The harrowing events that unfolded at Hillsborough, 23 years ago, will remain etched in the memories of football fans for life. The actions that unfolded on that fateful day will forever remain as a significant reminder to all those of a dark day within the sport. However, instead of the correct information being provided and published at the time, this week it was finally uncovered that many of the stories surrounding the tragedy were false and that the blame-game had been inexplicably shifted off those who were to culpable the most, to the victims of the tragedy, who have had to live with false accusations thrown at them ever since. Finally, the truth for the 96 has been revealed.
The independent report discovered that the police had falsified or amended many statements in order to protect their reputation and make the Liverpool fans responsible for the death of their compatriots. That is the story that had been sold to many. But yet, there had always been those doubts, particularly those family members who suffered the most that something else had occurred, but until the documents were allowed to be studied, those beliefs could never be vindicated. Instead West Yorkshire police have come out of the situation looking horribly exposed and fake. How they could happily pass the buck on to innocent individuals, when they were responsible in numerous ways as to the reason why the incident occurred is flabbergasting. In life, everyone needs to be responsible for the actions they take and stand up to them when problems occur. The last thing you do is shirk away or pass the buck. That is shameful, a disgrace, particularly when others have been affected so traumatically.
164 police reports were amended regarding the tragedy, with 116, yes 116, being changed to remover or alter “unfavourable” comments regarding the policing of the match. That means there were a significant number of officers on duty that day who chose not to speak out loudly enough as one group to say the policing was to blame in some capacity in the subsequent time-frame after the story was initially reported. It is all well and good making a statement, but once the news was issued, there must have been wonder by those who criticised the policing in some way, that it was not mentioned and that the blame had been wholly attached to the supporters. The comments should not have been altered that is for certain, and it is by far the more severe act. But this is another aspect I have thought of regarding the altered reports. All it amounted to was a slandering of football supporters in general, considering them all to be hooligans, who were more concerned with causing trouble than anything else. An opinion that stuck for a long while, and in essence, was ultimately incorrect, particularly on the day in question.
What was also devastating to hear about within the report, was that 41 of the 96 who perished because of the crush, could have potentially been saved, had emergency services been swifter or organised more suitably. That is an incredible number. The emergency services are in place to help protect us and save us in times of need. They failed in their act of duty at Hillsborough back in 1989. Those in control points should have been getting them onto the pitch once the match was abandoned. The services themselves should have just reacted when the blind panic that unravelled became apparent. They cannot have failed to see it. They must have known there was a problem. To blame it on a pitch invasion seems bizarre. People are not screaming for their lives or collapsed on a pitch during a pitch invasion. It was as clear a life and death situation as you will see.
Then to top it all, so many people had been sold by the lie that had been constructed; apologies seem to have been constantly said ever since the report was unveiled. The FA, Sheffield Wednesday FC (owners of Hillsborough), West Yorkshire Police Force, MP’s (including the Prime Minister and the opposition), and the media all offered their sincerest apologies to those affected. The Sun who’s damning headline and article full of lies resulted in the paper not being circulated in Merseyside ever since, was obviously expected, but I do not expect that to repair relations with Liverpudlians. Kelvin Mackenzie, the paper’s editor at the time, has only just apologised for the piece. Despite the disgusting claims he made, he stood by the article for years upon years, refusing to believe he had to apologise. Now, with his tail between his legs, he did. It is too late, and due to the role of the media and its affect on the public, he should be held accountable for distributing and spreading lies. No media outlet should publish news unless they are certain of the facts behind it all. The Sun did not publish ‘The Truth’, they published ‘The Lies’.
I am wholly behind the claims to scrap the previous inquest into the Hillsborough events and launch new ones into the actions that occurred. Meanwhile, those that are at the heart of the problem as to why the tragedy unfolded, those that were in the know, those that knew this was a disaster waiting to happen, and certainly those who purposefully hid the truth all need to face criminal charges and face up to the actions and consequences that they caused. The Hillsborough disaster was a tragedy that should never have happened, and even after it did, a whole club, its supporters, the city they are from, should not have been vilified as inexcusably as they have been. Thankfully, there were many there who knew the real truth and fought to uncover it to the general public. It may be 23 years late, but it has arrived. The 96 who lost their lives have the truth, now they deserve justice.
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