The fans attacked the banks, including RBS main flagship branch in Liverpool city centre, as a protest at the refinancing of a loan taken out by the club's American owners. Supporters have become increasingly frustrated and unhappy with the way Liverpool Football Club is being financed and controlled and have been lobbying RBS to reconsider its financial commitment, effectively forcing the American duo to sell up.

When US billionaire businessmen George Gillett and Tom Hicks took over Liverpool in 2007 it was with the promise they wouldn't burden the club with any debt only to renege on the deal by securing a £350m loan with RBS against the club, which is due for refinancing at the end of July. Many ordinary fans feel the businessmen are using the club to further their own financial concerns. RBS is the main banker to the club including all of its operating accounts, cash management, online banking, automated payments, and credit card processing.

Inspired by the direct action approach of anarchists during the G20 in The Square Mile a clandestine group of Liverpool fans attacked the banks, padlocking the doors to the main branch and plastering the building with posters reading: 'Closed. RBS say no to re-financing LFC'.

RBS, dubbed 'the peoples bank' by G20 protestors because of taxpayers money used to bail it out, was forced to take the unprecedented step of issuing a public statement in defence of its actions and re-assure Liverpool fans of their financial intentions. Ironically auditors KPMG, the company used to swindle Visteon workers out of their redundancy, have expressed concerns over the level of debt being incurred after the club posted losses over £42 million last year.

The Spirit of Shankly, a group of Liverpool supporters who advocate public ownership of the club, and the country's first footballer supporters union, have been most vocal against the bank's financial dealings with the club's owners. They deny all knowledge of the attack.