Public Address | Cafe | Field Theory: You'll Never Walk Alone

Robert Fox

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:51:33 +1200

Unlike 1989 this was directly cause by hooliganism

plus extremely poor organisation and a hopeless old stadium about a secure and safe as the colluseum in its current state. UEFA and the British government were quick to conveniently pile up all the blame on the Liverpool supprters whilst ducking there…

Naly D

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:16:41 +1200

One of my minor papers this year, sports history, and it suggests that rioting at sports matches was a great drawcard in the 18th and 19th century [I mean, look at the Eton Wall Game] and was even encouraged at top level. Apparently it was the media's shift to cover…

LegBreak

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:56:59 +1200

The Taylor report certainly changed English football.

But probably not as much as the Bosman ruling.

Blake Monkley

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:38:52 +1200

Some say the turning point was Arsenal's amazing league victory on the last kick of the season that same year over Liverpool.

Hmmmm, Michael Thomas never scored against Liverpool again, Liverpool bought him for the next season.

BlairMacca

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:29:15 +1200

There was also the riot that killed 39 people in 1985 which led to every English club being banned from Uefa for 5-10 years. Unlike 1989 this was directly cause by hooliganism. These and others almost killed football in the 80's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heysel_Stadium_disaster

Some say the turning point was Arsenal's amazing…

Sam F

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:06:18 +1200

Was just reading up on the Bradford City FC fire in 1985. Police and fans were apparently working together well there, but when an entire stand burns down in four minutes... the entire thing was a mass of wood and bitumen, and fire extinguishers were also not available there, in…

BlairMacca

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:37:37 +1200

For those interested, there is a new documentary on Hillsborough to mark the 20 year anniversary being shown on History Channel tonight (not the excellent Jimmy McGovern docu-drama mind).

Sorry missed that one, it was the same doco I saw

BlairMacca

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:28:21 +1200

There was a good doco on the history channel last night on it. Had interviews with people who had lost family (one has lost both daughters, another a 14 yo son) and also Liverpool players from the game. From watching that and from what I have read the main reason…

Peter Darlington

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:20:37 +1200

What we need to be careful of is the power we give to others.
Why were the Police in charge?
Why was there no co-ordination? Why were the assumptions that the crowd were invading the pitch rather than trying to live?

It was Thatcher's England, football fans were not liked…

Robert Fox

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:19:08 +1200

Hillsborough's impact was huge precisely because it was played out before a live TV audience. The attempt by the police and authorities to shirk any responsinbility and effectively blame the victims for what happend could never be reconcilled by a public who could easily recall the horrors they witnessed in…

Blake Monkley

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:16:54 +1200

For those interested, there is a new documentary on Hillsborough to mark the 20 year anniversary being shown on History Channel tonight (not the excellent Jimmy McGovern docu-drama mind).

Thanks Richard for the heads up. I watched the doco last night, my god what a monumental f**k-up by the police…

Jackie Clark

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 09:25:18 +1200

I remember the Hillsborough tragedy so well. I was standing behind the bar at the time serving punters, in a pub in London, and glancing from time to time at the TV, which was mounted above the front door. I watched the whole thing unfolding and it was so surreal.…

Naly D

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:25:51 +1200

The reaction to the speech given by Secretary of Culture and Sport Andy Burnham was touching, I think, and a reminder of the very raw feelings and animosity still held toward the authorities.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSSJ4lmRKL8

Just thinking

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 01:39:39 +1200

I'm a Liverpool fan and never been to Liverpool, or the UK.
Rosie I like the sentiment you've expressed.

What we need to be careful of is the power we give to others.
Why were the Police in charge?
Why was there no co-ordination? Why were the assumptions that the…

Rosie

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:34:01 +1200

In our office in Liverpool people observed two minutes silence. In town shop staff stood outside shops and many shoppers stood silently as well. Cars and taxis pulled over. Liverpudlians are perhaps not typically English in nature in that they are willing to wear their hearts on their sleeves when…

Richard Llewellyn

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:42:01 +1200

For those interested, there is a new documentary on Hillsborough to mark the 20 year anniversary being shown on History Channel tonight (not the excellent Jimmy McGovern docu-drama mind).

The doco tonight will feature Dalglish talking publicly for the first time of the impact it had on him and the…

Stuart Coats

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:05:02 +1200

I remember when I was in London a couple of years ago seeing an official police sign in a tube station saying: "Caution there is a football match this weekend at Emirates Stadium. Do not use this station as it will be filled with Arsenal supporters".

Maybe it was more…

Blake Monkley

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:33:38 +1200

Unbelievable.

How F**king tragic.

And the current Lord Mayor of Liverpool should have been in the Leppings Lane End but swapped his ticket for a stand seat.

This is what Bruce Grobbelaar the Liverpool goalie recalled at the Leppings lane end.

There are other interviews with a…

Peter Darlington

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:29:32 +1200

Also, from that Guardian article, Steven Gerrard's 10 year old cousin died at Hillsborough. Gerrard was 8 years old.

And the current Lord Mayor of Liverpool should have been in the Leppings Lane End but swapped his ticket for a stand seat.

Peter Darlington

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:25:57 +1200

From that same Guardian article;

Without a conviction, or at least admission of liability, there could be no closure for the likes of John Glover, who lost his 20-year-old son Ian. He also considered his two other boys to be victims of Hillsborough. After the disaster, both were so traumatised…

Blake Monkley

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:20:13 +1200

Snap

Blake Monkley

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:19:35 +1200

Note how the decline of violence at English football matches coincided with Millwall’s relegation.

Indeed, I suspect pills & warehouse parties too.

Peter Darlington

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:17:36 +1200

Note how the decline of violence at English football matches coincided with Millwall’s relegation.

I thought it coincided with Acid House and the proliferation of 'e'? Give us a hug.

LegBreak

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:11:44 +1200

Note how the decline of violence at English football matches coincided with Millwall’s relegation.

Blake Monkley

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:04:11 +1200

Sports minister Andy Burnham tries to address a crowd of Liverpool supporters, gathered in the stands at Anfield for a memeorial service for the 96 who died in the Hillsborough tragedy 20 years ago.
As he spoke, the corwd started shouting him down with prolonged chants of [[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8000635.stm|"justice for the…

Rich of Observationz

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:31:41 +1200

I guess it's not unfair per se that NZ is the only country that takes netball seriously enough to pay the players megabucks. It's a bit like the US always winning at American Football, or the Aussies at Aussie Rules (do they actually have *any* overseas top-level competition at that?)…

Public Address

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:31:41 +1200

Discussion from blog post.