Hillsborough

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vidmar

Bencher
Many of you will know me and know that I travel on a regular basis to support the team home and away.

Over the last few weeks I have been involved in a number of plans to get supporters together to follow our team around the country especially for the 3 up and coming QLD games.

I take my two young children with me home and away and they enjoy planning the trip with me but especially the excitement of the build up, the travel and the bond that comes with attending a game of footie with their dad and his mates.

That special bond we have makes today an even more moving time for me as I remember the terrible tragedy that happened 20 years ago today in Sheffield in the UK

On Saturday April 15th 1989 a fatal crush occurred on the terraces of the Hillsborough football stadium in Sheffield during the early stages of an FA cup semi final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest

It was the worst disaster in British sporting history, as 96 people died and hundreds more were injured.

The Disaster became known simply as ‘Hillsborough’. (see http://www.contrast.org/hillsborough/)

I’d been a regular at a number of semi finals over the years as a mad keen Liverpool fan but I wasn’t at this game having arrived in Sydney the week before but I knew people who were going to be.

I was staying at a pommy mates place in Chatswood and we’d been out for dinner and drinks and he called his family back in the UK when we got home for his weekly chat with his parents.

News of the tragedy starting coming on to the news in the UK as he was on the phone and I remember running around the corner to use a pay phone to call the UK to check on friends that I knew were at the game (This was pre-mobiles of course)

Phone lines to the North West of England were jammed and I  didn’t have much luck in trying to get through to people and had a long sleepless night until I heard that none of my friends were seriously hurt but 96 people lost their lives and many others still bear the mental and physical scars of that terrible day.

The fight for justice for people affected by the tragedy continues to this day with bereaved parent Anne Williams actively pursuing a case in the European Courts, challenging the circumstances under which her 15 year old son, Kevin, died whilst in state care (see here http://www.contrast.org/hillsborough/anne-latest.shtm)

My thoughts today are with the those still affected by this terrible tragedy and the friends and families of those who went to a game of footie and never came home……..

Jack Anderson, 62
Colin Ashcroft, 19
James Aspinall, 18
Kester Ball, 16
Gerard Baron (snr), 67
Simon Bell, 17
Barry Bennett, 26
David Benson, 22
David Birtle, 22
Tony Bland, 22
Paul Brady, 21
Andrew Brookes, 26
Carl Brown, 18
Steven Brown, 25
Henry Burke, 47
Peter Burkett, 24
Paul Carlile, 19
Raymond Chapman, 50
Gary Church, 19
Jospeh Clark, 29
Paul Clark, 18
Gary Collins, 22
Stephen Copoc, 20
Tracey Cox, 23
James Delaney, 19
Christopher Devonside, 18
Chris Edwards, 29
Vincent Fitzsimmons, 34
Steve Fox, 21
Jon-Paul Gilhooley, 10
Barry Glover, 27
Ian Glover, 20
Derrick Godwin, 24
Roy Hamilton, 34
Philip Hammond, 14
Eric Hankin, 33
Peter Harrison, 15
Gary Harrison, 27
Stephen Harrison, 31
Dave Hawley, 39
James Hennesey 29
Paul Hewitson, 26
Carl Hewitt, 17
Nick Hewitt, 16
Sarah Hicks, 19
Victoria Hicks, 15
Gordon Horn, 20
Arthur Horrocks, 41
Thomas Howard, 39
Tommy Howard, 14
Eric Hughes, 42
Alan Johnston, 29
Christine Jones, 27
Gary Jones, 18
Richard Jones, 25
Nicholas Joynes, 27
Anthony P.Kelly, 29
Michael Kelly, 38
Carl Lewis, 18
David Mather, 19
Brian Matthews, 38
Francis McAllister, 27
John McBrien, 18
Marian McCabe, 21
Joe McCarthy, 21
Peter McDonnell, 21
Alan McGlone, 28
Keith McGrath, 17
Paul Brian Murray, 14
Lee Nicol, 14
Stephen O'Neill, 17
Jonathon Owens, 18
William Pemberton, 23
Carl Rimmer, 21
Dave Rimmer, 38
Graham John Roberts, 24
Steven Robinson, 17
Henry Rogers, 17
Andrew Sefton, 23
Inger Shah, 38
Paula Smith, 26
Adam Spearritt, 14
Philip Steele, 15
David Thomas, 23
Pat Thompson, 35
Peter Thompson, 30
Stuart Thompson, 17
Peter Tootle, 21
Christopher Traynor, 26
Martin Traynor, 16
Kevin Tyrrell, 15
Colin Wafer, 19
Ian Whelan, 19
Martin Wilde, 29
Kevin Williams, 15
Graham Wright, 17

RIP
YNWA
 
An absolute tragedy. The only good (and this is a stretch) to come out of it was the change to all seater stadiums
 
Vid -  I am pretty sure there is a doco on this event on foxtel tonight.

Agree what a tragedy to go to the footy and never come home.
 
Thanks guys,
Wheel - correct, it's on the History channel.
I'd urge all sports fans to watch it if they possible can to get an understanding of the terrible events that happened that day and the continuing fight for justice for those affected by it.
A tragedy like this should never never be allowed to happen again....
 
Vid - First thanks for sharing this story with us all mate it's a very sad story indeed.

I've just had a look at the History channel and i can't find it ?

Wheel can you tell me whats it called please and what time it's on i would really like to watch this doco.


May all those supporters who passed away - R.I.P
 
The Wheel link said:
Agree what a tragedy to go to the footy and never come home.

A real possibility if you eat the food dished up at Brookie oval this year.  

Also a blessing in disguise if you were a north's supporter.  

It always concerned me at NSO that something like this could happen especially as the North's officials used to always lock the gates just after the game started so that the North's supporters couldn't leave before full time.
 
EP - I think it is called 'Hillsborough' - I recall it is on 7:30 or 8:30 I have only seen the add for it over the last week or two.  Thought it would have been on their website.

Tookey - this was a serious thread until that.  I put it to you this way if I was a North Sydney supporter I would have committed suicide at  a few matches they lost over the years.
 
Tookey - You are a twat...

Read the links I posted and then take a good look at yourself and rather than come back on here to apologise send some money to the Hillsborough Justice Campaign - Get in contact with me and I'll tell you where you can send the money.

This is part of written statement of an interview with the mother of James Delaney (19) who was pronounced dead at the ground

"A social worker took us to the ground where our son was killed, and for my husband and I it was a terrible thing that we were taken where James was killed. As far as we were concerned we feel that they didn't give, not only our son, but the other ninety four poor people who were killed, they didn't give them any dignity…surely they could have taken all those poor people including our son either to a church, to a school…covered them, even if it was only a white paper sheet… When we got to the ground we had to look at these photographs to try and identify our son. We looked and looked, we couldn't recognise our son… eventually we did see our son… so we were led into the sports hall and when we walked in our son was lying on a trolley, inside this green zipped-up bag, number thirty- three, so his dad and I bent down to kiss and to talk to James, and as we stood up, there was a policeman who came from behind me and was trying to usher myself and my husband out, straight out of the hall. The total attitude was, you've identified number thirty-three, so go! So unfortunately…I went hysterical, I'm afraid to say, I had to ask if I could take our son away from the public's eye, again there was poor people, unfortunate people like ourselves being ushered into the hall and our James was there, in the public's eye, people looking down at his poor face. I also had to scream at these officers and ask them please to allow us privacy for the three of us to be together…thankfully the policemen pulled James over to another part of the hall… I started to examine my son's body, he had blood in his nostrils, blood in his teeth, his poor face was hardened with blood on the side of his cheek. His face was dirty, his hair was very, dirty and dusty…And in the meantime I was examining our son …My husband was ushered to a table to be asked questions. At which again I started to scream… I know these questions have got to be asked but as far as I was concerned there is a time and a place for everything… I thought it was only right that his dad should be with him - we went together to look for our son James, and that was time that was owed to us, because at the end of the day, when you carry a child for nine months, and you bring them into the world, it is your right to be with your child. We asked if we could possibly - we wanted to stay with James - we were told 'no' that we couldn't. So I asked if we could be allowed to come back to see James - we were told 'no' it was for identification only"
 
The thing that I dont understand is how this could have happened, was it overcrowding, poor facilities, lack of crowd control, misformation given to the crowd, panic, who knows.  i will definetely watch the doco to find out more tonight -  something that should never have happened
 
Thanks Duff, Wheel - pretty much yes to all of the above.
I know you are flat chat at the moment but have a read of the links when you have time (Mind you the story is pretty harrowing so be warned?) and watch the doco - from people I know in the UK that were involved in it it gives a very clear picture of the cause and effects of the event.
 
You have to remember that it was a different era - the grounds were mainly standing with "crush" (not sure what they were called) bars to stop people surging forwards. There were also large fences to stop people getting on the field, no real ticket control (there are a number of stories where people ended up at the incorrect end, no real stewards or police response)

It is even more horrific to think there were numerous warning signs - check this article to see what I mean

http://www.football365.com/john_nicholson/0,17033,8746_5183687,00.html
 
vidmar link said:
Tookey - You are a twat...

Read the links I posted and then take a good look at yourself and rather than come back on here to apologise send some money to the Hillsborough Justice Campaign - Get in contact with me and I'll tell you where you can send the money.

Get off your high horse poindexter.
 
vidmar link said:
Tookey - You are a twat...

Read the links I posted and then take a good look at yourself and rather than come back on here to apologise send some money to the Hillsborough Justice Campaign - Get in contact with me and I'll tell you where you can send the money.

This is part of written statement of an interview with the mother of James Delaney (19) who was pronounced dead at the ground

\"A social worker took us to the ground where our son was killed, and for my husband and I it was a terrible thing that we were taken where James was killed. As far as we were concerned we feel that they didn't give, not only our son, but the other ninety four poor people who were killed, they didn't give them any dignity…surely they could have taken all those poor people including our son either to a church, to a school…covered them, even if it was only a white paper sheet… When we got to the ground we had to look at these photographs to try and identify our son. We looked and looked, we couldn't recognise our son… eventually we did see our son… so we were led into the sports hall and when we walked in our son was lying on a trolley, inside this green zipped-up bag, number thirty- three, so his dad and I bent down to kiss and to talk to James, and as we stood up, there was a policeman who came from behind me and was trying to usher myself and my husband out, straight out of the hall. The total attitude was, you've identified number thirty-three, so go! So unfortunately…I went hysterical, I'm afraid to say, I had to ask if I could take our son away from the public's eye, again there was poor people, unfortunate people like ourselves being ushered into the hall and our James was there, in the public's eye, people looking down at his poor face. I also had to scream at these officers and ask them please to allow us privacy for the three of us to be together…thankfully the policemen pulled James over to another part of the hall… I started to examine my son's body, he had blood in his nostrils, blood in his teeth, his poor face was hardened with blood on the side of his cheek. His face was dirty, his hair was very, dirty and dusty…And in the meantime I was examining our son …My husband was ushered to a table to be asked questions. At which again I started to scream… I know these questions have got to be asked but as far as I was concerned there is a time and a place for everything… I thought it was only right that his dad should be with him - we went together to look for our son James, and that was time that was owed to us, because at the end of the day, when you carry a child for nine months, and you bring them into the world, it is your right to be with your child. We asked if we could possibly - we wanted to stay with James - we were told 'no' that we couldn't. So I asked if we could be allowed to come back to see James - we were told 'no' it was for identification only\"

It was a tragic event Vid no doubt about it. 

But so was the recent Victorian bushfires this year when more people died and I donated hundreds of dollars to that cause.

And there have been many far worse tragedies over the years - the jewish holocost, rawanda and even what is currently happening in Zimbabwe to name just a few. 

Unfortunately many people die in tragic circumstance every day of the week.  Humour is one way to ensure that one doesn't get overwhelmed by all the tragedy happeneing everywhere.

I could put you in touch with my father who spent 3 years as a prisoner of war in the second world war under the japanese if you want to know far worse tragic stories. 

At no stage did I denigrate either you or what happened at Hillsborough with my comments and they were clearly not intended to offend. 

And I will keep donating to the salvation army and legacy as I have always done.       


 
 
Tookey, thanks for getting back.
Yes, tragedies occur every day to every day people.
My post was as a mark of respect to those who died and those who to this day still suffer.
I agree that humour can help in desperate times BUT there is a time and a place and your post was in poor taste, ill judged and not in keeping with the thread no matter how well intentioned it was.
God forbid that any of us or our families or friends have to go through what thousands of people went through 20 years ago today.
Volley - don't know what prompted you to get involved but no high horses over here....just sadness, basic human decency and a show of respect for the men, women and children that died because they went to see a game of footy.
 
vidmar link said:
Tookey, thanks for getting back.
Yes, tragedies occur every day to every day people.
My post was as a mark of respect to those who died and those who to this day still suffer.
I agree that humour can help in desperate times BUT there is a time and a place and your post was in poor taste, ill judged and not in keeping with the thread no matter how well intentioned it was.
God forbid that any of us or our families or friends have to go through what thousands of people went through 20 years ago today.
Volley - don't know what prompted you to get involved but no high horses over here....just sadness, basic human decency and a show of respect for the men, women and children that died because they went to see a game of footy.

Thanks Vid.  No offence was intended.
 

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