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Hillsborough disaster remembered.
On 15th April 1989 there was a soccer match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool to decide who would be one of the finalists in the Football Association’s Cup Final to be held later in the year. The match was played at the “neutral ground” of Hillsborough in Sheffield.
A combination of events resulted in 96 Liverpool supporters being tragically killed, almost all being crushed as they entered the standing terraces at one end of the ground.
In September 2012 it emerged that the Police tried to blame victims to hide their own failings in this disaster and that over 40 of those who died might have been saved with better medical care.
A two year-long inquest ending in 2016 concluded that those who died were unlawfully killed, a finding that ended a 27 year campaign by those seeking justice for the dead.
In 2021 two retired police officers and an ex-solicitor went for trial accused of altering police statements. The judge dismissed the case. Also in 2021, the South Yorkshire and West Midlands police agreed to pay damages to more than 600 people over their admitted cover-up.
A severely brain damaged Liverpool fan died in 2021 making him the 97th unlawfully killed victim.
At the invitation of the government, in 2017 Bishop James Jones concluded a report on the lessons to be learnt from this tragedy. To the despair of Bishop Jones, in 2023 (five years later) the government said it would respond to the report 'in due course".
In December 2023 Prime Minister Sunak apologised for the governments delay of its own making and decided compel the police to follow a policy of openness, honesty and transparency.
Despite the unlawful killing and cover-up, no one has ever been convicted.
When today’s matches are over; the supporters have gone home and the ground is silent, empty Hillsborough seats still remember what happened there all those years ago.....
Hillsborough disaster remembered.
On 15th April 1989 there was a soccer match between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool to decide who would be one of the finalists in the Football Association’s Cup Final to be held later in the year. The match was played at the “neutral ground” of Hillsborough in Sheffield.
A combination of events resulted in 96 Liverpool supporters being tragically killed, almost all being crushed as they entered the standing terraces at one end of the ground.
In September 2012 it emerged that the Police tried to blame victims to hide their own failings in this disaster and that over 40 of those who died might have been saved with better medical care.
A two year-long inquest ending in 2016 concluded that those who died were unlawfully killed, a finding that ended a 27 year campaign by those seeking justice for the dead.
In 2021 two retired police officers and an ex-solicitor went for trial accused of altering police statements. The judge dismissed the case. Also in 2021, the South Yorkshire and West Midlands police agreed to pay damages to more than 600 people over their admitted cover-up.
A severely brain damaged Liverpool fan died in 2021 making him the 97th unlawfully killed victim.
At the invitation of the government, in 2017 Bishop James Jones concluded a report on the lessons to be learnt from this tragedy. To the despair of Bishop Jones, in 2023 (five years later) the government said it would respond to the report 'in due course".
In December 2023 Prime Minister Sunak apologised for the governments delay of its own making and decided compel the police to follow a policy of openness, honesty and transparency.
Despite the unlawful killing and cover-up, no one has ever been convicted.
When today’s matches are over; the supporters have gone home and the ground is silent, empty Hillsborough seats still remember what happened there all those years ago.....