A LOCAL man said it was “overwhelming and scary” to be in Liverpool city centre on Monday after dozens of people were injured during the homecoming of the Premier League champions.
Shane Mulligan and his family were one of thousands of Liverpool Football Club fans who turned out for the Premier League victory parade, when a number of pedestrians were struck by a car.
A 53-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident, with shock felt across the country, with a reported number of people transferred to hospital in Liverpool for treatment.
“We were all together. It was scary,” Mr Mulligan explained to the ‘Herald.
“We were trying to ring our mates mobile and not getting them and with me going to home and away games all season, I’ve a lot of mates. It was quite overwhelming and scary, to be honest.”
The incident took place on Water Street. Although the Fermanagh contingent were well away from the scene, where they were situated on Queen’s Drive, they were shocked by the experience.
“Taxis stopped, trains stopped, people had spent their last few quid and they had no way home. The city of Liverpool is a city like no other though and everyone helped,” said Mr Mulligan.
“There were people offering lifts home, sofas, offering bunk beds and spare rooms in hotels.”
The Enniskillen man, who regularly attends home and away Liverpool Football Club games, also helped to support one of his friends who were affected by the security alert in the city.
“One of my mates had a hotel in the city centre booked and I had a spare bed in our digs. He hadn’t checked in yet so we got him checked into that bed,” Mr Mulligan recalled.
“He had nowhere to go. He would have been lying rough for the night.
“Liverpool a famous city for that sort of thing and as Liverpool fans we also quote, ‘unity is strength’ and we’re a club like no other. It was brilliant to see so many helping out.”