Hillsborough - The 'Unforgotten' 96

On Saturday 15th April 1989, Liverpool fans descended on Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium for an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.  96 of these fans did not return home in the UK's biggest sporting disaster.  Accusations have been pointed at some, others have been vilified in Merseyside since that fateful sunny Saturday afternoon.  Twenty-one years on, the pain and grief still hurts these families and those personally affected by Hillsborough.  Below is a poem I initially wrote last year for the 20th anniversary, as my moving tribute to the 'Unforgotten 96.'

UNFORGOTTEN 96

In the middle of April, the sky is blossomed by the sun

FA Cup semi-final day is meant to be full of drama and fun

Families are brought together by an amazing cup run

The reality is a day out at Wembley’s twin towers is only a dream.

For some, they say football is a beautiful game

Other sports like golf and cricket are in comparison, so tame

Players can in an instant go from mediocrity to fame

Whatever happens, we all feel the same.

When fans go to a massive game, they will arrive in a flock

And very quickly, the stadium will be filled block-by-block

Come 3pm, the gates will be locked

So the unpredictable begins, like the roughness of a jagged rock.

Sometimes, mistakes take place

As fans, we feel like tripping over our own shoe lace

The pain and agony streams down our face

Realising the dream is over; our team has felt the pace.

However, football means nothing when disaster rips out

A fateful crush means 96 lives are tragically cut

The pain can be felt through anyone’s gut

And now, we must stick together in an oblivious hut.

Enquiries and appeals have meant we can’t dismiss the pain

The results have meant there can be no gain

And as the sunshine is replaced by the April pouring rain

The gloom around the place feels like we live down the drain.

Twenty-one years on, and justice is still being chased

Hopes of the unforgotten being rested have been dashed

Consequently, we will fight till the bitter end

Waiting for someone under pressure to crack and bend.

For many, we can get on with our lives

But for the 96 families, the grief will remain forever

Nevertheless, support will be there for all, ever and ever

As a community, we stick together, side-by-side.

Now it is time to hold hands and show our united front

Not just Merseyside, but the passionate game we all love

Man and woman, hand-in hand, heading for the move

Anfield waits, to remember the unforgotten heroes

We remember those who Liverpool lost

The game has improved, but at 96’s cost

From the deceased, no e-mails, no calls, no post

Whatever happens though, their unconditional love will remain

THE UNFORGOTTEN 96, You’ll Never Walk Alone!

HILLSBOROUGH VICTIMS

John ALFRED Anderson (62)                                

Colin MARK Ashcroft (19)                                       

James GARY Aspinall (18)                                        

Kester ROGER MARCUS Ball (16)                       

Gerald 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 PETER 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)                                                      

Peter ANDREW Harrison (15)                                   

Stephen FRANCIS Harrison (31)                             

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 ANTHONY Howard (14)                         

Thomas Howard (39)                                                

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’Neil (17)                                 

Jonathan 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 (22)                                     

Kevin DANIEL Williams (15)                                    

Graham JOHN Wright (17)                                        

JUSTICE FOR THE 96

R.I.P: YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE