Liverpool fans raise thousands for fan after attack outside Anfield

Football supporters have banded together to help a Liverpool fan who was hospitalised in an unprovoked attack outside Anfield before a Champions League match. 

Sean Cox, 53, had traveled over from Ireland to watch the Reds face Roma in the semi-final first leg on Tuesday evening. 

However he was attacked by a group of Roma supporters armed with belts – and one wielding a hammer – in a shocking and unprovoked assault captured on social media. 

An online fundraising page was set up to provide for Cox’s medical bills, with the generosity of the public seeing donations go to tens of thousands of euros in the first few hours. 

In the first eight hours, 788 people donated a combined €15,287 (£13,345). Such was the generosity, the initial fundraising target of €10,000 was raised up to €20,000. 

The fund was set up by Emmet Kavanagh, an admin on the Irish Liverpool Reds page on Facebook, of which Mr Cox, a married father-of-three, is a member.

Kavanagh wrote on the gofundme page: ‘I decided to set up this page to help raise funds to cover Sean’s medical expenses and expenses incurred by his family to help them to stay by his side.

Mr Cox was attacked by supporters before the Liverpool v Roma game on Tuesday evening

‘I have been in contact with a family member and they are aware that we are raising money. Once the money is raised I plan on withdrawing it by cheque/bank draft and presenting it to either Sean and/or his family.’ 

Mr Cox, of Dunboyne, Meath, was at the game with his brother when he was attacked at 7.05pm.

As of Wednesday night, he is in a critical condition at Walton Neurological Centre in Liverpool after the attack that has seen two men from Rome arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. 

The wife of Mr Cox has travelled to Liverpool to be with him, while his grown-up children remain in Ireland awaiting further news.

You can donate to help Mr Cox and his family by clicking here to visit the gofundme page.