Hillsborough 20th Anniversary April 15 [Existing Threads Merged]

[garstonlad75]

A HILLSBOROUGH campaigner is to launch a new legal bid to get justice for her son.

Anne Williams, whose 15-year-old son Kevin was killed in the disaster, will present a dossier to the Attorney General's office arguing for his inquest to be re-opened.

And the fight goes on, i hope she wins and opens the floodgates for families to finally get justice.

More:http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_objectid=16381823%26method=full%26siteid=50061% 26page=1%26headline=fresh%2dlegal%2dbid%2dtakes%2d hillborough%2dfight%2dto%2dlondon-name_page.html

[FKoE]

A HILLSBOROUGH campaigner is to launch a new legal bid to get justice for her son.

Anne Williams, whose 15-year-old son Kevin was killed in the disaster, will present a dossier to the Attorney General's office arguing for his inquest to be re-opened.

And the fight goes on, i hope she wins and opens the floodgates for families to finally get justice.

More:http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_objectid=16381823%26method=full%26siteid=50061% 26page=1%26headline=fresh%2dlegal%2dbid%2dtakes%2d hillborough%2dfight%2dto%2dlondon-name_page.html



Best wishes for Anne and her campaign for justice.

[marie]

REMEMBER THE HILLSBOROUGH 96

April 15th, 1989 was one of the worst days in the history of Merseyside....

http://www.contrast.org/hillsborough/

I was born in Spain, and I can say that never we will never be able to erase these images of our recollections. In a few days I return to Anfield, and always I feel shivers.


Goian bego (rest in peace and justice)

[A.D.W]

Oh! It's 18 years this April.

:PDT_Xtremez_42:

[Howie]

Poems to honour tragedy’s 96 dead

A BOOK of poems honouring the memory of the 96 Liverpool fans who died at Hillsborough and published in time for the disaster’s 18th anniversary has been written by acclaimed local author Dave Kirby.

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0500liverpoolfc/0100news/tm_method=full%26objectid=18845353%26siteid=50061-name_page.html

[marie]

Poems to honour tragedy’s 96 dead

A BOOK of poems honouring the memory of the 96 Liverpool fans who died at Hillsborough and published in time for the disaster’s 18th anniversary has been written by acclaimed local author Dave Kirby.

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0500liverpoolfc/0100news/tm_method=full%26objectid=18845353%26siteid=50061-name_page.html

Thanks Howie!!

[marky]

Here's the Brunswick Dock memorial. Is there a list anywhere of the locations of the various memorials (they range from plaques to trees)
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/122/298425804_37575588db.jpg

[SteH]

Here's the Brunswick Dock memorial. Is there a list anywhere of the locations of the various memorials (they range from plaques to trees)
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/122/298425804_37575588db.jpg

Thats a good question.Apart from the obvious one at the Anfield Road end (http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/images/HillsboroughMemorial_15042002_300x200.jpg)of LFC's ground, I only know of the stone on front of the Anglican Cathedral (http://p.vtourist.com/1/892502-Cathedrals-Liverpool.jpg)and the memorial outside the stadium in sheffield (http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/2/24/340px-Hillsborough_Memorial.jpg).

[marky]

Here's a location pic for the Brunswick Dock plaque.
I have heard of 96 trees being planted, but I can't recall the location...maybe Knowsley.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/225/445410920_1cafd26e87.jpg

[marky]

Here's the location of the Cathedral Hillsborough Memorial.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/186/445410872_533f370868.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/208/445410888_58ec2fc138.jpg

[marie]

Thank u very much Marky. The time past very fast. I was a baby when happened, but I can remember it.

[marky]

Here's a couple of links about the Hillsborough Memorial Stone in Port Sunlight Village (smashed).
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/United_Kingdom/England/Merseyside/Port_Sunlight-306845/Things_To_Do-Port_Sunlight-BR-1.html
http://www.kirkbytimes.co.uk/hboroitems/hboropress.html

[marie]

Here's a couple of links about the Hillsborough Memorial Stone in Port Sunlight Village (smashed).
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/United_Kingdom/England/Merseyside/Port_Sunlight-306845/Things_To_Do-Port_Sunlight-BR-1.html
http://www.kirkbytimes.co.uk/hboroitems/hboropress.html

Thanks again for the info.

[Max]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/182/445899572_b027ef49a9_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/maxmolyneux/445899572/)

Finally getting me Anfield pics up.

[Kirst]

Horrible day, my dad was there and my grandad to, the day before my christning, but they were ok thank god. R.i.P

[marie]

Thanks you Jungle Bhoys!!!!!

http://www.thejunglebhoys.net/news.html

(and thanks for the photos, to one friend of mine)

http://mundoarchivo.com/out.php/t25886_bannerswt7.jpg (http://mundoarchivo.com/out.php/i25886_bannerswt7.jpg)

[marie]

Sorry, the last photo was very big, but it´s if normal, it´s impossible to see the letters!!

Others olds photos now:

http://mundoarchivo.com/out.php/t25887_hills1.jpg (http://mundoarchivo.com/out.php/i25887_hills1.jpg)

http://mundoarchivo.com/out.php/t25888_hills2.jpg (http://mundoarchivo.com/out.php/i25888_hills2.jpg)

http://mundoarchivo.com/out.php/t25889_hills3.jpg (http://mundoarchivo.com/out.php/i25889_hills3.jpg)

http://mundoarchivo.com/out.php/t25890_hills4.jpg (http://mundoarchivo.com/out.php/i25890_hills4.jpg)

http://mundoarchivo.com/out.php/t25891_hills13tx.jpg (http://mundoarchivo.com/out.php/i25891_hills13tx.jpg)

http://mundoarchivo.com/out.php/t25892_hillsboroughmemorial11042003.jpg (http://mundoarchivo.com/out.php/i25892_hillsboroughmemorial11042003.jpg)

Thanks for the pictures again!!

[SteH]

the worst thing for me was the guilt that people I know got injured and others I didnt know died, and I was stood safe on the high corner terracing due to my knowledge of the ground. I'd been there for a league game a few years earlier and the police had forced as many as possible into the central pens and locked them, leaving others empty. I knew just how bad it could get in there so got in the ground early and went to find a decent place away from the middle. There were no signs to the corner terracing, anybody who hadnt been there before would have automatically headed for the central pens as they were the only visible entrances.

[Gnomie]

I remember us celebrating Evertons win in their semi only to hear this dreadful news. i remember getting back into Liverpool and we went for a few drinks. The town was silent, i will always remember the look on peoples faces. a very very sad day.

God bless them all.

[petecarr]

http://www.vanilladays.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/IMG_9424-295_6_7.jpg

I took this image last year. While I’ve seen the tribute to Hillsborough there I was taken back by the fans. Nearly everyone who passed touched the monument, the eternal flame. Whether for it was for good luck or to remember people they knew, I wasn’t sure. I stood just beside the gate and used my 10mm to get these shots. I was very very close, closer than I’ve been to anything like this. I was quite nervous. Should I have been documenting it? Was I invading their privacy? No-one seemed to mind. No-one told me to get lost. I was watching a documentary about a war photographer, James Nachtwey, and something he said stuck in my mind. He said that if he wasn’t accepted by the people he was documenting then he wouldn’t get the photos. By them accepting his presence as a photographer documenting their lives he can accept himself as a photographer. That will stick with me and give me confidence in the future.

I did HDR this image. Why not use the flash correctly you may say. Well I didn’t want to make them that aware of me. I didn’t want the flash to be going off like I was some Paparazzi photographer. I can see the value in a Leica for times like these. Its small, its quiet. You could argue that it lets you get away with more, but for me I would say that it lets you go un-noticed. It lets you get the shot without distracting people. So for this I used HDR to bring back some of the details I had blown out.

[snappel]

Hillsborough confuses me because I'm not entirely sure why it happened, but needless to say the events were tragic. As a teenager I saw a drama about it and it just left me cold.

[marie]

Hillsborough confuses me because I'm not entirely sure why it happened, but needless to say the events were tragic. As a teenager I saw a drama about it and it just left me cold.

U can see the complete video of the tragedy in the official page of the relatives. The video does not have audio, so your same one you can take a decision brings over of the happened.

[marie]

Liverpool F.C. were involved in their 17th FA Cup Semi-Final, to be played against Nottingham Forest F.C. at Hillsborough, the home of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. — FA Cup semi-finals traditionally being played at neutral venues so as to not favour either club involved. Liverpool and Nottingham Forest had played at the semi-final stage at the same ground the previous year without incident.

At the time most stadiums had placed high steel fencing between the spectators and the pitch, in response to hooliganism which had plagued the sport for years. Hooliganism was a particularly strong influence in England, where it often involved pitch invasions and the throwing of a variety of missiles. Hooliganism was not a factor at Hillsborough on the day of the disaster, but the fencing in place was later identified as one of the main factors leading to the disaster. The part of the stadium where the problem occurred was also a "terrace" area, a cheaper standing section without seats that was determined to be a major contributing factor to the disaster. Terraces were frequently divided by further fencing into sections called pens to aid crowd control.

The Hillsborough Stadium, was segregated between the opposing fans as was customary at all large matches at neutral venues: the Liverpool supporters being assigned to the Leppings Lane End. Kick off was scheduled for 3.00pm but due to a variety of factors including traffic delays on the route to Sheffield from Liverpool many of the Liverpool supporters were later than usual arriving. Between 2.00pm and 2.45pm there was a considerable build up of fans in the small area outside the turnstiles at the Leppings Lane End, all eager to enter the stadium before the match started. A bottleneck developed with more fans arriving than entering the stadium. With an estimated 5,000 fans trying to get through the turnstiles and an increasingly dangerous situation, the police decided to open a second set of gates which did not have turnstiles (Gate C). The resulting inpouring of hundreds, or possibly thousands, of fans through a narrow tunnel at the rear of the terrace and into the already overcrowded central two pens caused a crush at the front where people were pressed against the fencing. The people entering were unaware of the problems being experienced at the fence and for some time the problem was not noticed by anybody (other than those affected), it was not until 3:06pm that the referee stopped the match. By this time a small gate in the fencing had been opened and some fans escaped the crush by this route — others climbed over the fencing, and further fans were pulled up by fellow fans into the upper tier above the Leppings Lane terrace.

The pitch quickly started to fill with people sweating and gasping for breath, those with crush injuries, and with the bodies of the dead. The police and ambulance services were overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster and fans helped as best they could, many attempting CPR and some tearing down advertising hoardings to act as makeshift stretchers.

The crush ultimately took the lives of 96 people, with 766 fans receiving injuries. Tony Bland survived for nearly four years in a persistent vegetative state before he became the 96th victim.

Graphic footage of the disaster was available because the match was being recorded for later broadcast and this, along with the number of fatalities made an extreme impact on the general UK population.

A permanent tribute to those who lost their lives can be found alongside the Shankly Gates at Anfield. A further tribute was set up in 1999 at Hillsborough.

Following the disaster, Lord Justice Taylor was appointed to conduct an inquiry into the disaster. Taylor's inquiry sat for thirty-one days and published two reports, one interim report that laid out the events of the day and immediate conclusions and one final report that made general recommendations on football ground safety. As a result of the inquiry, fences in front of fans were removed and stadia were converted to become all-seated. This became known as the Taylor Report.

There was considerable debate over some aspects of the disaster; in particular, attention was focused on the decision to open the secondary gates. It was suggested that it would have been better to delay the start of the match as had often been done at other venues and matches. In defence the police claimed that they were concerned that the crush outside the stadium was getting out of control and accusations were made that some Liverpool fans did not have tickets and were trying to force the turnstiles. Other accusations of misbehaviour were made in relation to the crowd. However, no substantial evidence was presented to support any of these claims, with Lord Justice Taylor making particular effort to refute them in his final report.

[marie]

The Sun newspaper

On the Wednesday following the disaster, Kelvin MacKenzie, then editor of The Sun, a British tabloid newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch, used the front page headline 'THE TRUTH', with three sub-headlines: 'Some fans picked pockets of victims'; 'Some fans urinated on the brave cops'; 'Some fans beat up PC giving kiss of life'.

The story accompanying these headlines claimed that 'drunken Liverpool fans viciously attacked rescue workers as they tried to revive victims' and 'police officers, firemen and ambulance crew were punched, kicked and urinated upon'. A quote, attributed to an unnamed policeman, claimed that a dead girl had been abused and that Liverpool fans 'were openly urinating on us and the bodies of the dead'.

In their history of The Sun, Peter Chippendale and Chris Horrie wrote:

'As MacKenzie's layout was seen by more and more people, a collective shudder ran through the office [but] MacKenzie's dominance was so total there was nobody left in the organisation who could rein him in except Murdoch. [Everyone] seemed paralysed, "looking like rabbits in the headlights", as one hack described them. The error staring them in the face was too glaring. It obviously wasn't a silly mistake; nor was it a simple oversight. Nobody really had any comment on it—they just took one look and went away shaking their heads in wonder at the enormity of it. It was a "classic smear".'
Lord Justice Taylor's official inquiry into the disaster disparaged The Sun's story and was unequivocal as to the disaster's cause:

'The real cause of the Hillsborough disaster [was] overcrowding, the main reason for the disaster was the failure of police control.'
Following The Sun's report, the newspaper was boycotted by most newsagents in Liverpool, with many refusing to stock the tabloid and large numbers of readers cancelling orders and even refusing to buy from shops which did stock the newspaper. The Hillsborough Justice Campaign also organised a national boycott, which was less successful but certainly hit the paper's sales.

MacKenzie explained his reporting in 1993. Talking to a House of Commons National Heritage Select Committee he said "I regret Hillsborough. It was a fundamental mistake. The mistake was I believed what an MP said. It was a Tory MP. If he had not said it and the chief superintendent (David Duckenfield) had not agreed with it, we would not have gone with it." This explanation was not accepted by families of Hillsborough victims. Even fifteen years after the Hillsborough disaster, the circulation of The Sun in Liverpool is still believed to be only 12,000 copies a day where previously it was around 200,000.

The Sun itself issued an apology "without reservation" in a full page opinion piece on 7 July 2004, saying that it had "committed the most terrible mistake in its history." The Sun was responding to the intense criticism of Wayne Rooney, a Liverpool-born football star who then still played in the city (for Everton), who had sold his life story to the newspaper. Rooney's actions had incensed Liverpool dwellers still angry at The Sun. The Sun's apology was somewhat bullish, saying that the "campaign of hate" against Rooney was organised in part by the Liverpool Daily Post & Echo, owned by Trinity Mirror, who also own the Daily Mirror, arch-rivals of The Sun. Thus the apology actually served to anger some Liverpudlians further. The Liverpool Echo itself did not accept the apology, calling it "shabby" and "an attempt, once again, to exploit the Hillsborough dead."

It should be noted that some other newspapers also detailed the same allegations on the same day, which apparently originated from a source within South Yorkshire Police attempting to divert blame, but The Sun attracted particular opprobrium for its use of the huge "THE TRUTH" headline and its subsequent refusal to issue an apology, something the other newspapers were quick to do.

[marie]

"Hillsborough" television drama

Christopher Eccleston stared as Trevor HicksIn 1996, the ITV television network in the United Kingdom screened a 90-minute one-off drama-documentary recounting the events of the disaster, written by the acclaimed Liverpudlian scriptwriter Jimmy McGovern, who had previously been responsible for hard-hitting television productions such as Cracker. The disaster is also central to the plot of one of the stories in Cracker.

Produced for the network by Granada Television and titled simply Hillsborough, the drama starred Christopher Eccleston as Trevor Hicks, whose story formed the focus of the script. Hicks lost two teenage daughters in the disaster and went on to campaign for safer stadiums, as well as helping form the Hillsborough Families Support Group. It drew much praise for its sensitive handling of the subject matter, which was heavily critical of the actions of the South Yorkshire Police. The programme inspired the Manic Street Preachers song "S.Y.M.M. (South Yorkshire Mass Murderer)" on the album This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours.

[marie]

Documentary

This is the 1996 Documentary about the Hillsbrough Disaster. I havent seen it but it was produced by ITV.

"Drama based on the real life events of April 1989, when ninety-six Liverpool supporters were crushed to death during an F.A. Cup Semi-Final match against Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough Stadium. This movie follows three Liverpudlian families before the match, during the tragedy and at the ensuing court battles which tried to decide who was to blame and what went wrong"

http://db2.btjunkie.org/search?q=Hillsborough

[marie]

I have asked several persons for permission, for PM, to use his photos in a special post that I want to write on the event in a forum.

Specially in our forum of the Athletic. Many young people do not know the happened. But many young people admire the Liverpool and know the team, thanks to Xabi Alonso.

I would like his interest, to show them that it happened this day, and do not ignore it.

If someone more can facilitate photos to me, I would be grateful for it very much. Fodder that an image, costs more than thousand words.

[petecarr]

http://www.petemc.net/ssp/hill/hillsborough/images/IMG_8975.jpg

Slideshow on my site (http://www.vanilladays.com/gallery/2007/04/hillsborough_-_youll_never_walk_alone/).

[snappel]

Personally I feel sorry for the coppers who were on the turnstiles. They were in a lose/lose situation, and not only do they have to live with what happened, but they have to bear the brunt of everyone else's accusations.

[marie]

I saw in a Celtic forum, that the supporters have a post about the Hillsborough!! Thanks to the Jungle Bhoys and others Celts supporters. It´s a beaty thing.

[scouse mouse]

Personally I feel sorry for the coppers who were on the turnstiles. They were in a lose/lose situation, and not only do they have to live with what happened, but they have to bear the brunt of everyone else's accusations.

Sorry but I'm too busy feeling sorry for those who died because they were treated like cattle by Duckinfield and many of those poor coppers.

If the police had done the job they were being paid to do that day the tragedy doesn't happen.........it's as simple as that.

[MariaC]

From then on I've never bought the Sun, nor has anyone in our family.

[marie]

Sorry but I'm too busy feeling sorry for those who died because they were treated like cattle by Duckinfield and many of those poor coppers.

If the police had done the job they were being paid to do that day the tragedy doesn't happen.........it's as simple as that.

I wait that in France put out the fences. In the gamebetween Manchester and Lille, almost happens a similar misfortune...

[snappel]

Edited because this isn't the time or the place to start this argument...

[scouserdave]

Edited because this isn't the time or the place to start this argument...

Well considered Snappel:handclap:
Quite a quantum leap from your views in less than 24 hours from:


Hillsborough confuses me because I'm not entirely sure why it happened, but needless to say the events were tragic. As a teenager I saw a drama about it and it just left me cold.

to


Personally I feel sorry for the coppers who were on the turnstiles. They were in a lose/lose situation, and not only do they have to live with what happened, but they have to bear the brunt of everyone else's accusations.

[snappel]

I'd done some reading Dave! To be honest there are lots of things I don't 'get' with this whole campaign thing, and being a complete non-football supporter perhaps I'm looking at it in a different way. Plus I wasn't in Liverpool when it happened, etc. But in this case I don't think there'd be much to gain from stirring up a debate on what is clearly still a very emotional subject. So I'll keep my views to myself and just spare a thought for those who suffered.

[scouserdave]

I'd done some reading Dave!
Cheers Snappel.
Probably an oversight, but you forgot to mention your sources:rolleyes:

[petecarr]

From then on I've never bought the Sun, nor has anyone in our family.

I read that sales in Liverpool have dropped from 200,000 to 12,000. Thats really something.

[snappel]

Just as well. Dirty tabloids. In fact, papers in general just write made-up crap most of the time.

[Ged]

I was at the other semi-final and tbh, originally, news was filtering through that it was crowd trouble and only as we were getting on the coach on the way home did the true horror of what happened become apparent - there was stunned silence on the way home even though we'd won as I think everyone on the coach knew somebody who was at Hillsborough that day.

[lindylou]

Just as well. Dirty tabloids. In fact, papers in general just write made-up crap most of the time.

Yeah tabloids :disgust: I never read any of them. I certainly wouldn't spend money on them.

[scouse mouse]

Edited because this isn't the time or the place to start this argument...

I can't imagine why you'd think that we'd need to argue about this ?

I would think that this is exactly the kind of time and place to discuss the events, especially considering that you admit to not knowing what happened that day and also appear to labouring under the misconception that the South Yorkshire Police seem to have been unfairly treated.

[scouse mouse]

I read that sales in Liverpool have dropped from 200,000 to 12,000. Thats really something.

It's good that the boycott is still in effect.

Still at the end of the day that's 12,000 Scousers who should feel ashamed of themselves imho.

[A.D.W]

It's good that the boycott is still in effect.

Still at the end of the day that's 12,000 Scousers who should feel ashamed of themselves imho.

It might not be Scousers buying the Sun in Liverpool of course.

[marie]

I can't imagine why you'd think that we'd need to argue about this ?

I would think that this is exactly the kind of time and place to discuss the events, especially considering that you admit to not knowing what happened that day and also appear to labouring under the misconception that the South Yorkshire Police seem to have been unfairly treated.

I would like that you were not discussing this. All 96 persons are died, and already nothing is going to return the life to them. I ask you not to discuss please for respect. Thanks!!

[A.D.W]

I would like that you were not discussing this. All 96 persons are died, and already nothing is going to return the life to them. I ask you not to discuss please for respect. Thanks!!

Fair point, Marie, but by not talking about that sad day it could be forgotten.

[scouse mouse]

I would like that you were not discussing this. All 96 persons are died, and already nothing is going to return the life to them. I ask you not to discuss please for respect. Thanks!!

Sorry but imho it's got nothing to do with respect Marie. I believe that if someone doesn't know what happened that day they should be made aware. Likewise if someone thinks that the tragedy was caused by footy hooligans or that the South Yorkshire Police were unfairly maligned then that should be addressed too.

Remember that the 96 are not here to defend themselves, it's up to us to make sure that the events of that day are not forgotten or more importantly conveniently rewritten.

[scouse mouse]

It might not be Scousers buying the Sun in Liverpool of course.

True, some of them could be out of towners. But I have a feeling that the majority of that 12,000 are probably locals who don't know or don't care.

[Steven]

I read that sales in Liverpool have dropped from 200,000 to 12,000. Thats really something.

Did anybody see that TV prog, where the editor of The Sun made a half appology to the citizens of Liverpool ?

[SteH]

True, some of them could be out of towners. But I have a feeling that the majority of that 12,000 are probably locals who don't know or don't care.

I've seen 'fans' of Liverpool FC reading that rag on coaches to away games and in pubs beforehand, they got a bit of grief like.

It does sadden me though that there are many who come across as more vociferous about boycotting they Sun and demonising McKenzie than remembering the 96 - no publicity is bad publicity and all that.

Also, I fear there are some attaching themselves to the HJC that they could really do without. There were reportedly plenty of Lacoste teens in Eindhoven the other week wearing HJC stickers acting in just the way the Sun claimed fans did ie. try to bunk into the game and push others out the way whilst drunk.

There seems to be so much fragmentation in the fight for justice. We have the family support group (the only one LFC recognise) that are no longer pursuing any legal activities. That was seen as too autocratic, selective and not proactive enough, hence the formation of the HJC. LFC continue to deny this groups existence and despite theirs and RTK's well organised Truth Day in January, only the RTK logo was allowed on the mosaic papers. The HJC's chairperson Anne Williams resigned last year to pursue the fight alone for her son Kevins case to be re-opened, forming Hope for Hillsborough (http://www.hopeforhillsborough.com/).

[A.D.W]

Hope for Hillsborough (http://www.hopeforhillsborough.com/).

A heart breaking website.

:PDT_Xtremez_42:

[scouse mouse]

I've seen 'fans' of Liverpool FC reading that rag on coaches to away games and in pubs beforehand, they got a bit of grief like.

It does sadden me though that there are many who come across as more vociferous about boycotting they Sun and demonising McKenzie than remembering the 96 - no publicity is bad publicity and all that.

Also, I fear there are some attaching themselves to the HJC that they could really do without. There were reportedly plenty of Lacoste teens in Eindhoven the other week wearing HJC stickers acting in just the way the Sun claimed fans did ie. try to bunk into the game and push others out the way whilst drunk.

There seems to be so much fragmentation in the fight for justice. We have the family support group (the only one LFC recognise) that are no longer pursuing any legal activities. That was seen as too autocratic, selective and not proactive enough, hence the formation of the HJC. LFC continue to deny this groups existence and despite theirs and RTK's well organised Truth Day in January, only the RTK logo was allowed on the mosaic papers. The HJC's chairperson Anne Williams resigned last year to pursue the fight alone for her son Kevins case to be re-opened, forming Hope for Hillsborough (http://www.hopeforhillsborough.com/).

The rift between the HFSG and the HJC saddens me Ste but at the end of the day both are persuing the same objective.

And I know for a fact that Gerry McIver wishes Anne all the very best in her personal struggle.

Our club here in Toronto continues to support the HJC in any way we can, but obviously wish both Anne and the HFSG all the very best.

[scouse mouse]

I've seen 'fans' of Liverpool FC reading that rag on coaches to away games and in pubs beforehand, they got a bit of grief like.


We have actually had a few walk into our games here in Toronto with a copy.

Each time they have been totally unaware.....and obviously binned it.

One quick story, there was one store in downtown Toronto that sold all kinds of Brit stuff, sweets, cds, dvds, tea towels etc (I'm sure you know the kind of place) they also sold imported newspapers, after Hillsborough they stopped selling the Sun, and have never sold it since. Nice, especially that the owner was an ex pat Spurs supporter from London.

[marie]

Sorry but imho it's got nothing to do with respect Marie. I believe that if someone doesn't know what happened that day they should be made aware. Likewise if someone thinks that the tragedy was caused by footy hooligans or that the South Yorkshire Police were unfairly maligned then that should be addressed too.

Remember that the 96 are not here to defend themselves, it's up to us to make sure that the events of that day are not forgotten or more importantly conveniently rewritten.


Excuse, I was thinking that you were discussing, and not speaking. It was my confusion in the translation of yours words. You know that my English is not very good... I am sorry!

[SciencePunk]

I'm confused - how did the standing area become so overcrowded? Were the fans diverted into an already-full pen to try and relieve the crowd outside the stadium? That seems like a stupid idea.

[snoochie boochie]

I'm confused - how did the standing area become so overcrowded? Were the fans diverted into an already-full pen to try and relieve the crowd outside the stadium? That seems like a stupid idea.

In a word Duckenfield! thats how! C*nts well pensioned off.

Some lovely pics there folks. Thanks

[Howie]

Monday 20 August 2007

Western Promise release their new single, Justice for the 96 on 20th August. Monies raised will help the legal fund for HJC (Hillsborough Justice Campaign) in order to proceed with a full investigation into what happened that fatefull day in 1989.

For more information see www.contrast.org/hillsborough

Download the single from www.arkade.com/katdp

[Howie]

Musical plea for justice to aid Hillsborough battle
Aug 21 2007
by Mike Chapple, Liverpool Daily Post

http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/article/11984713.jpeg

A CAMPAIGNING Liverpool musician and his band have just released a limited edition CD to highlight the continuing fight of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign.

The 96 numbered copies of the “Justice for the 96” single by Western Promise will be auctioned to the highest bidders.

All the proceeds from the sale will go to the Hillsborough campaign group whose HQ still stands on Walton Breck Road opposite the Anfield ground of Liverpool FC.

“It might be over 18 years since Hillsborough but the commitment is just as strong to get the police and those other people responsible for what happened to admit what they did and also remind them that we haven’t gone away,” said lead singer and guitarist John McGlone from Rock Ferry.

He maintains that no-one has ever been held to account for the administrative blunders which led to the deaths of 96 Liverpool fans at the FA Cup semi-final against on Nottingham Forest on April 15 1989.

The band’s song also highlights the continuing bitterness that Kelvin McKenzie, the former editor of The Sun who sanctioned the infamous The Truth story which falsely accused Liverpool fans of urinating and stealing from the dead, has still not publicly apologised for his actions.

“We had McKenzie sticking his oar in again saying on BBC’s Question Time recently that he didn’t think what was reported was wrong which just poured petrol over everything all over again,” said the musician who prefers to be called Johnny Mac, and who was also involved in the Rock The Dock movement organising gigs by artists such as Pete Townsend and Noel Gallagher highlighting the plight of the sacked Liverpool Dockers.

“It might be a case of too little too late to get him to admit he was wrong but at least it will be something.

“A lot of people in this city still don’t buy The Sun and a lot of kids are picking up on it now thanks to the work of the Justice Campaign which is about educating people into what really happened and to never forget. Hopefully the record will give it all a bit of a bump-up.” For those unable to obtain the limited edition numbered CD, which was only released yesterday and is available from the HJC shop, the song can also be downloaded at www.arkade.com/KATDP for £1.20 with donations being made to the campaign.

Source: Liverpool Daily Post (http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2007/08/21/musical-plea-for-justice-to-aid-hillsborough-battle-64375-19665325/)

[SteH]

This is the memorial mosaic that is on the steps up to the Liverpool FC museum at Anfield.

[verdi]

I was there that day. I think it was an accumaltion of things that led to the dissaster. We left early enough, but owing to road works, and police road blocks, arrived late at the ground. We parked outside somones house and he came out and made us move the car, making us later, and maybe saving our lives? When we got to the ground, just on three, not a soul to be seen, it was eery! I remember a woman with her two kids crying, she would not take them into the ground. We went in and the first thing you saw was the tunnel, with a view of the cross bar and grass. We went down it and into the toilets halfway down. Luckily a friend also came in and informed us of the crush saying ' I tell you there are people dying in there!'. We came back out and went to the side. the rest I don't wish to convey?? Went to the final, will not go to a match again, in fact lost interest in football really.

[johnlemmon]

A heart breaking website.

:PDT_Xtremez_42:

please read this site and support anne in her quest for justice,...

Lemmo...:ninja:

[Mark R]

Yes, the Yorkshire Police were rightly blamed. But I can't help thinking the FA were an absolute disgrace in the allocating of the tickets.
Even before the Hillsborough Tragedy I never bought that trash of a newspaper (I can't even bring myself to say the name).

[marky]

This signpost is on Netherley Road, Tarbock, near where it goes over the Knowsley Expressway. It was pointing towards Hough Green. I must have passed the trees, but never noticed.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee262/south_liverpool/Hillsborough_Oaks_signpost_Tarbock.jpg

[SteH]

There is a sundial in the grouns of Sudley House in memoriam of a groundsman who worked there who was killed and other Mossley Hill residents. The insciption still says 95 killed, having not been amended since Tony Bland's life support was turned off in 1993.

[gorgeous]

Another year on , but not forgotten.

R I P ( Peter Mc )

Thinking of you all

Karen

[Gnomie]

Bless them all on this sad day.

[John(Zappa)]

Bless them all on this sad day.

And that's from us here too.

[julieoapw]

Never forgotten. RIP

[lindylou]

Today has been a day for thought - todays aniversary - and also the news about the arrests over the Rhys Jones case.

[quincyg]

the memorial outside Crosby Library, i thought it poignant to take it today.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e28/quincyg/urban%20misc/Picture862.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e28/quincyg/newbadge_21104.gif

[SteH]

It was revealed during the service that a match between ex Liverpool and Celtic players is being planned to mark the 20th anniversary next year.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/7349514.stm

[Kev]

THE families of the 96 fans who died in the Hillsborough Disaster are to be awarded the city of Liverpool?s highest honour. Read (http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2009/01/20/hillsborough-disaster-families-honoured-64375-22731353/)

[Kev]

THE families of the 96 fans who died in the Hillsborough Disaster are to be awarded the city of Liverpool?s highest honour.

More... (http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2009/01/20/hillsborough-disaster-families-to-be-awarded-liverpool-s-highest-honour-64375-22731353/)

[LondonBeatlesFan]

That is great news. They deserve that.

[Kev]

LIVERPOOL will come to a standstill to mark the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster as bells peal 96 times across the city.

Chimes from both cathedrals and the city?s civic buildings could sound together for the first time since the end of World War II.

Liverpool cathedral?s Great George and the others sounding in unison will be heard for miles around.

At 3.06pm on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 15 people will be asked to observe a two-minute silence.

Liverpool FC is urging Europe?s football governing body to spare them a potential fixture clash with the 20th anniversary Hillsborough memorial.

If the Reds progress beyond their two-legged Champions League tie against Real Madrid they have asked to be excused from playing on the day.

The first leg could be scheduled 24 hours earlier, leaving the Liverpool players time to fly home to attend the memorial service at Anfield the following afternoon.

If Liverpool are playing at home on Tuesday, Anfield staff will work through the night to prepare the ground for one of the most symbolic Hillsborough anniversaries for years.

A Liverpool FC spokesman said: ?We have written to Uefa and pointed out the significance of April 15 if we do get to the quarter final.

?We asked that we would wish not to play on that date and if April 14 would be considered.?

Uefa has replied, stating it ?acknowledged the significance of the 20th anniversary and the request not to play on April 15?. more (http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2009/02/18/cathedral-bells-of-liverpool-to-ring-out-for-hillsborough-20th-anniversary-100252-22953728/2/)

[burkhilly]

I've been attending the Memorial Services at Anfield for years. I missed last year because Easter was so early, therefore I couldn't go. My son was nearly two when Hillsborough happened, and he also goes to the service. I think it's really important to remember this day and it's good to hear that it will be marked all over the city.

I remember the day vividly and the following days - dreadful it was. I didn't know anyone personally who died, but waiting at Lime Street for the train to come back with everyone else and watching kids praying that their dad was home safely...........well do I have to say anything else.

[Kev]

LIVERPOOL have asked UEFA to bring forward the date of their potential Champions League quarter-final second leg to avoid a clash with the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.

More... (http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2009/02/19/hillsborough-date-clash-92534-22960648/)

[Kev]

LIVERPOOL have asked UEFA to bring forward the date of their potential Champions League quarter-final second leg to avoid a clash with the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.

More... (http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2009/02/19/liverpool-fc-petition-uefa-over-hillsborough-date-clash-92534-22960648/)

[Kev]

UEFA are considering a request from Liverpool to move a Champions League match to avoid a clash with the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.

More... (http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2009/02/19/uefa-consider-liverpool-fc-request-over-hillsborough-date-clash-92534-22964505/)

[scouse smurf]

Bit premature for us to be asking for this.

I guess it gives Ramos something to put on the noticeboard for motivational purposes

[Kev]

Kenny Dalglish has broken his silence on the Hillsborough disaster, saying police and officials should have delayed the kick-off.

More... (http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2009/03/03/kenny-dalglish-breaks-hillsborough-disaster-silence-92534-23055815/)

[Howie]

New Hillsborough dossier aims to dispel the hurtful myths
Mar 10 2009
by Luke Traynor, Liverpool Echo

A UNIQUE online dossier that aims to dispel some of the myths surrounding the Hillsborough tragedy is to be re-released.

A small group of Liverpool fans are set to relaunch their successful Hillsborough for Dummies project in the run-up to the disaster?s 20th anniversary.

Now with a new title, The Hillsborough Football Disaster: Context & Consequences will educate people about the events of April 15, 1989.

Some sections from the first edition have been taken out and extra passages about the inquest and role of South Yorkshire Police added.

The aim is to shatter some of the hurtful and incorrect facts and stereotypes about the tragedy that continue to abound two decades on.

Behind the dossier is Jim Sharman, 39, a lifelong Liverpool fan who now lives and works in Sweden.

He said: ?People don?t realise the depth of deception that went on after Hillsborough.

?A year of my life has gone into the publication and the more I delve into it I think, how did they (the authorities) get away it?

?Among the ignorant there is still the incorrect notion that supporters pushed the gate and crushed those at the front.

?For this document, we?ve backtracked where the lies came from. This is a another tool for the fight.?

Jim, originally from Toxteth, is the editor behind the project, whose author is Nicola McMillan, a media studies graduate from Manchester.

The original dossier was originally put together after consultation with the coroner in Sheffield; the Hillsborough family groups; author Phil Scraton; Anne Williams who lost her teenage son on Leppings Lane; and a range of survivors.

The new release contains 20 key questions that probe a series of alleged failures committed by South Yorkshire Police, Sheffield city council and the Football Association.

It asks: ?Why has no individual group or organisation been held to account for the worst disaster in British sporting history??

It will be available towards the end of March on www.hfdinfo.com (http://www.hfdinfo.com/)

Source: Liverpool Echo (http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2009/03/10/new-hillsborough-dossier-aims-to-dispel-the-hurtful-myths-100252-23106229/)

[Kev]

MICHEL Platini has promised Liverpool that UEFA are keen to avoid forcing the club to play the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.

More... (http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2009/03/16/uefa-chief-michel-platini-makes-hillsborough-anniversary-pledge-to-liverpool-fc-100252-23157274/)

[kevin]

Passed the memorial on my way back from Goodison on Saturday.
As moving as ever.

[burkhilly]

The Memorial Service is more important than any football match. Hopefully common sense will prevail.

[Howie]

Hillsborough tribute CD released

Legendary Merseyside musicians are to release a record to mark the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough football disaster.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45394000/jpg/_45394855_hillborough.jpg
Ninety-six Liverpool FC supporters died
at in the Hillsborough disaster

Members of The La's, The Farm, Shack, Echo and the Bunnymen and Starsailor have collaborated on the song.

Past and present Liverpool FC players and families of the 96 people who died will be at the record's launch at music venue The Picket on Thursday.

The CD will be called the "Fields of Anfield Road".

More (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/7957988.stm)...

[redjed1]

Hope it sells well and raises awareness for this special aniversary.

Is it in the shops, or as a download? Anyone know

[Howie]

On the LFC site (in an article from the Echo) it says "the single will be available to download and could be sold in music stores", (see here (http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/mediawatch/drilldown/MW14326090302-1428.htm)).

[Kev]

LIVERPOOL FC boss Rafael Benitez hugged the relatives of Hillsborough disaster victims today and promised his club would "never forget" the loss of 96 fans.

More... (http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2009/03/26/fields-of-anfield-road-cd-launched-to-help-hillsborough-families-support-group-100252-23241083/)

[Kev]

VICTIMS of the Hillsborough stadium tragedy should have their own memorial in Sheffield, one of the city?s MPs said.

More... (http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2009/03/30/mp-calls-for-hillsborough-memorial-92534-23263441/)

[Kev]

VICTIMS of the Hillsborough stadium tragedy should have their own memorial in Sheffield, one of the city?s MPs said.

More... (http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2009/03/30/mp-calls-for-hillsborough-memorial-at-sheffield-wednesday-92534-23263441/)

[Paddy]

And there should be one in the centre of Liverpool. Also they need to review the shoddy policy that has been used against families of the victims. The public enquiry findings reccomended sitting down That suggests the F.A. are guilty of corporate manslaughter.

[Max]

Why one in the centre of Liverpool? It's a football matter. Theres been tons of tragedies in the pool to be giving special treatment to have one in the city centre.

I agree that Sheffield could make a memorial though.

[Paddy]

Because alot of them were scousers.

[Max]

Because alot of them were scousers.

What if a tragedy happened in the pool and they wern't Scousers though?

Theres already a memorial at Anfield.

[burkhilly]

There should be a memorial in the Town Centre. This tragedy touched just about every scouser in the city. I knew a mum who lost two sons. My brothers were there - and it was something like 7pm before we knew they were safe. There's loads of mums, dads, wives, sisters, children, grandchildren who only go to Anfield on the 15 April but go into the City Centre a lot more often. We do have a lot of memorials all over the city centre - so I think a Hillsborough Memorial would be a fitting tribute.

Personally I can recall events of the day, like it was yesterday so don't need a memorial to remember the victims. However, it's important that we always remember this appalling tragedy and although the memorial at Anfield is wonderful - another in the town centre would be fantastic.

[Paddy]

I was in Liverpool last week for our kid?s funeral. On Sunday I walked across Allerton Park and the lads were playing football. I asked a spectator if Jonna was about and he told me that he was running the line. Well that lad has been running football in the area since I can remember. We shook hands and he carried on doing his duty as linesman for the day. People like Jonna keep football going in the city. Heres the point, jonna I know was affected by Hillsborough and I need say no more. My Brother knew lads from Netherly he does not go much to football now. When I get the train to London from Watford I go through Pinner two lovely girls from that suburb died on that day. So you see it is a part of social history and recognized as a social tragedy. Apart from the uncaring it is something that touched the heart of the nation. Let?s not forget the bravery of Liverpool lads on that day. I doubt this country ever will. We have monuments around the city that commemorate other events. So why not one for a tragedy of the magnitude of Hillsborough.

[Howie]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1ADuaiFE0Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3gxak7L4Bc

[A.D.W]

AFC Liverpool
v
Norton United

Tuesday 7th April 2009
Kick Off ? 7.45pm

TICKETS:
ADULTS - ?5
SENIORS - ?3
UNDER 18s - ?2

VALERIE PARK, HOPE STREET, PRESCOT, MERSEYSIDE L34 6ND

WWW.AFCLIVERPOOL.ORG.UK

AFC Liverpool's next home game sees the Reds face Norton United in the league for a crucial match to maintain our promotion hopes.

As the closest match to the 20th Anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, AFC Liverpool will be marking the game with a remembrance for the 96 fans who sadly lost their lives on 15th April, 1989. Whilst we are sure many fans will be attending the service at Anfield on April 15, or remembering in their own way, we welcome you to attend the game on 7th April where fellow reds will join to commemorate the lives of the 96, and continue the fight for justice.

A minutes silence will be held before the game, followed by extended singing for justice. AFC Liverpool have also invited representatives from the three Hillsborough campaign groups to the game to whom we will present AFC Liverpool shirts to show our full and never-ending support.

YNWA

[Howie]

Hillsborough anniversary song Fields Of Anfield Road starts journey to number one
Apr 4 2009
by Luke Traynor, Liverpool Echo

http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/article/11162100/2009/04/03/12567700.jpeg

THE race to push a song commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy to the top of the music charts begins today.

The Fields Of Anfield Road, sung by well-known musicians, former Liverpool players and families who lost loved ones in 1989, is now available for download.

The emotionally-charged track can be bought for 79p at iTunes or at Liverpool FC official stores priced at ?2.

Only the online sales go towards the UK charts and the first opportunity to check how the single has fared will be tomorrow.

Already, 20,000 people have signed up to the ?Get the Hillsborough Single to number one? campaign on social networking website Facebook.

In the first few hours of the tribute track being available, it flew off the shelves, selling 750 copies.

The Fields Of Anfield Road can also be bought in HMV.

All proceeds go towards the Hillsborough Family Support Group.

Source: Liverpool Echo (http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2009/04/04/hillsborough-anniversary-song-fields-of-anfield-road-starts-journey-to-number-one-100252-23309267/)

[Kev]

Thank you for extending and developing this thread Howie, cheers.

[Kev]

ANNE Williams is still fighting for justice for her son Kevin, 15.

More... (http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2009/04/08/anne-williams-still-fighting-for-hillsborough-justice-after-20-years-100252-23338109/)

[burkhilly]

Hope she continues her fight...................I can well understand her need to have the correct time of her son's death. The cut off time was just convenient from the coroner. Wish there was something I could do to help.

I have to say that Hillsborough is one of the worst days in my life, I remember it vividly and could weep when I do think about it. I didn't lose a child, so if I feel this then Ann Williams must feel millions of times worse.

[Spike]

Very sad that after so long the truth is still hidden.

[A.D.W]

http://www.liverpoolviews.co.uk/afcl/norton/afcl0704091.jpg

http://www.liverpoolviews.co.uk/afcl/norton/afcl0704092.jpg

http://www.liverpoolviews.co.uk/afcl/norton/afcl0704099.jpg

http://www.liverpoolviews.co.uk/afcl/norton/afcl07040913.jpg

http://www.liverpoolviews.co.uk/afcl/norton/afcl07040918.jpg

http://www.liverpoolviews.co.uk/afcl/norton/afcl07040915.jpg

[Kev]

http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2009/Apr/Week2/15259213.jpg (http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2009/Apr/Week2/15259213.jpg)

Hillsborough. The word is tough to write, even harder to say out loud.

Twenty years have passed since that day.

A huge number of football fans going to games this week will not even have been born when the 1989 FA Cup semi-final ended in tragedy.

Yet for some, that sunny April day has never ended.

I am one of the lucky ones. On April 15, 1989, I was a 17-year-old with a severe dose of tonsillitis.

So bad that my mum told me I couldn't go to the match.


And so it is nothing short of astonishing that 20 years on, not a single person has been convicted of any criminal offence for the part they played in the deaths of so many innocents.

Simon Ellis-Jones Within 20 minutes I had swapped my terrace ticket for a seat in the stands. Mum, happy I wouldn't be on my feet for 90 minutes, relented.

Dad drove, me and three mates sat in the van.

We got stuck in traffic somewhere near Glossop. The A57 Snake Pass was busier than we expected and the journey from L47 to S6 took almost three hours.

We were not drunk. We were not ticketless. We did not rush the gate.

Yet we walked into that stadium 20 minutes or so before kick-off without having to take our tickets from our pockets.

We walked through a gate opened by South Yorkshire police officers. A gate, it would later be falsely claimed, had been forced open by ticketless fans.

Once inside the ground the terrace appeared to be accessible only via a narrow tunnel.

I could have gone with the others down that tunnel, I could have disobeyed Mum.

From my seat in the stand I had a great view. Fifteen minutes later I was on the pitch. It was not a pitch invasion.

I had little idea what was happening. The shouts and screams told me it was bad.

Fans, using advertising hordings as stretchers, were making repeat trips to one corner of the ground, by the Kop.

I do not remember seeing bodies, just clothes. The pitch was covered. I remember asking myself: "Why would anyone not know they had lost a shoe?"

At the same time my Dad was lying prostrate on the section of terrace next to pens three and four.

He had been crushed so badly his heart had developed an irregular beat. He would later need some serious medical attention.

His life had been saved by a crash barrier buckling, the pressure relieved just in time.

Those lying beneath him were not so lucky. And they were the memories that would haunt him as he waited 11 years for his compensation claim to be heard.

He was lifted over the carnage to safety by other fans. Untrained, blindly doing what they could to save lives. As the police looked on.

Dad managed to get out of the stadium, praying, he later told me, he would see me and the lads standing at the agreed meeting point.

We were all there. Dad went to a local shop to find a phone. Mum must have been worried.

He found a bike shop. At one end was a queue of about six fans, waiting patiently as the shop assistant asked each one in turn for a phone number, which he would dial for them.

Next to Dad was the shop owner, demonstrating a bike to a grandmother. Sirens wailed outside. "I'm not sure she'll like that shade of green," Dad remembers her saying.

It is only when you actually sit down to begin a piece like this that the sheer ludicrousness of the Hillsborough aftermath becomes apparent.

Imagine making an error at work, a mistake of such monumental incompetence it set in motion a chain of events which resulted in someone's death.

During the subsequent investigation you lie about your decision-making, you deflect blame onto the victim and leak misleading information to the press.

But you are caught out. An official inquiry blames you and those in your charge for the tragic accident. You were out of your depth, it says.

Yet there is no punishment.

This is what happened 20 years ago. But it was 96 times more serious.

The reason for the Hillsborough disaster was the "failure of police control", concluded Lord Justice Taylor.

And so it is nothing short of astonishing that 20 years on, not a single person has been convicted of any criminal offence for the part they played in the deaths of so many innocents.

The Taylor Report which followed Hillsborough had an immense impact on British football.

It was most obvious in the total transformation of British stadia. Terraces disappeared within five seasons and new safety practices put in place.

Thankfully Taylor also recommended the proposed ID card system for fans be scrapped. Imagine the chaos if every fan had to produce identification at the turnstile.

While some lag behind - last month's disaster at an Ivory Coast stadium reminded us of that - British football fans have never had it so good.

New stadiums. Comfortable seats, caf? lattes and paninis. Even the police are more relaxed.

But never forget, there was a price to pay for your 21st century viewing.

And it could have been you.

Simon Ellis-Jones, Sky News sports producer

[Spike]

It seems like yesterday. I remember our own celebrations ( Blues ) turning sour as the news got through. We where in the town that night and everything was so strange, everyone seemed stunned.

We went to a friends house and turned on Radio City, they had no show on they just played easy music. then the next day we began to realise just how serious all this was. Football had gone then, this was our people.

I never knew anyone who died or was injured. My brother in law was at the game and has never been to a football match since. He is still a big Liverpool fan and we have the blue and red banter between us. he just wont go to a game anymore.

It is shameful that 20 years on no justice has been given.

At this time my heart is with the families.

[Kev]

I remember standing at the first memorial at Anfield just after it happened, when the pitch was stil full of scarves etc. It was very quiet despite the thousands of people there and understandably so.

[essexscouse]

I have now lived away from my beloved city for over 30 years I have loved my reds for nearly 50 years I am sorry I cannot be amongst you on this day:tear:
I will attend mass on wednesday and light a candle for the families of all those whose heartache will never be removed
To all of you my fellow scousers I send my sincerest condolences whilst I feel some of your pain and you will always be in my thoughts
:tear:

[burkhilly]

I've been going to the Memorial Services for the past eight years or so. I missed last year because I couldn't get the time off, due to Easter falling so early. I find the occasion so moving and poignant and this is the time it really comes home how many people died and many relatives continue to grieve.

I think it's amazing that the interest outside the city is so high. I think if any other city had suffered such a terrible tragedy, then it wouldn't be getting this much publicity - it's because it is Liverpool and although a large city, we're also like a small village, which shares grief. Who in Liverpool didn't know someone who died at Hillsborough? If you didn't know someone, consider yourself lucky.

My abiding memory of the day is waiting at Lime Street Station for my Brothers to come back (they did). There were little kids (7/8 yo) who were praying that their dads would be ok. Absolutely heartbreaking. The Everton train arrived and the Everton fans got off singing - made up that they were through. They saw us and stopped immediately! A lot then waited to make sure their mates were on the returning Liverpool train. I don't know if the kids dads arrived - wish I did.

I shall be going on Wednesday, when I expect twice as many people to be there then in previously years.

Justice for the 96!

[Spike]

On the eve of this anniversary this Blue is hoping you go and do Chelsea tonight :PDT11

Total respect to those fans, we will always remember.

[Howie]

Hillsborough justice bid goes on

Families of those who died in the Hillsborough disaster say they are determined to fight on for justice.

The city of Liverpool is expected to come to a standstill on Wednesday, 20 years after the tragedy which killed 96 people and injured hundreds more.

South Yorkshire Ch Con Meredyd Hughes said the force had "fully accepted" responsibility for the disaster.

But Anne Williams, whose son Kevin died in the tragedy, is continuing to call for an inquest to be re-opened.

At the original inquest, the coroner ruled that all victims had sustained their fatal injuries by 1515 BST, based on advice from pathologists.

As a result, he did not hear any evidence of what happened after that point.

But many of the bereaved families believe their loved ones were still alive and perhaps, given proper medical assistance, could have survived.

When South Yorkshire ambulance driver Tony Edwards reached the dead and dying in his ambulance it was already 1537 BST.

"Well, it's a time of convenience because what that does, it rules out a proper investigation because I don't exist - I never came on the pitch [according to the inquiry]," he told the BBC.

"I was not called to the Taylor inquiry because if everyone's dead at three fifteen why do they need to speak to me?"

The inquiry into the disaster led by Lord Chief Justice Taylor established that main cause was a failure of police crowd control.

"Accountability has always lain with South Yorkshire Police. The Taylor report was quite clear in where blame lay," said the force chief constable.

"South Yorkshire Police fully accept their responsibility for the Hillsborough disaster.

"The force knows where it went wrong in a flawed operation and the leadership issues that led to the deaths of so many people."

Last month, the European Court of Human Rights threw out an appeal by Ms Williams challenging the verdict of the original inquest, but she has vowed to fight on.

"I think people are realising that there is something really bad about Hillsborough. There is such a really big cover up", she said.

Source: BBC NEWS | England | Hillsborough justice bid goes on (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7998231.stm)

[redjed1]

I remember watching the tragedy unfolding on tv. I didn't have any friends or relatives at the game, but remember how close the people of Liverpool became in the aftermath. Then came the awful stories (lies) in the papers, especially the S*n.

Over the years, the campaign for the truth to be told has been maintained despite the obstacles put in its path. It's only this year, with the widespread coverage, and reading all the different personal accounts of the tragedy, that the scale of cover-up and downright lies told has become glaringly obvious.

Lets hope that there will soon be justice for the 96.

[Spike]

I would love to hear the Justice For he 96 chant taken up at a few of the countries grounds this weekend.

[Howie]

Cabinet to debate Hillsborough secret files
Apr 16 2009
by Ian Hernon

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CULTURE Secretary Andy Burnham will today tell his Cabinet colleagues they must suspend the 30-year secrecy rule on all Hillsborough documents.

He wants police logs and Home Office dossiers in the public domain so ministers can decide whether a public inquiry is justified.

But before the meeting of Gordon Brown?s top team in Glasgow he warned it would be ?difficult?, adding: ?I am not in the business of making promises I can?t keep.?

Mr Burnham also told the ECHO the barracking he received at yesterday?s Anfield memorial was ?completely understandable.?

The Merseyside-born Everton fan heard chants of ?Justice for the 96? rain down from The Kop in protest at the government?s refusal to re-examine the tragedy.

More (http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2009/04/16/cabinet-to-debate-hillsborough-secret-files-100252-23399675/)...

[Howie]

Hillsborough disaster cover-up: We discover Hillsborough statements censored by senior police officers

By Paul Byrne 7/05/2009

Exclusive

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The Mirror today reveals more d@mning evidence of how police accounts were altered after the Hillsborough disaster to remove criticism from senior officers.

We have been given access to hundreds of statements from police on duty at the 1989 Liverpool-Nottingham Forest match which left 96 dead.

Last week it was revealed how junior officers had testimonies changed by their superiors before they were presented to the official inquiry.

Now 14 dusty boxes kept in the House of Commons library since 1998 reveal more possible cover-ups.

We found glaring examples of statements altered to remove any criticism of South Yorkshire police on the fateful day at the Sheffield stadium.

One from PC Stuart Finnerty has large sections crossed out and a cover sheet by a senior officer raises five concerns. They include the use of his phrase ?headless chickens? to refer to how he and colleagues felt.

The full sentence, which is crossed out, says: ?I am aware many of them, like me, felt like headless chickens running about.?

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The PC?s concerns about the lack of police radios is also erased as is his observation: ?There were lots of police near me and no instructions were given to assist and no details were given about what was really happening.?

He tells of officers? disbelief at estimates of the deaths but the phrase: ?Nothing had even been communicated to them at that stage, by radio or verbally? has been cut.

The final paragraph, which is also crossed out, reads: ?I felt ashamed...the police did not respond professionally after the deaths were established. I also regret constables did not have personal radios for many reasons.?

The cover note calls the sentence ?adverse comment? and says Finnerty should be asked to review it.

Two copies of a statement from PC David Illingworth have different final sentences. In one he concludes: ?At the height of the disaster no-one seemed to take control.? In a second almost- identical version this line is missing.

There are three versions of a statement by PC John Botfield. He tells of bodies on the pitch and ?utter confusion?. But his comments on lack of command annoy the censor.

Pc Botfield says: ?On our arrival confusion reigned, no one person seemed to be in overall command of the situation but within a short time organisation took place.?

This is crossed out in one version of his handwritten copy to be replaced with: ?On our arrival confusion reigned. It was a

difficult situation but within a very short period of time police officers were organised and efficiency took over with officers being given specific tasks.? This version is used in the typed copy.

A statement from PC Andre Smyk also has passages scored through. They include the words: ?There seemed to be a number of inspectors present but no-one giving orders or instructions to anyone. We seemed under-employed.?

Comments on cover notes to amended statements all appear to be in the same writing.

But not all are negative. Sgt Stephen Farnsworth mentions fans allegedly climbing walls to get in. The cover note says: ?Ok. Good statement for SYP (South Yorkshire Police).

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The force has admitted statements were changed but relatives believe police tried to divert attention from their failures and blame supporters.

The new papers also say police could have averted many deaths if they had allowed paramedics quicker access to victims. Crews say they could have saved lives if police had declared a ?major incident?.

The 14 boxes contain all the documents seen by Lord Justice Stuart-Smith in 1997 when he was asked to review whether the inquest should be re-opened.

They include statements taken shortly after the tragedy by police including the man in command, Chief Supt David Duckenfield. Lord Stuart-Smith concluded there was not enough new evidence to re-open the inquest.

The papers were then dumped in the Commons library in 1998 but with no attempt to catalogue them and with many official documents mixed up with statements.

It is not clear whether this was an attempt to hide potentially damaging evidence or an example of officials failing to take care of important documents.

Liverpool Garston MP Maria Eagle said: ?This shows there was a black propaganda unit in the police and there were a number of senior officers involved.

?The police left in the hearsay that suited their story but took out the hearsay that criticised senior officers.

?They were trying to massage statements around the story they had decided, which was drunk Liverpool fans forcing the gates. It was a conspiracy that failed.?

Labour MPs met Home Secretary Jacqui Smith last night to press for all police and hospital records to be put in the public domain in an attempt to show whether the South Yorkshire force could have done more to save fans.

Mrs Smith has promised to get the documents published. But no date on when that will happen has been announced.

Source: Mirror.co.uk (http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/05/07/hillsborough-disaster-exclusive-we-discover-hillsborough-statements-censored-by-senior-police-officers-115875-21337982/)

[Howie]

Hillsborough book unveils 'truth'

A new book on the Hillsborough disaster written by a Belfast-based academic is due to be launched later.

Hillsborough: The Truth, by Professor Phil Scraton of Queen's University, investigates alleged inadequacies of police investigations and inquiries.

Ninety-six Liverpool fans were crushed to death at the Hillsborough stadium on 15 April 1989.

Professor Scraton said the authorities have "still failed" to acknowledge their responsibility.

"This book details the appalling treatment endured by the bereaved and survivors in the aftermath of the Hillsborough tragedy," he said.

More (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8065699.stm)...