20th Anniversary - Hillsborough Disaster 1989

[Will]

Apparently both United and Everton will wear black armbands for their Semi Final.

Yes so i have heard. Apparently a minutes "applause" will be held for the victims that day, it sends a shiver down my spine thinking of Chelsea fans inperticular, to how they will react to it. It should be a minutes silence not an applause, who are they applauding? its not like a former footballer who passed away and they are celebrating his life and carear. United v Everton apparently aint even gona be an "applaude" (which is sickening) or a minutes silence, mind you i cant see United fans respecting it can you? I think the FA have got it totally wrong yet again. Iv seen the vile on Chelsea forums goin round too, to the news of this. I was only 2 at the time so i have no memories of it whatsoever,apart from things iv read and going to the HJC shop and reading the reports and so on. The authorities messed up, maybe thats too kind of a word for it. They ****ed up. Big time!. Im never good when it comes to posting on topics such as Hillsbrough, it dosnt mean i dont care or take no intrest, just that i really dont kno what to say. I care i have intrest and i will be buying the new fields of anfield road song. They wont get support from the mainstream media (no change there then) so the least we can do is support them. Afterall they where all fellow Liverpudlians. jft96 (hope iv said all the right things becouse i know its a touchy subject, and not one many like to talk about)

[dom9]

Which games? Surely not at the Stamford Bridge game?

I'm not sure I like the idea of a minute's applause. As you say, there is absolutely nothing to celebrate.

Seems misguided to me, but if it stops a load Mancs from being offensive, then I guess it a reasonable compromise at their game.

[Rich]

I try and remember the day and I really struggle to, I can clearly and vividly remember the 1986 and 1988 cup finals, the running to the back door to shout to my Mother in the garden that Rush had equalised and jumping up and down in the lounge when my favourite player at the time Johnston knocked in the second, while I can clearly remember running up the stairs willing Ray Houghton to score in the 1988 game, and crying when the penalty was saved. Yet 1989 and the semi final I have no recollection. None. I can only think it was my lack of immediate attachment with Merseyside and the club at that time - after all I was 12 and I was living in a small town in Yorkshire with no obvious link to the club nor family supporting.

It's only during the years that I have learned some of what happened that day and it is heartbreaking. The thing that really gets me is the ones so young that died needlessly that day. Always shocking and such a waste.

I'd also like to convey that it is my belief that people struggle to find the words to type in threads on Hillsborough.

And Zimbo, thanks for your post.

RIP 96

[sniffer]

It still sends me cold to think 96 people died supporting their team.

Same here and sometimes when i watch programmes on it, it upsets me i was 14 at the time and i was watching it on tv and i couldnt believe what was happening.

I will be going to the memorial service on the 15th to pay my respect's

RIP

YNWA

JUSTICE FOR THE 96

[Red_Polo]

http://www.thehistorychannel.co.uk/site/tv_guide/full_details/British_history/programme_892.php

Hillsborough Remembered
Wed April 15th at 8:00pm
Thu April 16th at 12:00am
Thu April 16th at 11:00am

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough stadium disaster, History™ will be paying tribute by presenting a testimonial film to the people of Liverpool and football fans across the land.

On 15th April 1989, Liverpool faced Nottingham Forest in the semi-final of the FA Cup at Hillsborough stadium, Sheffield. Yet in what was to become Britain’s worst-ever sporting disaster, 96 people died, crushed to death on overcrowded terraces.

The events at Hillsborough shattered a community and shook the world of football to its very core. A public inquiry by Lord Justice Taylor concluded that the main cause for the disaster was “failure of police control”. In this incredibly moving tribute, Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish speaks about the events at Hillsborough on camera for the very first time. He joins families who lost loved ones, survivors, and players as they discuss what happened on that fateful day.

[Joe King]

Transport halted for Hillsborough
[BBC]
Liverpool's trains and buses will come to a standstill to mark the moment of the Hillsborough disaster 20 years ago.

The services will stop at exactly 1506 BST on 15 April for two minutes to remember those who died.

At Sheffield Wednesday's stadium, 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death when the club took on Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final in 1989.

Merseytravel said the silence will show that "the victims of the tragedy are not forgotten 20 years on".

In addition, the Mersey Ferries will moor at the Pier Head and all vehicles will stop in the Mersey Tunnels, when safe to do so, to observe the two minute silence.

Greater Manchester is also arranging for buses at depots in Wigan to observe the silent tribute for what is considered to be one of Britain's worst sporting disasters.

Neil Scales, Merseytravel chief executive, said: "This is our chance to pay tribute to those who lost their lives at Hillsborough and for the families that survive them.

"We hope people travelling by whatever mode of transport appreciate this gesture; it is two minutes in a lifetime and a silent tribute to show that all of the victims of the tragedy are not forgotten 20 years on."

[The Glove]

Tonight AFC Liverpool will be holding a minutes silence follwed by 6 minutes of noise. We will also have representatives from all 3 groups there to present them with framed shirts of our home shirt which carries the flame and date.

If any locals read this, I urge you to come down and show your support for the groups.

[Will]

Which games? Surely not at the Stamford Bridge game?

I'm not sure I like the idea of a minute's applause. As you say, there is absolutely nothing to celebrate.

Seems misguided to me, but if it stops a load Mancs from being offensive, then I guess it a reasonable compromise at their game.

The FA Cup semi final at Wembley between Chelsea and Arsenal. With the victims families in attendence. So the FA website said and a couple of newspapers.

[dom9]

The FA Cup semi final at Wembley between Chelsea and Arsenal. With the victims families in attendence. So the FA website said and a couple of newspapers.

OK - I thought you were talking about the CL games next week.

[Roboklopp]

Just to echo that I usually dont attend or comment on these threads because I wasnt directly affected, not coming from Liverpool. Grief is a private/personal thing and I have never wanted to "cheapen" such threads by not being directly affected. That is by no means to say that Hillsborough is forgotten & I imagine many feel the same.

With regards to the song, I'm having difficulty getting hold of it. Can you only get it on download or on CD too? I'm sure they were talking about the CD on radio the other day but I cannot find it.

[Leyton388]

Celtic fans

http://www.thehuddleboard.com/

YNWA

[scully]

Celtic fans

http://www.thehuddleboard.com/

YNWA

A lovely sight.

[TORRES-2008]

My Hillsborough Reflections "20 years " On

Reflections of a Hillsborough Survivor - 20 years on(wrote by me John Doherty)
(Still no justice)
I can't stand the month of April, detest it with a passion. To me there are only 11 months in the year because April doesn't exist. But unfortunately it does and as we enter April you can't get away from it.
I can't stand seeing April as a date written on anything, like the top of newspapers or pages on teletext. It sends a cold feeling down my spine, but there is no getting away from it.
Then there are the other reminders like walking around the supermarket and sell by dates on food start getting closer to the 15th - another reminder and one which catches you off your guard.
Easter as a holiday has gone out of the window because you know what's going to follow.
April is the start of spring, where nature starts showing signs of new life and a feeling of the end of the darkness of winter and the start of something new, but April feels darker than any of the winter months.
Obviously I have never bought the scum and until the day i pass away myself i never ever will not even to wipe me arse on it SCUM
I always enjoyed Mayday because of political reasons and fights but now it has added significance because it marks the end of April.
So I find that from the 8th onwards I start trying to recollect what my movements would have been leading up to the semi in 1989 (probably struggling with maths homework). But I find that I cant really recall much before the 15th but obviously everything following the match.
I can remember doing a sweepstake as I always did with mates at school for the first scorer and making sure that I got a standing ticket for Leppings Lane because in 1988 I could only get a seat in the upper Leppings Lane but not much else.
I'd never seen a dead body before the 15.4.89, not even a relative, that soon changed.i have never ever been so frightened in my life and only being nearly 14 years old made the situation very much worse,being young fellow reds helped me more than themselves to get me out of there knowing i had a much longer life to live, having to grow up start puberty start dating etc etc and this sticks in the back of my head as even being so young i still picture that awful scene and how these people risked there lives for a young lad they didnt even know but classed me as one of there own as i was a LIVERPUDLIAN, my uncles m8 who came with us fought desperate 4 his own live but had the will to get me out of there alive even knowing he was in agony pain and yes knowing he was dying.

So many bodies.
As for many the Anniversary is the only day when you open that box of feelings held deep inside yourself and open the lock that keeps it all contained and allow all those feelings to come to the surface.
Personally I always used to attend the Anniversary service wherever it was held because it was a sanctuary and being amongst others who understood your feelings for that one day, a place to feel comfortable in letting your feelings show.
Until the 17th Anniversary when the addresses towards the end of the memorial seemed to change in content to something more akin to a political broadcast.
It was the last thing I wanted to hear. I don't need my guilt being added to the survivors guilt I already feel about getting out of those cages of death alive, when 96 of our friends didn't and especially don't need it adding to on the 15th when that lock on my box of feelings has been released.
I just wish that the lectures about issues like standing at football matches would be kept for another day.
So come the 18th Anniversary I just couldn't handle attending and went down the Mersey instead and just watched the river, but that just felt worse.
So the only place for me on the,19th Memorial service, was to go back to Anfield and salute the 96 heroes, I've tried spending the day elsewhere but for me it doesn't work, I can't release that lock.
So now I feel that my sanctuary has been compromised and I don't know what to do?
Now I find that the only way now to attend the Memorial is to leave before the final addresses which means having to miss the singing of 'You'll Never Walk Alone'. which hurts me as well being are anthem, my cousin Leon Lopez has sang a few with Gerry Marsdan
I would prefer not to but for my own sanity with that lock open, for a short time once a year, I have enough emotion and feelings floating around without anyone else adding to it.
Personally the 15th is a day of remembrance in a month full of ****. I just hope we are able to do just that ...
Remember.
JUSTICE FOR THE 96
(wrote by me John Doherty A Hillsborough Survivor)
R.I.P All 96 and Liam Harker

[Tee]

Words just fail me.... that is an emotive piece of writing.

YNWA. RIP the 96.

[Matt]

Thank you for sharing, that's very moving.