This isn't about travelling, it's about much more than that...

---

As a liverpool fan, I've heard and read a lot about the hillsborough disaster over the years, from the alleged cover ups to the survivors heartbreaking stories. 23 years and 5 months on from that fateful day when 96 men, women and children went to a football match but never made it home, I find myself reading with increasing anger and astonishment, the findings of the Hillsborough independent panel report. That it wasn't the fans fault, there was no evidence to suggest ticketless fans, violence or drunkenness was to blame. That's what they wanted everyone to believe, that fans stole from the dead and pissed on police trying to help the helpless victims. It was a number of errors that culminated in Britain's biggest sporting disaster. The fact Sheffield Wednesday had not had an updated safety certificate for 10 years astounds me. 10 fucking years! The fact the FA didn't check up on the basic requirement for a safety certificate is quite shocking. The fact an exit gate was opened to let fans into the ground by an inexperienced police officer, and not closed again after..the list seems to go on.. And it's only now, after 23 years these details are emerging as fact. I find that quite scary in a world in which we're taught that the police are there to help and provide protection. To read that the police did computer checks on the dead along with taking blood alcohol levels, including children, to sway their argue meant of fans responsibility in the media is horrendous. This was all to be leaked to the papers via senior police officers and a Tory MP. In turn, the infamous Sun headline 'The Truth' was printed. I'm surprised the accusations weren't checked but instead just sensationalised all over the front page. Makes you wonder what else is true/real/hyped up in the media..

I'm amazed that 164 police statements were amended and 116 removed any negative comments about the police operation, including its lack of leadership. That's just mad. The police, the people who are meant to protect us, doctoring their own statements before being issued to the original enquiry to make it look less like their wrongdoing. The worst thing I think I've read is that the chairman of Sheffield Wednesday at the time; A) for 10 years refused to put up a memorial for the 96 who died...as he said his lawyers told him it would weaken his/their case against accepting responsibility! There is no mention of these lawyers in all of the disclosed documents! and;B) He refused to apologise, for anything, and is now chairman of the Premier LeagueHe was the chairman of Sheffield Wednesday when the disaster happened. Not having a safety certificate updated for 10 years is surely his responsibility, and if not him, the someone under him to whom he is boss?!




That's not true. The worst thing I think I read is that there were 41 potential lives that could have been saved that day. Maybe they could have been saved...41 out of 96! If it wasn't for the poor state of the ground that the FA agreed to use or the lack of leadership in dealing with the situation.
I read blogs and articles portraying english football at the time as a hooligan orientated and saying how Liverpool fans have themselves to blame after Heysel. The facts in the report say that it was no way the fans fault. End of. I hope it doesn't take so long for justice to come about as if it were one if my family members there that day it would be the only thing I lived for.




There's pages and pages of this information now available due to the hillsborough independent report. If you haven't, please take a moment to read some of the report.. It surprise me how wide and deep the coverup actually went.

I just hope the fans, from both sides, leave the needless chanting out from now on.

Rant ove.

---