On the 15th April 1989 the world witnessed one of the most devastating sporting disasters that it had ever seen, with 96 fans crushed to death and never to return home to their families. 23 years later, that national tragedy finally spilled its secrets and turned into a national disgrace. On the 11th September the Hillsborough Independent Panel released their findings after studying more than 400,000 documents surrounding the events from that fateful day, and a nation united in their sadness for the victims and the revulsion for the authorities’ cover-up.
It’s worth repeating those awful, gut wrenching truths. And how poignant that we can now call them truths, after the deceitful attempt at undermining them at every turn. A complete failure to police a large group of arriving fans, and the eventual death sentence to open the exit gates at the Leppings Lane end, resulted in an unstoppable crush of men, women and children into the crumbling pens behind the goal. 96 fans lost their lives in that crush, many of whom may have survived if the police had put into effect their disaster plan, but a lack of organisation and leadership compounded those previous failings. Realising the enormity of their own inadequacy, and the horror of the aftermath, South Yorkshire police set in motion a plan to discredit and smear the reputations of fans in order to protect themselves. Imagine the grief of being told that your child is dead, and that in the consideration of the authorities it was their own fault, and that of their friends.
Being a football fan in the 1980’s was not an enviable life choice. In a new football age birthed by the Taylor report and the Premier League, it’s easy to forget that back then, stadiums were embarrassingly decrepit (Hillsborough didn’t even have a valid safety certificate at the time), and the fans were treated very much as criminals in waiting. The family friendly atmospheres and policing geared towards helping fans that you see today didn’t exist. Modern football was born into a world that didn’t love it, and at its peak with Hillsborough had treated its victims worse than animals.
The football that we watch today is a magnificent cut and thrust, bringing the finest talent in the world to our shores and putting on a fantastic show for an enraptured audience. But the fans shouldn’t forget the roots of this new glamorous game. They’re all in the same comfy boat now, but should also look back as one to the stormier times when they were all thrashing about in unwelcoming seas together.
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