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| The Hillsborough memorial outside Anfield for the 'Unforgotten 96' |
IT IS FA Cup semi-final weekend and fans of Manchester City, Manchester United, Bolton Wanderers and Stoke City will be looking forward to a day out at Wembley. However, it is time to remember the past and the fight for justice that still continues.
On Saturday April 15, 1989, and a sunny Saturday afternoon turned into the biggest catastrophe seen in sporting history. 96 Liverpool supporters were crushed to death on the terraces of Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough Stadium. They were meant to be going to watch a football match, seeing the all-conquering Liverpool side take on Brian Clough's entertaining Nottingham Forest outfit in an FA Cup semi-final. The match was stopped at 3.06pm, when it became evident that problems had arisen from the Leppings Lane stand, where the Liverpool fans were located. Blunders of the first magnitude by Yorkshire police were criticised in the Taylor report, which ended the debacle of stadium disasters in the 80s. After Bradford and Heysel, this was the last thing football needed. The Taylor report pushed for all-seater stadiums at all football grounds across the country and it has certainly made things safer. Sadly, it took the deaths of 96 innocent people for it to happen.
22 years on and accusations have been pointed at some. On Merseyside, there is still a outcry for justice against those responsible for Hillsborough and against a certain daily newspaper, for their front pages in the aftermath that have led to a boycott of this paper on Merseyside. 22 years on and the pain and grief of Hillsborough still hurts these families and many others who lost friends, relatives or even grow up with the personal affections towards Hillsborough. Being a Liverpool fan myself, I am fully with the campaign to bring the people responsible to justice and it is a campaign that won't go away, no matter what others may think.
This afternoon, Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish, the current first-team squad, players from the fateful day at Hillsborough and some 10,000 Liverpool supporters will gather at Anfield for the traditional Hillsborough Memorial Service. The fight for justice continues and a message to the 96 is, You'll Never Walk Alone!
Below is a poem I initially wrote for the 20th anniversary in 2009, 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-two 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!
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
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
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