Liverpool will take action against fan who branded Muslim men 'a disgrace' for praying during half-time at Anfield

A photo of two Muslim men praying at Anfield was tagged with the caption '#DISGRACE'

(Twitter)

Liverpool have said they will take action against a man who branded two Muslim men 'a disgrace' for praying at Anfield.

Stephen Dodds took a picture of solicitors Asif Bodi and Abubakar Bhula worshipping during half-time of Liverpool's draw with Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup on 8 March.

Dodds posted the picture on Twitter the next day with the caption: "Muslims praying at half time at the match yesterday #DISGRACE."

In a statement, the club said they are in the process of "determining the appropriate action to take".

"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 statement read.

“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."

Dodds' comment was met with widespread criticism on social media.

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Mr Bodi, from Preston, said: "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."

The original tweet has since been deleted.