Football, regards as the most beautiful game in the world. No one ever expect a football game can end up with people crushed, died, injured or even traumatised. What a tragedy, what a disaster that happened on the 15th April 1989 at the Hillsborough Stadium. 96 Liverpool Fans lost their lives during the FA Cup Semi-Final against Nottingham Forest. 96 Liverpool fans never came home
I never know the story. I mean the full-story or the true-story until I watched "Hillsborough- the documentary" few days ago. The memorial service was held at Anfield Stadium recently for the remembrance of the 96 victims at Hillsborough. It's the first time I watch the memorial service & it's already been the 22nd annual memorial service for year 2011. People in the stadium were touched, wiped their tears and felt sad about what had actually happened during that day.
That day, Liverpool fans were allocated the smaller end of the stadium, the Leppings end. It was tighly packed at the time. But as a result of some bad decisions made by the police, who never control the crowd appropriately, allowing thousand of Liverpool fans streaming into the ground. Poor crowd control outside the ground meant fans were ushered in through un-manned barriers and turnstiles into the narrow entrances onto the terrace within.
Shortly after kickoff, there were far too many fans jammed in the lepping lane. Fans outside the stadium keep getting in without noticing what actually happen inside. Fans were pressed up against the metal fences in front, pushed too far forward to get back to an upright position and crushed from behind by the sheer weight of their numbers.
That day, the policemen were the one who gave the order to let the fans to move quickly inside the ground. But in official testimony, one of the policemen tried to lie and cover it up. In the end, the police who gave the order get an early retirement on an enhanced pension. Another police officer was adjudged to have traumatic stress from the incident was award 330,000 pound of compensation compared to one of the parents who lost a son in the disaster paid 3,500 pound of compensation. Even there's a CCTV which can unfold the tragedy, the policemen cover it up by saying the CCTV tape were somehow stolen from the control room. On that very day, some policemen were actually prevented ambulance crew to get into the pitch to help out the dead. Not a single person were charged or prosecuted because of the disaster, not one policeman even lost their job. Where's the justice?
After 22 long years, families from the Hillsborough disaster still waiting for the justice for the 96. April 15th is not about football anymore for Liverpool, it's about remembering the 96 who lost their lives, who never came back home. Justice will prevail.
You'll Never Walk Alone...
