Hillsborough Remembered. 15th April 1989

On the 15th April 1989 tens of thousands of football supporters travelled to Hillsborough, Sheffield, to watch their teams in the FA Cup semi final involving Nottingham Forest and Liverpool.

No-one thought for a moment that this semi-final would be remembered by every football supporter in the world, forever, and for all the wrong reasons.

The two teams had met at the same ground at the same stage of the competition the previous year, Liverpool winning 2-1.

Liverpool fans were confident of success again and were looking forward to another trip to Wembley.

“It’s semi-final day, you’ve got a ticket to an FA Cup semi-final, you can’t believe it.”

“You’re following your team, you’re going to win.”

In the moments prior to kick off there were several thousand fans outside the turnstiles at the Leppings Lane end of the ground.

As a bottleneck developed outside the ground police, fearing a crush, opened a set of gates leading in to a narrow tunnel at the rear of the terrace.

In five minutes 2000 fans pass through.

Fans streamed down the tunnel into the already crowded central section of the terrace, at the front fans were pushed against steel fencing installed to prevent hooliganism.

As fans surged into the ground, determined to get their place on the terrace for the start of the game the obvious route was through the tunnel directly in front of them. This led to pens 3 and 4, which soon became overcrowded.

Many fans tried to escape by climbing over the fence or being pulled up by other supporters in to the upper tier.

As fans began to spill out onto the perimeter track to avoid the crush Chief Superintendent Duckenfield, in charge on the day, called for reinforcements, thinking it was a pitch invasion.

As officers arrived at the scene it was clear that many of the fans were in severe distress. Those able to climbed across into adjoining pens and push through the perimeter gates and tried desperately to free their fellow fans.

The police ignored fans pleas for help leaving supporters to try to help the victims out of the crush and the pitch was soon crowded with injured and dying people.

Advertising hoardings were used by supporters to carry fans across the field in the hope of getting treatment.

Emergency services arrived late, having been stopped in entering the ground by police, there was chaos as bodies and injured fans were taken to the gymnasium.

I watched events unfold on tv, numb and crying, along with millions of others, more listened in on radios, every ground in the country soon knew of the days tragic events.

If ever I see images of Hillsborough these days I turn them off.

I can’t watch again.

I don’t want to see or hear the pain and anguish suffered unnecessarily that day by so many football supporters.

Blame is a word easy to band around and those who were to blame that day know what they did and must carry it with them silently for all their days and suffer for it.

And I hope they do.

I am not trying to forget that terrible day, it will always be there as long as football is played, we should all remember some paid the cost just for trying to watch their team play a game of football.

I will remember them and hope they rest in peace because the people they left behind are finding it very difficult to live on afterwards.

Ninety-six people died as a result of the Hillsborough tragedy and the football world mourned the death of 96 men, women and children.

In deepest respect to the 96 and the thousands of others still affected to this day.

Rest in peace.

John Alfred Anderson (62)
Colin Mark Ashcroft (19)
James Gary Aspinall (18)
Kester Roger Marcus Ball (16)
Gerard Bernard Patrick Baron (67)
Simon Bell (17)
Barry Sidney Bennett (26)
David John Benson (22)
David William Birtle (22)
Tony Bland (22)
Paul David Brady (21)
Andrew Mark Brookes (26)
Carl Brown (18)
David Steven Brown (25)
Henry Thomas Burke (47)
Peter Andrew Burkett (24)
Paul William Carlile (19)
Raymond Thomas Chapman (50)
Gary Christopher Church (19)
Joseph Clark (29)
Paul Clark (18)
Gary Collins (22)
Stephen Paul Copoc (20)
Tracey Elizabeth Cox (23)
James Philip Delaney (19)
Christopher Barry Devonside (18)
Christopher Edwards (29)
Vincent Michael Fitzsimmons (34)
Thomas Steven Fox (21)
Jon-Paul Gilhooley (10)
Barry Glover (27)
Ian Thomas Glover (20)
Derrick George Godwin (24)
Roy Harry Hamilton (34)
Philip Hammond (14)
Eric Hankin (33)
Gary Harrison (27)
Stephen Francis Harrison (31)
Peter Andrew Harrison (15)
David Hawley (39)
James Robert Hennessy (29)
Paul Anthony Hewitson (26)
Carl Darren Hewitt (17)
Nicholas Michael Hewitt (16)
Sarah Louise Hicks (19)
Victoria Jane Hicks (15)
Gordon Rodney Horn (20)
Arthur Horrocks (41)
Thomas Howard (39)
Thomas Anthony Howard (14)
Eric George Hughes (42)
Alan Johnston (29)
Christine Anne Jones (27)
Gary Philip Jones (18)
Richard Jones (25)
Nicholas Peter Joynes (27)
Anthony Peter Kelly (29)
Michael David Kelly (38)
Carl David Lewis (18)
David William Mather (19)
Brian Christopher Mathews (38)
Francis Joseph McAllister (27)
John McBrien (18)
Marion Hazel McCabe (21)
Joseph Daniel McCarthy (21)
Peter McDonnell (21)
Alan McGlone (28)
Keith McGrath (17)
Paul Brian Murray (14)
Lee Nicol (14)
Stephen Francis O’Neill (17)
Jonathon Owens (18)
William Roy Pemberton (23)
Carl William Rimmer (21)
David George Rimmer (38)
Graham John Roberts (24)
Steven Joseph Robinson (17)
Henry Charles Rogers (17)
Colin Andrew Hugh William Sefton (23)
Inger Shah (38)
Paula Ann Smith (26)
Adam Edward Spearritt (14)
Philip John Steele (15)
David Leonard Thomas (23)
Patrik John Thompson (35)
Peter Reuben Thompson (30)
Stuart Paul William Thompson (17)
Peter Francis Tootle (21)
Christopher James Traynor (26)
Martin Kevin Traynor (16)
Kevin Tyrrell (15)
Colin Wafer (19)
Ian David Whelan (19)
Martin Kenneth Wild (29)
Kevin Daniel Williams (15)
Graham John Wright (17)