Many American friends have asked me about Hillsborough over the years. What happened, why it happened. How could such a tragedy be allowed to happen? Well today is the 20th anniversary of a day that changed football in England forever. 96 people died in pens like cattle with one common, shared tie. They supported Liverpool FC and were there to watch the semi-final of the FA Cup.
Hillsborough is the name of Sheffield Wednesday's historic football ground but after April 15th 1989, it became associated with a terrible event that ruined lives and brought the football world to a standstill.
Liverpool played Forest for a place in the final. Back then many football grounds had fences up, stopping supporters from reaching the pitch. A huge over-reaction to combat a few pitch invasions that had taken place. Hillsborough was no different. The result of such fencing basically creates a contained pen were supporters watched as if they were livestock, herded in and out.
Basically the Leppings Lane away section at Hillsborough held 2,000 people and 3,000 wanted to come in. Many of those extra people had fake tickets. The Police failed in their operation to control the fans and opened a gate allowing a surge of people to come in, head down a small tunnel to pens behind the goal. They just kept coming. By the time kick-off came, people were fighting for breath and crushed against each other with no escape.
Five minutes after kick-off a policeman ran onto the pitch and the game was stopped. What happened next will never leave the memories of anyone who watched TV for the rest of the day, let alone those at the game. A barrier between pens collapsed and the area behind the goal became a pile of people. Climbing over each other in attempts to escape. The people who had arrived early were crushed at the front. People lay dead on the pitch. Others were pulled to safety by supporters in the upper tier. The fear on the faces of those against the fences was haunting.
96 people, many of whom were children, lost their lives. The advertising hoardings became stretchers and the pitch the emergency room. The rescue effort was hampered by bad co-ordination and fire fighters/ambulance crews being unable to get access to the inside of the ground.We'd been looking forward to a great game of football and now we were gasping for breath and grasping for survival. As we know, dozens of us were unsuccessful. One of those people may have been a man who, I'm guessing, was in his 60s. I spent half an hour pushed up against him with he in turn wedged against a crush bar. I never saw his face. I had my back to him throughout. But I'm haunted by his voice. He was pleading with me to give him space to allow him to breathe. He was screaming in agony telling me he was suffering a heart attack. - Survivor Mark Edwardson
A detailed summary of events can be found here and the stories of those there that day here.
An inquiry failed to really blame anyone for the disaster but it was clear that a lack of policing intelligence caused the crush when gate c was opened to relieve the congestion building outside of the ground. The inquiry found that the area behind the goal was only safe for 1600 people and not the 2200 who had tickets nor the 3000 trying to get in. Afterward, many stories of previous semi-finals there emerged along with complaints about crushing and over crowding to the FA.
Back in those days the semi-finals were both played at the same time. While the events of Hillsborough were unfolding, Norwich were at Villa Park playing Everton. But for one draw of the ball from the hat, I could so easily be talking about members of my family today.
Soon after the tragedy, all fences were removed and stadiums required to be all-seater. Little consolation for the surviving who had to deal with the loss of friends and the stress that came afterward. Many needed counseling and could not sleep or work with the sounds and images of the day that would be with them for ever.
For many, twenty years ago today at 10am Eastern time marks the day that football died. A day out to see their team became a living nightmare that ruined the lives of so many. The game we love so much and the focus of this website became painful memories and heartache to hundreds of family members who lost sons and daughters to a tragic event that should have been prevented.
As you go about your business today, and prepare to watch this afternoons Champions League matches, just spare a thought for the survivors and family members, who for many no longer have football to enjoy. Today they will all be remembered.
-Bigus
LB remembers it too, like it was yesterday. His thoughts to follow later today.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Remembering Hillsborough.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Bridge Signs. City Humbled.
Wayne Bridge on show at the City of Manchester Stadium before today's game with Forest.
Wayne Bridge was unveiled to the fans before Manchester City's shocking home defeat with Nottingham Forest today.
Bridge has signed for a fee of around 10 million pounds on a 4 and a half year deal from Chelsea. The signing is the first, of what is expected to be, numerous high profile acquisitions over the next month.
Man City lost to Forest 3-0 in an absolute shocker in Manchester today, as the Premier League's (and maybe the World's) richest side crashed out of the FA Cup to Nottingham Forest who currently sit 21st in the Coca Cola Championship. The three goals all came from Forest forwards. Nathan Tyson scored after 37 mins. Robert Earnshaw made it 2-0, 4 mins from half-time and youngster Joe Garner hit the third into Joe Harts bottom right corner on 74 mins. The loss will pile the pressure onto Mark Hughes who has his expensive City team just 2 points above the Premier League relegation zone. Today's game was the first for Forest's new manager Billy Davies and he saw his side win at Man City with just 31% of the possession.
-Bigus
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
The Good, The Bad, The WTF
Reaching down into the Colaship this week. Nottingham Forest are a long ways away from their heights of European successes as the '70s became the '80s. Brian Clough was the architect, manager, and psychologist of that team. Clough left the team in 1993, after they were confirmed relegation from the first season of the EPL, going down for the first time in 16 years.
Forest immediately returned to the top flight, and finished third the next season, granting them entry into the UEFA Cup. This was doubly important given that this was the first season the English clubs returned to European competition following Heysel. When faced with such a meaningful re-entry, one has to make a splash. This week, we see what Forest came up with.
Wait, we've seen this shirt before, haven't we? Yes, and no. We have definitely seen the rough template before (and I am on record of how I feel about teams sharing the same fucked-up looks), but this is different. Umbro, when throwing paint splecks on jerseys one day, decided to attempt to work in the club badge into the mess. While you can barely see it on the Aberdeen shirt (on the shoulders, rotated 90 degrees), it's obvious on the Forest shirts.
Perhaps it's because they never felt the need to delete the Forest text taken from the badge. All I know is, The placement of the shirt sponsor could have been a little better. If you are going to put your name one the pattern of the shirt, you should probably ensure that the sponsor does not cover up a couple of letters of your name. That's the kind of thing that riles the supporters.
Anyway, my main feelings about this shirt hold over from the Aberdeen one linked to above. If I were a Forest fan, I would seriously consider getting this as a laugh, but would immediately regret doing so. That collar just has to feel awful on your neck.
Oh, and this shirt is for sale, too. For $14 after shipping, you can get it delivered straight to your doorstep, and marvel at just how much brighter the yellow is in person than it is in pictures. Happens to me every time. Even if you are nor interested, do hit the links for some good in-game photos of this shirt in action. Look at that collar. Ugh.
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