John Gill took advantage of people ahead of Klopp’s final game as Liverpool manager
A man who took advantage of fans ahead of Jürgen Klopp’s final game as Liverpool manager has been jailed. John Gill, 50, from Fazakerley preyed on desperate fans wanting to be inside Anfield on the final day of the 2023/24 season.He sold fake tickets to two people outside the stadium ahead of Klopp’s final match against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, May 19 2024. The 50-year-old pleaded guilty to fraud after selling the tickets for Liverpool’s 2-0 victory. Gill was sentenced to 17 weeks in prison for the incident and was issued with a fine at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, October 15.
Due to the demand and the urge for so many being at the match, ticket prices on the black market surged well above the face value price with some people reportedly paying up to £20,000 for Klopp’s final game as Liverpool boss.
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Goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Jarrell Quansah helped Liverpool win the game 2-0, sending the former boss off with three points. Following the game Klopp spoke to fans thanking them for the nine years at Anfield and then led fans in song for new boss Arne Slot.In unrelated incidents two men have also been handed football banning orders for hate crimes. On Wednesday, October 16, Stephen Dodd, 44, from Old Swan pleaded guilty to posting malicious communications between December 2023 and January this year. Dodd was identified as posting discriminatory and hateful tweets on X formerly known as Twitter, which were homophobic, hostile towards people who have a disability and tragedy chanting. He was given a three-year football banning order, 12-month community order, and fines at South Sefton Magistrates’ Court.Barnaby Dodsworth, 50 years, from Sheffield, was convicted for using threatening and abusive words at the Liverpool vs Sheffield United game at Anfield on 4 April. He was heard shouting homophobic slurs which caused distress to people attending the game.
Dodsworth, a Sheffield United supporter, was found guilty and issued with three-year football banning order at South Sefton Magistrates’ Court on October 2.Chief Inspector Iain Wyke said: “This type of behaviour displayed by Dodd, Gill and Dodsworth has no place in football. Dodd and Dodsworth were each issued with football banning orders for hateful comments posted online and offensive chanting at a match which caused distress to others, and this is wholly unacceptable.“This ban prevents them now from attending any football game in the country. While Gill scammed supporters out of significant amounts of money by selling fake tickets to them outside the stadium, and he is now spending time in jail. “I hope these sentencing sends a clear message and acts as a deterrent to others that we will be put you before the courts to be prosecuted.”
