Hillsborough disaster

For those not born or not in the uk the disaster might not be so well known. It was the semi final of the fa cup and was between Liverpool and Nottingham forest. It had long been tradition for semi finals to be played at neutral grounds, now its Wembley for semi finals and final.

These were the days before internet, before satellite tv showing every game and before social media. I came into the front room of the house I grew up in to turn the sports program on to see the score. That was about 3.10pm, roughly when the disaster was becoming apparent. The radio commentator was speaking via a phone link to the studio and was recounting what he was seeing.

There was a crush at one end of the ground, in one of the fenced pens that Liverpool were using. The fans were being crushed as more and more were allowed in by the police who should have been protecting them. As the crowding got worse people panicked and the crushing started. there was no where for people to go, some were pulled to the stand above and some made it over the fence. The police on the pitch took too long to react as there leadership failed, in the end they realised and helped.

The next failure was that in those days there was one ambulance, worked by volunteers. Also its rules were that it couldn't leave the stadium until another arrived. This meant slow and poor response to a catastrophe. Ambulances eventually arrived but many who survived the crush died without proper treatment.

This weekend the 97 that died due to the crush are remembered at sporting events across the uk and further afield. Minutes silence, banners and flags to remember the fallen.

There have been many years of legal fights to find out the people responsible. Although newspapers and the police themselves lied and contrived to blame fans. From recordings of the match day commentator it was obviously not the fans fault. It was obviously down to the police and the safety team at the ground.

Eventually after throwing out the biased coroners report from the initial enquiries a verdict of unlawful killing was agreed. Not that it excuses anyone or indeed offers much to the families who lost so much. At least everyone knew the truth, much as we knew it on the day. The fans were killed.

Still nobody has been convicted and as time goes by its unlikely they ever will. That afternoon sticks with me, the same as the news reports that night and in following days. I felt sadness and anger, frustration and wonder over how it could happen. Young people travelling to watch a football match, never to return home.

The tragic events at least helped to save other lives as changes were made to football grounds country wide. The wire fencing came down, many stadiums went to all seating and above all the police and ambulance numbers were increased to reflect the size of the crowd.

It was a little more personal for me as a few months before I had been among many of those who died at Wembley stadium. it was the previous seasons fa cup final and my dad had won tickets for the Liverpool end. It was packed but safe as the entrance system was safer and limited the numbers to the correct areas. We were pushed back and forward as the crowd moved, boiled by the sun and ultimately saddened by the score.

It was a tragedy that never will be forgotten, a reminder how fragile life can be and how you should always treasure every minute.