http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...-a7008656.html

Indeed this was a sad case but as I read the comment underneath I was kinda like what planet is this person living on?

And what are they on about when they say, "Dozens of fans were not in their seats as they should have been" I thought it was an all standing area.

Anyway, I, too like to say thanks for sharing your experiences, Aaron.

There are so many things wrong with the comment on that article I don't know where to begin!

I don't really get why you've highlighted this as you clearly no it to be wrong.
Anyway, thanks Aaron from me too

I can post what I like with or without your approval.

Aaron, thanks so much for sharing your experiences of the tragedy. I've just finished watching the Hillsborough drama on itv as I wanted to watch again in light of recent events. I cannot imagine what you and other survivors and victims went through but your words and account resonated in my mind as i was watching.

This tragedy and subsequent cover up should never be forgotten or brushed under the carpet by the powers that be. Those responsible should be punished and face the consequences of what they did/caused. JFT 96.

I only heard about that suicide victim earlier in the week. Very tragic. I've recorded the Hillsborough drama as i couldn't remember if i'd seen it before or not. No idea how closely that follows fact but i'm hoping for some serious investigative documentary coverage of the recent events now.

Did you ever find out who he was Aaron....?

Thank you for sharing your story 💖

Yesterday Radio 4 reran a programme from 2009 reuniting some of the people involved - The Reunion - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00jlxjp

Bloody hell. This bit got me:

In July 1989, two plainclothes detectives arrived at my home in Stevenage. It was a Sunday, around 2pm, and the golf was on the TV. They sat me down, told me they would write down my statement by hand, and that I should then read it, and, if I was happy, sign it. So I began to tell them what had happened, and they began to laugh at me. They were soon snorting too, and yawning, and turning away to watch the golf. And nodding, sarcastically, when I told them about the failings of the police, and how they had abused our supporters as we tried to save the dead.

Now they handed over my statement. “Read it and sign it, would you?”

But I wasn’t happy. They had rewritten it; changed the meaning of certain incidents. Omitted key details. “Like what?” the officer said. Well, this happened, and this happened, I told them. He shook his head: “That didn’t happen.”

Repeatedly, they informed me that I was mistaken; that I hadn’t seen anything significant; that where I was in the stadium wasn’t that bad, and that I would not go forward as a witness at the inquests. My account was probably best simply filed away. So if I just sign this statement, we’ll be off, and you can get on with your life.

As I grew increasingly angry, the detective with the remote control in his hands pumped up the volume on the TV. I was shouting to be heard in my own living room, and they were trying to drown me out. Eventually, I signed that statement and they were gone. I could not have realised at the time, in the summer of 1989, that I was caught up in one of the biggest attempts to pervert the course of justice in British history. This was happening in real time. So I simply shut the front door, told them to “**** off” under my breath, went up to my bedroom, and broke down.



Scum. Filthy subhuman scum.

Having looked at all the pictures of those who died I'm sure it was Graham Wright however I can only be about 60% sure, so I can't say with great confidence I'm afraid, I think it's becauseuse I tried to block it out, I can certainly remember speaking to him on the train and then he was next to me in the ground when I realised he was sadly deceased but I can't say for sure which one it was, he was certainly in the 16-18 age bracket, but that's all I can say with a great deal of confidence, apologies for being unable to be more precise.

I support the other team on merseyside and was at villa park that day , we heard the news of what we were first told was Liverpool fans causing trouble and then a stand collapsing , we knew there were fatalities . My then girlfriend was in the leppings lane end and I had family at that game as did many of the lads who'd travelled with me in a mini bus with no radio . I remember vividly stopping on the way back at service stations and queuing at Payphones with so many Evertonians trying to get word of families or friends . I honestly don't think any of us spoke more than five or six words all the way home .

When I got home eventually I found out my girlfriend was OK by speaking to her family , I was ecstatic , so so happy that she was ok. I later found out my cousin had been injured and suffered trauma that still effects his life today , his mother never really recovered from it all and died early both the family and I convinced from the long standing damage that the day's events caused to her son both physical and mental.

I remember going to Anfield to put a scarf down and to the cathedral service and I never thought it'd take so long for the truth to be revealed , the credit that those involved in the pursuit of justice deserve is immeasurable only equalled by the Shame of those who tried to besmirch and cover up. I felt guilty for so long about my joy that my girlfriend was ok and then the upset over my cousin and I for years think that of the draw had been different I may not have been here today .

I'm not really much of an poster and I've certainly never written about this before , I suppose I just wanted to indicate how it effected the whole city across the board and its ripples went far beyond those tragic 96 .

What a pity that the facilities were not widespread enough in those days, for such things to be filmed for evidence. Not that you'd think it would be necessary to film it, of course, when the officer first arrived.

I'd be interested to know if that was the local Stevenage police or if Sheffield sent detectives down there.

i thought it was the West Midlands police?

Eta:

http://www.theguardian.com/football/...adrian-tempany

Thanks for that. Excellent article, and really conveys how it affected survivors.

The account of police officers sobbing in the temporary mortuary also made me wonder what on earth was going on within SYP that led to such a comprehensive cover-up. All those officers, the majority of whom must surely have been decent people, who either colluded or were coerced into going along with it must be feeling really ashamed

I hope more about the prevailing culture in that force comes out.

Perhaps some of them were totally oblivious that their statements had been altered. They were different days back then I suppose - I get the feeling that life would have been made uncomfortable/impossible and the possibility of just losing your job under trumped up charges. The orders came from higher up - the cover up was well orchestrated - I saw that account from the WPC, she tried but it seems it was futile (I get the impression she lost her job).

I imagine the guilt that some of them have carried must be dreadful and before anyone says 'it's nothing in comparison to the families suffering' I would agree wholeheartedly - but there were many 'levels' of suffering on that day and in the years since.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKzKcbOQLq4

For those who are still unsure of what went wrong that day and still insist the fans were someway at fault please watch this video from around 8.20, it shows exactly how packed these pens were before the gates were opened a further 2 times, as you can see all appear to be in a joyous mood, there is a natural sway of the crowd as there is with all crowds, how the authorities who had a birds eye view of this continued to let fans in is beyond comprehension.

A number of survivors has said that once they entered the tunnel there was no turning back you were just carried along in a fluid like motion, one survivor claimed before she could think she was at the front of the pens facing a different way than the way she entered.


I cannot comprehend how after watching and reading all evidence anyone with a non bias thought process can actually still think the fans were in anyway responsible. In fact it was the fans that become the emergency services that day, this is well documented, you can see police officers standing around while fans try to rescue people from the pens. Yes a good few officers tried their best but there was no leadership at all, you can see in one clip emergency services strolling of the pitch and returning with a gurney.......12 minutes it took them as they strolled there and back

This is an aside, and my memory may be at fault. I was at Hillsborough exactly 6 years ago today, and there seemed to be a delay in letting us out afterwards. My nerves were on edge at that utterly trivial situation, i dared not imagine what it was like 27 years ago. I'm Palace till I die, but I'll not hear a word against Liverpool fans over Hillsborough - who, incidentally, applauded my team graciously the next year.

No need to be sorry, I just wondered if you'd found out. More for your own peace of mind.

I never really gave much thought to what it must have been like in those pens (probably didn't want to to be honest) but I think I just imagined that everyone who managed to get out was ok. But I've read several survivor's stories this week and feel incredibly naive and stupid. I had no idea what compression asphyxia did to a body. No idea that people were standing and trapped next to dead people. No idea that so many had such extensive counselling. No idea that so many had PTSD. No idea that Hillsborough is so much more than justice for the 96 who died. Then again, maybe I did and just put it to the back of my mind because the truth is just too awful to bear.

Some of the new evidence that came out about the Temporary Mortuary in the Gym was horrific,
I can only describe it as evil. not only was it all covered up, the SYP actually praised the facilities as being excellent, SYP were actually saying how horrified and offended they were to hear any criticism as they did an excellent job. they said the families had everything they needed etc. of course they never ever believed this would be put under serious scrutiny, it was at this new inquest, am sure we will hear far more about this in the future.

Impeccable taste.

I'm actually not really much of a footie fan but my only experiences of football matches was at the old Palace Ground (Holmesdale road end) used to go as a child with my Dad and later as a teen in the seventies eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek.

I remember standing on full terraces for the big games (there were no cages then) but in the back of my mind I was always thinking o the Ibrox disaster.

Football these days seems a million miles away from what it was - all high gloss and razamatazz.

Still remember watching Hillsborough unfold on RTE on the day itself. It was devastating to see, even from such a distance away and with no association whatsoever with the team or anyone in attendance. If the families and relatives are happy with the inquest, then I'm happy for them. Once, many moons ago, I was at a gaelic football match between Cork and Kerry in Killarney and our terrace became so overcrowded that the stewards left us onto the pitch. It was a minor incident, the crush only lasted for a few short minutes, but it was still a terrifying feeling to have no control over where your body was being carried. I just cannot imagine the anguish that the families of the injured and dead felt at the time and have felt since.

The only thing that strikes me about the tone of this long, long thread is the focus on the police on the day itself. Absolutely, in the aftermath, their actions were despicable. But on the day itself, I'm surprised that the police force would have such a pivotal role. I would have expected the major responsibility to lie with the FA. If something iike this happened at a GAA match, I'd assume it would be the GAA who would have the most questions to answer. The Gardai and supporting staff, medics etc. would be involved, but only in a supporting role. It just strikes me as slightly odd.

I watched the Hillsborough drama earlier today after recording it. Depressing viewing.

I've never followed football and not even been in a stadium but know the changes brought about regards seated stadiums post Hillsborough, i just wonder if another Hillsborough is possible or have those changes been sufficient? Has the Hillsborough ground itself been radically overhauled and restructured? Looking at it on Google earth the surroundings still look extremely archaic and run down surrounded by rows of tiny terraced houses cheek by jowl with the ground. Is it a poor club?

I'm taking a very broad open view here but my opinion is one major problem with our football grounds is most are sited in heavily built up populated areas. This may well have been fine when the grounds were first built as few people owned cars.

Why don't they build them well away from towns, cities or residential areas?

Because football is about people, about a sense of belonging, therefore stadiums should not be turned into posh out of town ghettos. neither should towns, cities or residential areas be turned into sterile cattle pens where we exist in front of our tellys while not working or shopping.

Don't like football? I don't like churches, supermarkets and gymnasiums, but other people do, and diversity is healthy.

Selhurst is stlll there, there's a stand on the Holmesdale now, I have a seat, and a piece of the old terracing in a film canister. We met Kenny Sansom on the overground the other day - he was before my time but you might remember him.

Anfield has the same sense of being part of something, like Maine Road used to be, and Selhurst is. I read that there was a bit of a do after the Hillsborough verdict in the Ship and Mitre. I've been in there in Palace colours, friendly people.

I still treasure Klopp calling us f-ck-ng Crystal Palace.