The 1989 Hillsborough disaster




On April 15th, 1989, a soccer game turned into one of history’s most tragic incidents. It was the semi-finals between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest being played at Sheffield’s Hillsborough Stadium. Little did the Liverpool supporters know that the day, instead of hailing their cheers, would crush their lives.

The 1989 Hillsborough disaster

The 1989 Hillsborough disaster

It wasn’t the enmity of the fans at the opposite sides and neither was it any political agenda, the disastrous demise took place when Liverpool fans were exiting a gate due to the stadium becoming overcrowded. The police had ordered the supporters to leave through a tunnel which would lead to two pens however the incursion caused so much of a chaos that fans began collapsing on top of the other in the most harmful manner which caused an irreversible commotion. The upheaval took the lives of 96 supporters, 94 on the spot and two later that day. The last victim was in a coma till 1993 and could not survive. The match was stopped and so was time at that point. Game day became gone day.

Inquiries were made and accusations were pointed at the police control facility at the venue. After this incident all standing terraces in every stadium were taken off. This became one of the most catastrophic sports disasters in British history. After that, there were alterations in witness statements and police records to try and cover up the mess. The blame regrettably came onto the victims: depicting them as hooligans.

And now more than 22 years later, the incident comes to news yet another time. Prime Minister David Cameron gave out a formal apology to the victims’ families saying that it was wrong to project those who died as hooligans and to put the blame on them for the incident. He said that the police manipulated the reports, and presented them in the most biased manner as possible. Findings were hid, conclusions were predisposed and eventually the flame fell on the fans.

“The Liverpool fans were not the cause of the disaster. The panel has quite simply found no evidence in support of allegations of exceptional levels of drunkenness, ticketlessness or violence among Liverpool fans, no evidence that fans had conspired to arrive late at the stadium, and no evidence that they stole from the dead and dying,” Cameron said.

How much of a difference this would make to the families is difficult to assume as the human hurdle of death continues to haunt the affected even today.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Author:

Cricket

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti enjoys gully cricket in Jaipur

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti enjoys gully cricket in Jaipur

Posted by: Vikram Kamboj on February 4th, 2024

Jaipur, 04 February 2024: US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti was in the pink city on Saturday where the Ambassador dropped by Rajasthan Royals’ home stadium ..

Football

LALIGA Concludes ‘Extra Time’ Webinar Series

LALIGA Concludes ‘Extra Time’ Webinar Series

Posted by: Pooja Kamboj on May 16th, 2024

Continuing to work alongside stakeholders from the sports fraternity, LALIGA, the world’s largest football ecosystem, brought the curtains down on this se ..

Tennis

Leander Paes inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame

Leander Paes inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame

Posted by: Vikram Kamboj on December 19th, 2023

Former doubles world No. 1 Leander Paes was recently elected to receive the Ultimate Honor in Tennis – induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame &# ..

F1

Life Lessons learned from Sports & Fitness #TOSBDay

Life Lessons learned from Sports & Fitness #TOSBDay

Posted by: Vikram Kamboj on September 26th, 2016

Held on Sept 1st, The Outstanding Speakers’ Bureau (TOSB) Twinterview consisted of sports panelists such as Mark Gallagher (Public Speaker on F1 race), Shayam ..

Boxing

Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker set for huge showdown

Anthony Joshua and Joseph Parker set for huge showdown

Posted by: Vikram Kamboj on February 15th, 2018

It looks like it will be a scintillating couple of months for fans of elite boxing. There is the prospect of the rematch between Gennady Golovkin and Saul ‘Ca ..

Other Sports

The 2023-24 Season of the Los Angeles Clippers: A Mid-Season Review

The 2023-24 Season of the Los Angeles Clippers: A Mid-Season Review

Posted by: Vikram Kamboj on February 15th, 2024

As the 2023-24 NBA season approaches the All-Star break, the Los Angeles Clippers have emerged as a formidable force in the Western Conference, showcasing their ..

One stop guide to all the latest sports news, reviews, opinions, fixtures and live scores from India and around the world.

Copyright © 2024 | The Sports Mirror