Manchester City’s first game as Public Enemy No1 brought them to the home of the team arguably most impacted by their cheating – Liverpool.
The febrile atmosphere began on the streets of the city before a furious Kop End led chants of ‘you cheating b******s, you know what you are’ throughout the match and unfurled a string of mocking banners, before greeting every City touch with a loud exhale of ‘CHEATS’ towards the end.
The hostility was intense, but not quite the hottest we’ve seen on these shores, perhaps quelled by City’s rampant second half after Ryan Gravenberch was sent off, with Enzo Maresca’s side running out 3-0 winners.
Here, Chief Sports Writer OLIVER HOLT picks the 10 most toxic atmospheres he’s experienced in all his years going to matches around the world.
Liverpool fans were armed with a sea of banners to greet Manchester City after they were found guilty of breaking Premier League financial rules
The hostile atmosphere began outside the ground and continued into a fractious Anfield
1. Liverpool 1 Chelsea 0 – May 3, 2005, Anfield
Champions League semi-final second leg. Liverpool win 1-0 on aggregate. Attendance: 42,529.
The loudest, most relentless atmosphere I’ve ever encountered in an English ground.
A night that assailed the senses, pitting two teams against each other who stood for very different things in the English game and an agent provocateur without equal, Jose Mourinho, winding things up.
So loud and intense it unsettled even Chelsea’s players.
Luis Garcia’s ‘ghost goal’ in the fifth minute was enough to send Liverpool through to the Champions League final in Istanbul
2. Cardiff City 2 Leeds United 1 – January 6, 2002, Ninian Park
FA Cup third round. Attendance: 22,009.
A throwback game and not in a good way. This felt like a return to the hooliganism of the 1980s as two sets of old-school fans lit into each other.
Alan Smith, the Leeds forward, was sent off, Sam Hammam, the Cardiff owner, wound up a crowd that didn’t need winding up and there was a pitch invasion.
Sam Hammam, the Cardiff owner (centre), wound up a crowd that didn’t need winding up
Cardiff fans invade the pitch at full time to taunt the visiting Leeds supporters
3. Manchester United 2 Liverpool 1 – April 17, 1985, Maine Road
FA Cup semi-final replay. Attendance: 45,775.
The first match, at Goodison Park, was remembered partly for the violence that erupted all around the stadium before the game. The replay matched it.
I was in the United half of the Kippax that day and there were stories of United fans walking around with darts in their foreheads. It was a febrile atmosphere and a fierce contest.
4. Kidderminster Harriers 4 Stockport County 0 – April 20, 2013, Aggborough Stadium
National League. Attendance: 6,453.
These were dark days for Stockport and this defeat relegated them to the National League North.
The atmosphere in the away end was toxic, there was a pitch invasion, a Kidderminster player was punched by a County fan, police reinforcements were summoned.
I took my 10-year-old daughter to the match. She didn’t come to football again for a while.
Lee Vaughan of Kidderminster Harriers (left) is punched by a Stockport County fan on the day that the visitors were relegated to the National League North
The atmosphere in the away end was toxic and there was a pitch invasion
5. Andorra 0 England 3 – March 28, 2007, Olympic Stadium, Barcelona
Euro 2008 qualifier. Attendance: 12,800.
The most poisonous atmosphere I’ve ever witnessed at a football match.
Vitriol and abuse dripped from the stands as England fans voiced their opposition to then manager Steve McClaren, particularly at half-time with the Three Lions goalless against the world’s 163rd-ranked nation.
It was so bad that England’s non-playing squad members had to be moved from the stands for their own safety.
Vitriol and abuse dripped from the stands as England fans voiced their opposition to manager Steve McClaren, particularly at half-time with the Three Lions goalless against Andorra
6. Spain 1 England 0 – November 17, 2004, Estadio Santiago Bernabeu
International friendly. Attendance: 48,000.
The worst racial abuse I’ve ever seen at a game.
It was not just a few isolated voices making monkey noises at Ashley Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips. It was most of the stadium. It was revolting.
Ashley Cole was among the England players who suffered vile racist abuse from Spain fans in the Bernabeu in 2004
7. Millwall 5 Stockport County 0 – March 27, 2010, The Den
League One. Attendance: 11,116.
I could have put a couple of Millwall matches in this list but this was the one that made the biggest impression on me because it was the first time I stood in the away end.
Stockport posed very little threat but I was still taken aback by the level and intensity of abuse coming from the Millwall supporters.
8. Everton 2 Liverpool 2 – February 12, 2025, Goodison Park
Premier League. Attendance: 39,280.
The last Merseyside derby at Everton’s old home did not disappoint.
It ended with four red cards and a late, late James Tarkowski volleyed equaliser that nearly took the roof off the place.
The last Merseyside derby at Everton’s old home did not disappoint, ending with four red cards including for Curtis Jones (second right) and Abdoulaye Doucoure (right)
James Tarkowski’s 98th-minute volleyed equaliser nearly took the roof off Goodison Park
9. Newcastle 1 Sunderland 2 – August 25, 1999, St James’ Park
Premier League. Attendance: 36,420.
The Tyne-Wear derby is lively on a bad day but this felt apocalyptic.
Played in torrential rain, Newcastle manager Ruud Gullit dropped Alan Shearer and paid for it with his job when Sunderland won.
Newcastle manager Ruud Gullit dropped Alan Shearer for a Tyne-Wear Derby and paid for it with his job when Sunderland won
10. Liverpool 0 Manchester City 3 – October 11, 2026, Anfield
Premier League. Attendance: 60,338.
Not quite as cacophonous as it might have been 10 years ago.
But this was still loud and angry in the face of City’s first match since they were found guilty of serial cheating.
