27 February 2023 , 13:13
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Three football fans were arrested by Merseyside Police after climbing onto Anfield's roof to watch Liverpool's Champions League game against Real Madrid.
Liverpool were hammered 5-2 by the European champions last Tuesday. Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah established a two-goal lead for the Reds, but braces from Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema - plus Eder Militao's header - turned the tie around.
Kain Hogg and his two friends were desperate to watch the action unfold but failed to buy tickets. Anfield is being redeveloped and the trio were able to sneak in through the construction site and watch two-thirds of the match before they were caught.
"Tickets were sold out so the roof was our only option," admitted Hogg. "We're very sorry to Liverpool FC and to the police that had to deal with the situation."
Stewards finally spotted Hogg, 23, and his accomplices before police arrived on the scene to arrest them. They are due to appear in court in March after being charged with ticket evasion, entering premises and obtaining services dishonestly.
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The trio managed to get into the ground by disguising themselves as workers. They wore high-vis jackets, but that did not stop stewards from questioning them. Hogg and his mates were formerly arrested after they agreed to climb down from the roof.
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Hogg added: "When we were forced to come down we were surrounded by about 30 policemen and we spent 20 hours in a cell before being charged. We didn't mean to upset anyone, we just wanted to watch our team play football in the Champions League."
The trio will appear at Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts on March 27. Hogg, who is from Kendal in Cumbria, claims they waited for two hours before the game to get on to the roof after gaining access to Anfield.
Hogg has nearly 3,000 subscribers on YouTube. He describes himself as an "adrenaline junkie and professional climber" and urges his followers to "stay mad, stay healthy".
Hogg's bio reads: "You have to live a life you want to remember, and you do that by taking every possible opportunity to create incredible memories that will last a lifetime. So here is some of the crazy stuff I enjoy doing."
Liverpool have not commented publicly on the matter. Jurgen Klopp's side have plenty of work to do when they travel to the Spanish capital for the second leg on March 15. The Champions League is Liverpool's last realistic chance of winning a major trophy this term.