No one intended to kill football fans at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest 27 years ago. In 1989 British football stadiums were inherently unsafe, many of us felt in danger at the regular crushing entering and leaving grounds.
Crowd management was considered a control issue, not a safety one. In England, fences penned spectators in to prevent pitch invasions.
Hillsborough had staged many FA Cup semi-finals, including one the previous year between the same two clubs, so no proper thought or planning went into the game. During the 80s measures to control the crowd increased, while Sheffield Wednesday, who played home games at the ground, seldom came near the stadium’s capacity. The mean the stadium was unprepared for anything out of the ordinary, and the police were completely unprepared.
Access gates were open to relieve pressure on turnstiles which were inadequate to deal with a crowd of that size – a common, but dangerous, occurrence at the time.
Control measures were such that what was once a terrace area open from one side to another had been sectioned off. Once you were in one pen the only route out was to leave the terrace via the long tunnel underneath the Leppings Lane stand that fans used to enter the terrace. The two pens at the wide end of the terrace were under-filled, while the central two were crushed.
No one entering a tunnel knew if there was crushing ahead and there was no way to segregate fans off into available pens. Anyone attempting to exit through the tunnel would have been met by a large crowd of people trying to go the opposite way.
The system was stupidly crazy by design. Any Health and Safety attention would have deemed the terrace unsafe the moment the tall fences went up to prevent overspill onto the pitch area. It was a fatal incident waiting to happen.
Once the incident was underway South Yorkshire Police failed the victims spectacularly. Officers were watching the fatal crush from yards away but were unwilling to raise the alarm. They ignored terrified pleas from fans. After evidence of fatalities first arose, they turned ambulances away, delaying treatment to casualties for a crucial period.
When the incident was over the police invoked a smear campaign against the victims. Lies were told. Newspapers bought into the conspiracy, among others. The bereaved were left on their own to defend the memory of their lost ones as inquiries bathed all in whitewash.
There will be an understandable demand for prosecutions now, but for those who died 27 years ago, and many of their loved ones, it’s all too late. I hope the survivors gain some small comfort from today’s inquest verdict of unlawful killing. The torture they went through listening to the official lies must have been unbearable.
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Bada, Every book you buy, you are paying for the printing , if enough have been previously sold then you are putting money directly into the pockets of the Author plus others in the publishing chain who are due a cut.
I don’t see an ethical difference but you may see it different.
I don’t agree with the crowd funding either.
Mrs TET published her book by herself, she had no idea how it would do, she took the chance, she gambled it would sell, she didn’t have an adoring fan base to buy her book.
I am with Bada on this.
Paul McStay, a true Celtic legend if there was one, has never struck me as someone who would take advantage of his status. We will always owe him big time, imo.
For 20AUD you get a a copy of the book, if and when published.
Approx £10.
I cannot see the problem.
My only quibble will be paying currency fee but that depends on the card used.
I must be missing something I don’t see how crowd funding or receiving a book advance from a publisher is any different to the customer. We still have to pay to read/receive the book.
Crowd funding just gauges potential sales before you commit to a project.
Bhoys,thanks for replies,for the avoidance of doubt,Paul McStay is one of the greatest ever Celtic players. I have met him a few times and you couldn’t meet a nicer guy,and not ashamed to admit I had tears in my eyes,in the Jungle the day he threw his jersey to us. HH
Eddie
Well said.
Good evening,
Hopefully a move towards closure for the families of the Hillsborough disaster. There but for grace of god etc.
Returned from the golf to another email from John Paul Taylor stating that we should not consider Celtic board inaction with lack of awareness.
“The Club would prefer to avoid public statements however this shouldn’t be considered that this means either inaction or lack of awareness its simply the way the Club chooses to work and is mindful of its social responsibility.”
My point to him had been that to unite the support in support of the club maybe the board could be a wee bit more visual and vocal in their support of us, the support, in those matters that we struggle with daily, e.g. Res 12, Same club myth, LNS, SFA, SPFL and WATP sense of entitlement.
I can handle having a poor team producing mediocre performances. A manager out his depth, players out of form etc but don’t expect me to accept the wilful wrongdoing in the matters I cite above.
HH
Eurochamps67
ShotaoneunderatthegolfbtwlostthetrophyoncountbackstupiddriveontenCSC
“…its simply the way the Club chooses to work and is mindful of its social responsibility.”
Oh, dear.
Crowd funding is pretty common nowadays for many art projects ….not the way it was done when I was younger, but now lots of bands use crowd funding to pay for CD’s if they dont want to be tied to a large label ….. some time ago, I pre-ordered a copy of the new TSC album, and paid for it at the time …. this allowed the band to go ahead and record the album …. received it this week. No complaints at all.
I guess it could be abused, but nothing sinister about crowdfunding in and of itself….
and, I”ve never met PMcS, but, from everything I have heard about him, he is as decent as the day is long, so cant imagine that he would be involved in anything untoward.
Paul McStay – one of life’s good guys. The very epitome of a good Celtic Man. Tom Boyd is another guy with similar class as a person. Tommy Burns of course is the benchmark when it comes to being a great Celtic Person (forget for a while about ‘player’) Genuine role models.
I wouldn’t burden young players with such expectation but they could learn much from these guys – be a good person first and foremost. It won’t harm your fitba! There’s a young man shaping up that way in the hoops at present. I hope he continues the way he’s going. NO PRESSURE!
Anyone think this will ever catch on up here? Naaaaaaaaaaa
http://videocelts.com/2016/04/blogs/latest-news/welsh-fa-lay-down-the-law-and-refuse-promotion-over-licence-issue
Ran into Paul once outside Celtic Park was too awe struck to say anything. He was chatting to some Celtic Official and then just popped in to a classy motor and headed off. The Official just nodded to me and said “Yes that was the great Paul McStay”.
A very good article on the 96.
https://ntvceltic.wordpress.com/2016/04/26/truth-is-not-negotiable/
The myth.
http://thecelticblog.com/2016/04/blogs/now-the-facts-warburtons-been-no-better-than-deila-over-the-season
Right, man city V Madrid.later.
I notice very little change in the BBC narrative around Hillsborough tonite. Good to hear David Conn on the radio giving a very strong perspective on behalf of the families.
Lots of chat about Nottingham tonight too. For me it was the worst. Although I don’t recall much being made of it at all at the time in the media or by celtic officially. Post match was all about paul mc stays glaring miss in the fog and ice at the end of the game.
Huge celtic support went down buoyed by a great Tommy Burns inspired win vs Sporting Lisbon in round 2.
We were on the over subscribed Busby and Eaglesham bus and following a few craft gin and tonics en route we stopped at Thirsk I thnk it was. Mostly all in very good spirits when we got to the ground and we’re all corralled in one direction by an ignorant and not very friendly police presence perhaps mindful of Burnley a few years previous.
20 mins before the game it was already crazy and I remember we somehow ended up at the front. 2 guys clinging from the fence actually stood on my head to catapult themselves over to safety from the crush. Not out of malice but necessity.
Now I reckon 80% of the support would have had a good drink that day. No doubt that would have been to blame in any official report. Thanks to the guy with the key to the fence and the grace of God it was ok.
The crowd was packed in again for the 2nd leg when Forrest taught us a lesson at Celtic park. Martin O’Neil had left Forrest a year before but none of us could imagine at the time it would be 20 years before he would be the first to lead us to post xmas european football.
Anyone know why city fans boing the CL anthem ?
Imagine a police officer telling lies…. shockeroony
Imagine them getting together and fabricating their stories …. woahhhhhh
I believe in God almighty .. and that they will all go to he’ll
EDDIEINKIRKMICHAEL on 26TH APRIL 2016 6:13 PM
BBC News concentrating on the failings on the day of the disaster, the narrative has been set. The real story today isn’t the fateful days events but what happened on the subsequent days to stop the real story from emerging. Today should be about who was responsible for it to take 27yrs for the truth to emerge.
Yes. And part of what happened on subsequent days is why no Celtic, or any other fan should give any organisation even remotely connected wit Rupert Murdoch, one thin dime.
Tony d…
Just asked my son…no idea.
Tony,
They do it often now. It’s an anti uefa thang
HH
Plenty of sky blue and navy on view to-night – are the Dubs playing? they had 80;000 in Croke Park last Sunday a little more than in Manchester.
Was watching the highlights of Forest v Celtic 83. Minutes after the crush Coleman informs the viewers that the police had given the reason for the crush. About 1000 ticket less Celtic fans,had climbed into the ground. Later watching reports on Hillsborough. John Motson tells the audience that the reports were “ticket less Liverpool fans got in through a broken gate and that was the reason for the crush.” Did the police use this for every crush in those days?
When Man City were fined for Financial Fair Play breaches, at their next CL game when the anthem started up the fans booed over it. UEFA then fined them again for booing, so they did it again (i think), another fine, then they held up signs ‘Boo’ on them.
Much of the City supporters’ frustration stems from a decision to play a Champions League match against CSKA Moscow behind closed doors last year because of a series of offences, including racial abuse, from the Russian club’s fans.
Fans who had paid to travel to Moscow for the game were not compensated by UEFA, while some CSKA fans were reported to have attended the fixture.
Love
TD67
They boo CL anthem because UEFA fined them and limited their squad numbers for breaking Financial Fair Play rules. They also boo because UEFA decided there game away to Spartak Moscow was to be played behind closed doors (due to racist chants from Spartak fans) after the Man City fans had made travel arrangements and offered them no compensation.
They boo it because of the financial fair play investigation into man city.. Or something like that.
It was mentioned in the last game.
*CSKA, knew it was on of the Moscow teams
TET
Did the gaffer have any success with the book?
Currently writing and would be interested to learn of other’s experiences.
Truth and justice for the 96 today.
Hopefully real accountability will follow.
I can’t imagine how horrific it must have been for the bereaved to hear and read all the lies of their lost loved ones.
I don’t mind admitting shedding a few tears when I heard the news earlier.
They have fought a truly wonderful campaign and never gave up against the establishment lies and smears.
RIP the 96.
Just watched C4 news coverage on Hillsborough after watching BBC earlier. 2 different slants to the story and no prizes for guessing which came out on top…C4 easily the best news channel in the UK….
Gordon 64 is the man to ask about book publishing. I think he has a couple of books in print.
Haven’t seen him on the blog for quite a while. Don’t know if he still lurks.
I am going to Crowdfund to buy a horse.The horse wins The Derby,and produces another 200 champion reacehorses,thanks very much ,you have need me very rich,without me spending a penny. Far fetched of course,but I think these things can get out of hand.
TET/ Ia Mrs TETs book still on Amazon if so name and author please
G64 colours books in,Gordon J is the man I think…
No Bobby
She did, sold a fair few and sold lots on the kindle thing.
She is rewriting it and adding new stuff to it, it’s a massive learning experience.
You can ask her yourself if you do facebook, she has a page called The Mentalpause.
HH
Bada Bing
I should have known that, I’ve got one of his books.
(No the colourin’ in wan)