April 15th 1989

[Dripsey3]

I always get emotional on the anniversary of Hillsborough. I was 12 and I remember it like it was yesterday. Scenes like that were too much to process for a 12 year old. 97 victims. Countless lives destroyed. Grown men and women who still can't talk about or deal with what they witnessed that day. Today I would like to remember Tony Bland, Andy Devine, Sarah Hicks and Louise Hicks. Tony clung to life for 4 years before passing away in 1993. Andy survived against all the odds and died at the age of 55. The 97th victim. Sarah and Louise were sisters. 19 & 15. A life time of potential gone in a few tragic moments. 

I'm in Liverpool in June and the memorial will be my first stop. It will be emotional but it's something I need to do. 

[Chris]

When I was younger, probably around 6 or 7. I remember watching a documentary with @super_ram and feeling disturbed seeing what played out. I couldn't understand why such a disaster would occur, when football to me seemed so safe. I remember the documentary showing a scene where young fans, ages around my own at the time, were trampled on and squashed to their deaths. I found it very disturbing, but also very important to learn about.

It was such a sad thing to watch, especially when things had dispersed and those bodies still remained on the ground.

When Notts played Liverpool in the League Cup, I spent some time with @super_pie showing him the memorial.

[liampie]

it was a scary event that should never have happened, its very saddening and i wish to pay my respects to all the deaths and survivors.

its very haunting to think about.

[TheSkipper]

I strongly believe that safety at sporting events should always be a top priority. The Hillsborough disaster is a tragic example of what can happen when safety measures are not taken seriously. The inquiry into the disaster found that overcrowding, poor stadium design, and inadequate policing were the main factors that led to the loss of so many lives.

It is heartening to know that the Taylor Report was published in the aftermath of the disaster. The report made significant recommendations to improve stadium safety regulations. These included the removal of terraced stands, the introduction of all-seater stadiums, and the implementation of strict crowd management and safety protocols.

I believe that these recommendations have played a crucial role in preventing similar tragedies from occurring in the future. While some fans may miss the standing areas, the introduction of all-seater stadiums has undoubtedly made sporting events much safer for everyone involved.

[BromPie]

What occurred was a horrific event, and it was one of the darkest days in football history. The UK struggled to adapt to the incident at first, but those involved who tragically lost their lives will never be forgotten.

[CliftonMagpie]

It's a very sad thing that unfortunately affected many people's lives. I can't believe it took so long for justice to be had. If I'm correct, wasn't the police massively at fault?

[DangerousSausage]

39 minutes ago, CliftonMagpie said:

I can't believe it took so long for justice to be had. If I'm correct, wasn't the police massively at fault?

Yes, and that's precisely why it took so long for justice to be done. Many things have changed since then, but the attitude of the authorities towards football fans has not - just look at how UEFA and the French authorities instantly blamed the Liverpool fans at the Champions League final a couple of years back. That came to light quicker than the failings at Hillsborough because football is a huge business now and has more of a lobby in the media, but that didn't help the fans on the day.

Terraces are only dangerous if they're overfilled. At Hillsborough, Liverpool's end was divided into several "pens" (which had high fences on all sides and were more akin to cages), and, because of the crush outside the ground, the gate was opened in a panic and fans guided into one pen. These pens and the high fences that surrounded them are thankfully a thing of the past, but they were only put there in the first place because a climate developed in which the terms "football fan" and "hooligan" were synonymous, and football fans were treated as a problem to be dealt with. It might not be much of a hardship, but even today you can't drink a beer in sight of a football pitch...

For us particularly, the thought of going to a match and never coming home is a horrific one because it's so close to home. I recommend that everyone goes to Liverpool at least once and visits the memorial - to remember the victims and to remind ourselves how important it is to stand together.

[Joshua]

I feel guilty for admitting this, but I only know bits and pieces. I recall news stories from some time ago about the justice, but I never became engaged with it. Sometimes it’s easier to be a little ignorant when you’re young, but that doesn’t diminish my wish that more people had survived. I sometimes confuse this with the fire that I believe Bradford City had.

[heraldmagpie]

The Hillsborough disaster was a dark day that affected not only those at the match but people across the United Kingdom. It's tragic to think that so many deaths could have been avoided if common sense and care were taken. Allowing fans onto the pitch when it became clear that there were too many in the stands could have saved lives.

[KB1862]

I remember having to study Hillsborough while at college, 11 years ago. The more we studied it the more it became clear there was so many failings. Can't believe it took as long as it did for justice. 

[CliftonMagpie]

@DangerousSausage I watched the Panorama programme on the BBC after the police were held accountable. When you look at the footage, it was not caused by fans simply breaking through, as we saw in the World Cup final between PSG and Liverpool. Like those incidents, it stems from poor handling of the match-day operation.

[AmericanPie]

I remember when I first heard about it on the radio, it made me feel like life could change in a moment's notice. The horrific scenes are hard to forget. I remember seeing a young fan wearing a woolly hat running for help. Can you imagine being in that situation? My heart goes out to all the victims' families. Justice should have prevailed much sooner.