You’ll Never Walk Alone? Chelsea mascot left stranded but club believe he was in Liverpool’s care

Chelsea believe Liverpool were responsible for the club’s young mascot, who was left on his own during Wednesday night’s rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone at Anfield, and have invited him to be a mascot for another game.

The Chelsea players have come under fire from supporters on social media after a video was posted of the club’s mascot, a young boy, seemingly being ignored during Liverpool’s iconic anthem ahead of the home side’s 4-1 victory.

Chelsea on Thursday made contact with the family to invite him to be the captain’s mascot for another game in way of recognition that he was left alone.

But Chelsea have pointed to the fact that at each club there is a matchday coordinator for all mascots and that the Wolves mascot will be under their care at Sunday’s Premier League game.

It is, according to Chelsea, the responsibility of each club coordinator to look after the mascots at all times and not the responsibility of the players. Ben Chilwell was the captain at Anfield.

Premier League protocols do not expect mascot coordinators to go on the pitch. They wait on the touchline while the mascots join the club captains as the players walk out, and there is an expectation they will be looked after by them before returning to the sidelines before kick-off. That was the case with the Liverpool mascot, looked after by Virgil van Dijk, but the footage would suggest Chelsea’s Chilwell – who has been out for a while – may have had a lapse given he has been unaccustomed to captaincy duties.

The boy, who has not been identified, was left on his own as Chelsea players walked away from him to acknowledge one another before kick-off. He eventually walked off the Anfield pitch on his own.

Chelsea host Wolves on Sunday and have stressed that it will be their responsibility to look after the mascots of both clubs.

The video also prompted the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust to post a message on social media asking to be put in touch with the mascot’s family.

This is not the first time this season that the actions of the Chelsea players have prompted online criticism after many of them failed to acknowledge the visiting supporters at the end of the Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg defeat by Middlesbrough.

Head coach Mauricio Pochettino initially thought angry fans at the Riverside had been shouting at home supporters, but later apologised for the fact so many players headed straight down the tunnel.