The Liverpool Thread

[Stottie]

It sounds like justice is being done at long last. Yes to the question whether the fans were unlawfully killed. No to the question whether the fans' behaviour contributed to the disaster.

 

I reckon the vast majority of match-going fans in the 1980s knew the police and authorities were lying all along. The fans died that day because of criminal negligence that was covered up all the way up to senior government. The way fans were treated back then, it could have happened to any team's supporters.

[cp40]

It sounds like justice is being done at long last. Yes to the question whether the fans were unlawfully killed. No to the question whether the fans' behaviour contributed to the disaster.

 

I reckon the vast majority of match-going fans in the 1980s knew the police and authorities were lying all along. The fans died that day because of criminal negligence that was covered up all the way up to senior government. The way fans were treated back then, it could have happened to any team's supporters.

 

 

echoes my thought pretty much over the time that's passed since.

[bigfella]

Yes, I've always stood with the Liverpool fans on this.  There but for the grace of God go I, as anyone who travelled away in the 80s would agree.

 

Disgusting cover up by the police and the government,  disgusting lies in the Sun afterwards.

[Tsunami]

The authorities got it horribly wrong and covered it up. Yes, there will have been drunken fans and fans without tickets, it happens at big games on a regular basis. The planning and actions from the police had to take that into account with a fully prepared plan if there were problems. It was no secret that the Leppings Lane End was a bottle neck and queues formed, once in it was like a cattle run. Opening the gates was a death sentence. The fans acted as fans do and did, the authorities failed them massively and treat them like animals.

 

Justice.

[Klaus]

Was it The Sun who lied about the supporters after?

[frankpingel]

The Sun, South Yorkshire Police and highly probable Government.

[bigfella]

Was it The Sun who lied about the supporters after?

 

Yes. Disgusting unfounded allegations of drunken fans urinating on the fallen , rifling through the pockets of the dead. All a calculated smear campaign by the authorities to cover up the real guilty parties.

[Paully]

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/apr/26/hillsborough-inquests-jury-says-96-victims-were-unlawfully-killed

[Wallace]

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/apr/26/hillsborough-disaster-deadly-mistakes-and-lies-that-lasted-decades

 

A long read but some shocking revelations in there.

 

[Disco]

[Fenham Mag]

This statement sponsored by Wonga.

[Stottie]

Everton Football Club salutes the Hillsborough families and their total vindication as Fighters for Justice.

 

Theirs is the greatest victory in the history of football.

 

RIP, the 96. Good night, God bless.

 

From us across the Park.

 

http://www.evertonfc.com/news/2016/04/26/everton-salutes-hillsborough-families

 

Nice one Everton. Really well done.

[Guest firetotheworks]

It's still staggering just how much of it was covered up. I can't remember when it all came out, but the depth of the rabbit hole was unbelievable. I never thought that the fans were to blame, but I did think that the stuff about the cover-up going all the way up to Thatcher was really far-fetched. I can't imagine what they must have gone through and the feelings that they had when it was all exposed. I imagine it was an unbelievable relief, but we don't know.

[frankpingel]

Just watching a bit of video from the day on bbc news. A fan is carrying some advertising hoarding to use as a makeshift stretcher. As he runs past two lines of policemen watching fans dying one of the officers blatantly tries to block him. Sort of summed up what happened that and many other days during that era.

[Incognito]

This cover up was all a return of favour from Thatcher to South Yorkshire police for their role as her henchmen during the Miner's strike. Their behaviour towards fans, certainly when I was there in 1987 for an FA Cup quarter, was abhorrent. Taking the flag sticks from children , pushing men against walls to search them ad hoc. They acted literally as if they were above the law.

[Wullie]

Rafa:

 

"After so many years fighting for justice I am really pleased to see the verdict today, which confirms what we have been saying for a long time.

 

I am especially pleased for the families of the 96 who have sought justice for so long and with such dignity, as well as for the people of Liverpool and for football fans in general. Hopefully this verdict today will ensure that this kind of tragedy can never happen again."

[Disco]

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/apr/26/hillsborough-disaster-deadly-mistakes-and-lies-that-lasted-decades

 

A long read but some shocking revelations in there.

 

 

Rancid stuff. Absolutely horrible. That some still won't admit they may have been in the wrong too, unforgivable.

[Big Geordie]

This cover up was all a return of favour from Thatcher to South Yorkshire police for their role as her henchmen during the Miner's strike. Their behaviour towards fans, certainly when I was there in 1987 for an FA Cup quarter, was abhorrent. Taking the flag sticks from children , pushing men against walls to search them ad hoc. They acted literally as if they were above the law.

 

Agreed. The police were her own private army, back in 84/85. The Guardian piece talks about corruption from that time - statements being changed, etc.

[Colos Short and Curlies]

(1) Delighted that those responsible for maintaining crowd safety that day who ultimately caused the tragedy now are being held accountable. Any cover up was despicable and anyone who used it for personal  or professional gain should also be brought to account.

 

(2) I'm not comfortable that the behaviour of the crowd has been completely discounted though, you get 50,000+ people in an environment like a semi final then it only takes a small minority to be overly intoxicated and/or acting in a poor manner to create the possibility of a similar scenario where somebody then has to make a decision on how to handle the crowd - another poor decision could not be ruled out here.

 

I guess what I'm saying is although we've come a long way since the 80's, there is still a potentially unhealthy relationship between big sporting events and behaviour. Unless we continue to look at ourselves as fans (and people) and continue to work on this as a whole population then we are running a risk. Discounting any blame from behaviour will check this progress.

 

Overall though, really pleased with the ruling and the thorough dilignece and process that has been taken to get here.

[Foluwashola]

Well done to the families. Rip the piss out of Liverpool a lot but ultimately 96 people did what most of us do every weekend and didn't come back.

[Fugazi]

 

LFC ambassador Michael Owen's first tweet following the news.

[Fenham Mag]

The little twirp has deleted it.

[Tsunami]

(1) Delighted that those responsible for maintaining crowd safety that day who ultimately caused the tragedy now are being held accountable. Any cover up was despicable and anyone who used it for personal  or professional gain should also be brought to account.

 

(2) I'm not comfortable that the behaviour of the crowd has been completely discounted though, you get 50,000+ people in an environment like a semi final then it only takes a small minority to be overly intoxicated and/or acting in a poor manner to create the possibility of a similar scenario where somebody then has to make a decision on how to handle the crowd - another poor decision could not be ruled out here.

 

I guess what I'm saying is although we've come a long way since the 80's, there is still a potentially unhealthy relationship between big sporting events and behaviour. Unless we continue to look at ourselves as fans (and people) and continue to work on this as a whole population then we are running a risk. Discounting any blame from behaviour will check this progress.

 

Overall though, really pleased with the ruling and the thorough dilignece and process that has been taken to get here.

 

The thing is that the jury has spent over 2 years listening to argument and evidence and have decided unanimously that the fans weren't to blame. There will have been fans who'd had a drink or didn't have a tickets but they'll be few in number. The police have drummed this lie from the off and despite this verdict there is still a doubt for some about where all the blame lies. I'm more than happy that the jury has got it right.

 

I was at Newcastle away games twice in 1985 at Hillsborough, the approach to that end was a bottle neck and once in it was cattle run up that tunnel and you couldn't see the terrace beyond, you had no idea how full it was. The 2nd game was on a Boxing Day and a policeman got hold of me accusing me of being drunk. I hadn't had a single drink, we'd come by car and as was normal we'd been stopped as we left the motorway and the police had escorted a number of cars in at a time, telling you where to park. Hillsborough was a great day out but that end of the ground was a constant problem.

 

It's time for the truth to be shouted and for previous lies to be acknowledged and condemned.

[Guest dabe]

/img

 

LFC ambassador Michael Owen's first tweet following the news.

 

Bet the the old fella was Neville Southall and the kid was only 13.

[Big Geordie]

Owen - what a proper little spunktrumpet.