Hillsborough papers to be released

CABINET records of documents and discussions in the aftermath of the 1989 Hillsborough football stadium disaster have been ordered for release.  The Information Commissioner Christopher Graham revealed yesterday that he felt that it was in the public interest for this information to be released.

     Under the 2000 Freedom of Information Act, the government now has either 35 days to release the records or 28 days to appeal the decision.  95 Liverpool fans were crushed to death on the terraces of Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough stadium while watching the early stages of an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.  The 96^th victim, Tony Bland, died from his injuries in 1993. 

     Campaigners have welcomed the decision to release the files, including Anne Williams, who lost her 15-year old son Kevin in the tragedy.  She told BBC News; “This is good news.  I’m very surprised.  I thought the government would block it.  At least now, we may get to the truth.”    

JUSTICE: Yesterday's ruling is a massive step forward for Liverpool

     The files are believed to include reports relating to Hillsborough that were provided to Margaret Thatcher.  Also expected are discussions between her and the then Home Secretary, Douglas Hurd and minutes of meetings she attended.  Chairman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, Margaret Aspinall is angry that more information wasn’t released; she told the official LFC website “We have always wanted to see the minutes of Mrs. Thatcher’s meetings, but when we asked, we were always told there were no minutes taken.”  “I find it quite strange that now the minutes are going to be released.  Yet again, I feel we have been lied to.”

     After 22 years of false hope, untruthful allegations from tabloid newspapers and an inquest that was a massive miscarriage of justice, the truth of what happened on that sunny day at Hillsborough which turned into such a nightmare on April 15, 1989 might finally be revealed.  This document order means the families can feel there’s a massive step forward in the long-standing fight for justice.

Hillsborough - The fight for justice continues

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!

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

Calls For Tory Sports Minister To Quit After Hillsborough Jibe

Conservative Sports Minister Jeremy Hunt has resisted calls to step down from his post, after a comment he made on the 1989 Hillsborough football stadium disaster, which has angered many relatives of the injured and the dead. 

Appearing on Sky News on Monday afternoon, Mr. Hunt was praising the behaviour of England supporters in South Africa, where despite the team’s embarrassing exit from the World Cup, at the hands of Germany, not a single arrest was made.  He then went on to make this remark:

“I mean, not a single arrest for a football-related offence, and the terrible problems that we had in Heysel and Hillsborough in the 1980’s seem to be behind us.”

To say the least, it wasn’t the best remark to come out with, and has seen the city of Merseyside respond in fury, that he was implying that fans were to blame for Britain’s worst sporting disaster.  On April 15^th 1989, 96 Liverpool supporters were crushed to death on terraces of Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough, whilst attending the team’s FA Cup semi-final with Nottingham Forest.  An enquiry into the events of that fateful day twenty years ago, led by the late Lord Justice Taylor found that police crowd control was the main reason for the horrific crush, not hooliganism. 

After realising his damming comments could have caused offence, Hunt released the following statement hours later:

“I apologise to Liverpool fans and the families of those killed and injured if my comments caused any offence.”

That apology doesn’t wash though with the chairwoman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group.  Margaret Aspinall, who lost her son James at Hillsborough said:

“I am fed up of people saying things like that.  For 21 years, we have been fighting for justice, to get the message out that it was not down to drink or hooliganism.  He is the Culture Secretary.  He should know better.  I want him to understand that he has reopened old wounds which should have been healed many years ago.” 

After apologising, Hunt has received the full backing from the Prime Minister David Cameron.  However, for those who lost people at Hillsborough, the pain will never go away, and they will feel that this piece of incompetence should be heavily punished for more than a simple apology.

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