: Tue Apr 07, 2009 5:55 pm  

I'd also recommend people who want to know more get hold of a copy of David Conn's book "The Beautiful Game? Searching For The Soul Of Football." The chapter on Hillsborough is a real eye-opener and puts to bed plenty of the myths and half-truths perpetuated by some people.

: Tue Apr 07, 2009 7:46 pm  

Lord God Jose Mourinho wrote:

The fact that 96 people went to a football match full of excitement and expectation and ended up dying is a horrible tragedy and something that every football fan of a certain age will remember vividly.

But where's the memorial to the recently dead of the Ivory Coast? Where's the Bradford fire memorial? Heysel? Ibrox?

Nah, let's just forget those disasters and instead focus on the billionth remembrance of the Hillsborough tragedy.

my friend eric and i met at switch island on the morning of the match, full of optimism for the afternoon, confidnt of another visit to wembley. we arrived in sheffield at approximately 12:30, and as usual for away games we went for aspot of lunch and a pint. at 2:00 we made our wa to the ground still full of hope and in good spirits, there was already quite a crowd outside the leppings lane end and the police just appeared to be content to let the crowd get bigger and bigger. at about 2:45 they appeared to have completely lost control of the situation and panicked by opening one of the exit gates allowing people to surge through. at that point i lost contact with my mate, and the next time i saw him he was laid out in the makeshift mortuary in the stadium gym.
that moment has haunted me for 20 years, that is why hillsborough means so much to some people, and i hope to god that you never have to experience what i and countless others experienced on that afternoon.

: Wed Apr 08, 2009 11:59 am  

GT wrote:

Actually, it was the neglect of clubs like Sheffield Wednesday in not keeping the terraces safe. Crash barriers were either missing or so dilapidated they buckled and collapsed under the pressure. If the ground had been properly maintained and the police hadn't just herded everyone into the centre pen rather than ensuring people got to the others as well, then the disaster could well have been averted. The authorities should've known something was likely to happen, ask any United fan who was stood on that Leppings Lane terrace just a few months previously what they thought of the state of the place. Unfortunately the authorities didn't think football fans were deserving of human rights and allowed places like Hillsborough to get into such a sorry, unsafe state.

It could've happened to anyone, which is something that a lot of people today should remember.

My mate still to this day says the same thing about the Leppings Lane.

Shocking to think that you could die at a football match.

: Wed Apr 08, 2009 3:59 pm  

Lord God Jose Mourinho wrote:

So the 20th anniversary of the Bradford fire was also given a memorial thread on rlfans? The Ivory Coast tragedy happened less than two weeks ago, but that thread seems to be missing.

The Bradford fire is memorialized every year at the last home game and on the day itself with a ceremony outside the City Hall where the monument stands. It's a quiet, dignified affair with civic dignitaries, some players,emergency service representatives and a few supporters/survivors and bereaved relatives. The 56 will never be forgotten by these people so don't need any platitudes on here from people who don't really care!

: Wed Apr 08, 2009 6:08 pm  

standing,terraces even fences don't kill people....poor policing & stewarding does..



RIP96

: Wed Apr 08, 2009 7:10 pm  

I was 7 at the time so, i had no idea what had really happened.

Bloody Hell.

: Wed Apr 08, 2009 7:46 pm  

Theres a program about it next wednesday at 8pm on the history channel, brought a tear to me eye just seeing the advert

: Wed Apr 08, 2009 8:15 pm  

Lord God Jose Mourinho wrote:

The fact that 96 people went to a football match full of excitement and expectation and ended up dying is a horrible tragedy and something that every football fan of a certain age will remember vividly.

But where's the memorial to the recently dead of the Ivory Coast? Where's the Bradford fire memorial? Heysel? Ibrox?

Nah, let's just forget those disasters and instead focus on the billionth remembrance of the Hillsborough tragedy.

Nobody has forgotten those disasters. This forum clearly has members that were directly affected by the Hillsborough disaster. If for argument sake a Bratfud Bulls fan started a Bradford fire rememberance thread it would be treated by most humane people with the respect it would deserve.

Now p1$$ off!!

: Wed Apr 08, 2009 8:43 pm  

airliebird9 wrote:

Nobody has forgotten those disasters. This forum clearly has members that were directly affected by the Hillsborough disaster. If for argument sake a Bratfud Bulls fan started a Bradford fire rememberance thread it would be treated by most humane people with the respect it would deserve.

Now p1$$ off!!

: Wed Apr 08, 2009 9:23 pm  

airliebird9 wrote:

Nobody has forgotten those disasters. This forum clearly has members that were directly affected by the Hillsborough disaster. If for argument sake a Bratfud Bulls fan started a Bradford fire rememberance thread it would be treated by most humane people with the respect it would deserve.

Now p1$$ off!!

If a Bradford fan posted about the Bradford fire the post would be treated with the utmost respect.

If the Bradford fan posts 100s of threads about it, he starts creating avatars about it, he starts writing sigs about it, then there'll come a time when people start getting sick of it and tell him to move on with his life.

But there's a huge difference with the way that Bradford City fans and Liverpool fans treat their disasters. Bradford City treat their disaster in a calm and respectful manner. Liverpool have built a grief industry off the back of Hillsborough.