The independent report was released by coincidence on the anniversary of another human tragedy, the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Centre. This was also a senseless loss of life that brought people together in their grief. Borders were ignored and people were one in their sadness. Hillsborough is also a human tragedy that crosses boundaries of club, city and culture. It could have been any club, any fan. It was a punch in the face reminder to all fans that they deserved better, and the subsequent panel review, a wake up call to everyone that they all share a duty to prevent it from ever going back to those dark days.
It’s a clarion call for everyone to stand up and declare that we are not animals, and that we expect safety and moral authority from the people that are supposed to protect us. And that is why the chanting has to stop. Now.
Part of the legacy of the recent Hillsborough findings is that fan groups must forget those city and club divides and realise that some events transcend puerile point scoring. Hillsborough is one such event, and the Munich air disaster is another. There is no point in trying to establish who started what first, it just stops. Of course, on Saturday against Wigan it was very much an isolated minority that were singing “Always the victims, it’s never your fault”, and Sir Alex has rightly condemned those involved, calling for and end to it. But there is also a responsibility of fans everywhere to root out that kind of disgusting chanting and throw it out of their club, whether you’re red or blue, north or south or any of the other kaleidoscope rivalries that exist. I can’t stress enough that it is absolutely not just a United problem, it happens in all clubs, in all stadiums, but will be brought sharply into focus at the game between them and Liverpool on 23rd September.
Rivalry and loyalty are what built football, the passion of those beliefs sustain and feed it. But remember that we’re not animals being herded into pens, we’re better than that. And we still need to prove that every week to make sure that 96 fans are honoured properly.
Nick Bell can be followed at @tracking_back.
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