following a performance by the band Paramore.
Fans from across the world flocked to Merseyside, soaking up the atmosphere, including a trail of artwork across the city, and buying merchandise ahead of the shows from stands directly outside Anfield.
Their descent on Merseyside was perhaps the spark in the conflict that has resulted in unsavory scenes. Tragedy chanting has marred fixtures in the English game last season.
Vile slurs about Hillsborough were heard during Manchester United and Liverpool's FA Cup quarter-final in March. It was a high-profile example of fans taunting opponents by mocking major disasters such as Hillsborough, Heysel, Munich and the Bradford Fire.
Chants about the Hillsborough disaster were heard at Manchester United vs Liverpool in March
Manchester Utd fan James White was banned for wearing this shirt at Wembley last year
Nottingham Forest fans at Anfield in April last year with a banner calling for the victims of the Hillsborough disaster to be respected
Other chants reference individual tragedies, such as the death of striker Emiliano Salah in a plane crash, or private losses of players, managers or fans - even extending to the death of children such as Sunderland cancer victim Bradley Lowery.
New guidance from the Crown Prosecution Service means chanting about tragedies can be classed as a criminal offence under the Public Order Act 1986, which outlaws behaviour in public that intentionally causes 'alarm or distress'.
