Liverpool to 'take action' against fan who posted picture of men praying

Liverpool FC say they will take disciplinary action against a fan who posted a picture on Twitter of two Muslim men praying at Anfield and labelled it a 'disgrace'.

Stephen Dodd sparked a furious reaction when he tweeted a picture of Asif Bodi and Abubakar Bhula worshipping on their knees in a stairwell of Liverpool’s home stadium.

He captioned the photo: "Muslims praying at half time at the match yesterday #DISGRACE."

Liverpool has since released the following statement:

"Last month, Liverpool Football Club received complaints of a tweet showing an image of Muslim fans praying during half-time at Anfield accompanied by comments that were offensive to the complainants.

"The club reported the tweet, which was posted online on Sunday March 8, 2015, to Merseyside Police.

"Merseyside Police investigated the matter and has referred this to LFC to take appropriate action against the individual involved. The club is currently in the process of determining the appropriate action to take and a further update statement will be made in due course.

"Liverpool Football Club would like to remind its supporters that it does not tolerate any form of discrimination and is committed to ensuring that the club and Anfield provides a welcoming and safe environment for all fans regardless of race, religion, gender, age, disability or sexual orientation."

Dodd’s post was met with widespread condemnation on social media, with users branding him a ‘bigot’ and ‘disgrace to humanity’.

Mr Bodi, whose eight-year-old son Ayman is also seen in Dodd’s photo, told The Daily Mail: “We were very surprised by the reaction.

“My little boy said at the time ‘someone is taking a picture of us’ and I thought maybe it was someone who hadn’t seen prayers before.

“I certainly didn’t expect to be called a disgrace for doing it. But the support since has been very nice and I’m thankful.”

Mr Dodd also posted the following tweet:

His account is no longer accessible.