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Now I believe that the police and authorities still have a lot to answer for about that days events. They got away very lightly…
But hasnt this bloody anniversary been done to death now?
Wheres the commemerations for the Marchioness and piper alpha?
And of course, self pity mawkish city has been out in force. Droning on….
The worst coverage has been from the BBC who have wallowed in it big time.
I’m glad you said that Clive – I thought it was just me thinking it.
A terrible tragedy but it was 20 years ago – if those who were involved and who were directly effected wish to remember then that is perfectly understandable.
The ongoing media coverage, especially as you say from the BBC, is just OTT.
‘Give it a rest’?
‘self-pity mawkish city’
‘droning on and on’
‘bloody anniversary’
I used to get bothered by comments like this, especially when they were delivered so quickly after 1989. As years pass, I just try and ignore them. However, when I was talking about my experiences of Hillsborough with others, a friend of mine gave me something to think about.
We were talking about the amount of vitriol we still face when we talk about this. My friend just smiled: ‘Listen, he said. It’s dead easy. You can use Hillsborough as a short-cut for assessing the character of someone. As soon as you hear ‘moaning scousers, self-pity, why can’t they give it a rest’, you know you’re dealing with a moron and you can move on.
So to ‘CliveX’, if ever I’m in need of a brain transplant can I have yours Clive?
Because then I’ll know I have one that’s never been used before.
Reasonoverfaith,
An excellent riposte. That’s one of the best ‘sting in the tails’ I’ve seen in ages.
Having recently lost my dear Mum and in circumstances where I feel the lack of vigilance in hospital contributed to her death, I can totally empathise with the continued sadness and feelings of loss suffered by the Liverpool bereaved.
To lose a loved one so unexpectedly makes the pain so much harder to bear.
Yes, there are those who feel continued media coverage is an intrusion into their mundane existences but let’s not forget that unless tragic and avoidable events like this are kept in the forefront of people’s consciences then we run the risk of similar scenarios being repeated. So to those who criticise, let me just remind you that if you have a loved one who attends a public event then the only reason they might be returning home to you safe and sound might be simply because those responsible for health and safety issues might just be constantly reminded of the consequences of failing in their responsibilities and duty of care.The awful events of that day would have been put to bed a long time ago if justice had been done, it hasn’t.
Read Professor Phil Scratons account. Powerful, disturbing and harrowing sum it up perfectly.
Condolences on your sad loss Ken.
YNWA.
You may have a point Clivex about the different levels of media attention given to the different tragedies you mentioned. But it is an argument that doesn’t lead anywhere. It is impossible to formulate a system whereby each tragedy can be given precisely the correct amount of media coverage. Just as absurd as the Chomskyite argument that we shouldn’t have done anything about Milosevic because we didn’t intervene in East Timor.
Personally, I found some of the Diana anniversary stuff over the top. But it was still a death that touched many people deeply and so I kept my opinions to myself. There is much to criticise in the modern media, but giving ‘too much’ coverage to the Hillsborough anniversay is way down the list.
And to use phrases like ‘bloody anniversary’ and ‘done to death’ is insensitive at best and callous at worst. In my opinion.
My partner said on Saturday that it was one of those events where he can remember exactly where he was and what he was doing when he heard the news; events like that aren’t pushed into the peoples consciousness by the media, they happen all by themselves [with me it’s Aberfann[sp], Princess Diana’s death, the London terrorist attack and 9/11]. Maybe we can’t take away any of the pain felt by the people who said goodbye to their loved ones that day and never saw them again, but we can remember with them and still push for some kind of justice.
IMO it is good to remember incidences such as hillsborough. there is a lesson to be learnt from it, which shouldnt really be forgotten.
The lessons learnt from Piper Alpha have rung throughout the whole offshore industry, massive changes were implimented, intensive training given out, and it is probably the most health and safety concious industrys around as a result. Likewise the Marchioness has probably had a major impact on vessels on the Thames (although cant say for sure).
However, amongst other issues, one of the main factors on the day of Hillsborough was peoples stupidity (and no offence is intended towardsthe dead when I say that), and I myself have been at big events were people have pushed down barriers etc causing a crush of those in front of them, where I thought at the time, "Do these people not remember hillsborough?"
When you compare Hillsborough’s media attention etc to that of Bloody Sunday (where 13 people died under dubious circumstances), which has had documentary after documentary, several books films and tv dramas (a U2 song) and the hundreds of millions of pounds on investigation after investigation after investigation. It is also probably better known today than the original bloody sunday in russia where many more people died. Hillsborough is virtually an unknown event by comparison.
They havent re-released "Ferry across the mersey" again have they?
If the people of Liverpool and the families of the dead don’t have a problem with it, why should anyone else ?
It is their prerogative.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
It was twenty years ago today
I see no earthly reason why such an awful tragedy occuring as it did in a sports stadium during what many would regard as the National game shouldn’t be commemorated in the National media on such an anniversary. The event touched a lot of folk who could easily relate to those who died, many more than those who could the victims of the Marchioness and Piper Alpha. Which is not to downplay those tragedies, it’s just the way it is.
Aberfan is more deeply etched in the memory than other fatal disasters for similar reasons: we can all relate to schoolchildren
Playing the easy ‘self-pitying mawkish scousers’ card is pathetic in the circumstances
Tell me Clivex would you feel differently about today had the deaths occurred at Twickenham?
I grew up in Sheffield
bringing it all back home
They havent re-released "Ferry across the mersey" again have they?
Nope, but a cover version of sorts. Per UK Chart Watch’s James Masterson this last weekend;
"A somewhat poignant and unusual single arrives on the chart at Number 16: ‘Fields Of Anfield Road’, an adaptation of the popular rugby anthem ‘Fields Of Athenry’ as sung by a collection of Liverpool FC supporters, credited as the Liverpool Collective featuring the Kop Choir.
The song marks the 20th anniversary this week of the Hillsborough Disaster in which 96 supporters of the football club were crushed to death at an FA Cup semi-final. The song features a brand new third verse co-written by John Power of Cast which references the disaster itself.
Back in the day, as was pretty much de-rigeur for the time, the tragedy spawned its own all-star charity single. A remake of ‘Ferry ‘Cross The Mersey’ charged to Number One within weeks of the disaster, performed by a celebrated collection of Liverpudlian stars. Dubbed "Scouse Aid" at the time of recording, the name was rejected as being just a little too jovial and the single eventually charted with the unwieldy credit of "The Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden and Stock Aitken Waterman".
As Pete Waterman never tires of pointing out, it was his one and only chance to fulfil his ambition of producing a record for one of The Beatles".
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
The event touched a lot of folk who could easily relate to those who died, many more than those who could the victims of the Marchioness and Piper Alpha. Which is not to downplay those tragedies, it’s just the way it is.
Which is precisely what you are doing
Tell me Clivex would you feel differently about today had the deaths occurred at Twickenham?
No.I relate to football far more than i d to rugby
Just as absurd as the Chomskyite argument that we shouldn’t have done anything about Milosevic because we didn’t intervene in East Timor.
Fair point andrew, but the level of coverage has become a bit wearying.
I know where Clivex is coming from, but as far as Hillsborough is concerned, this is still an event that merits further coverage, even if the media may seem to overdo it a -la Lady Diana.
I’ve always thought that grief is best borne in private, yet nowadays, no sooner is someone’s life marred by a family death/murder than you’ve got a mike rammed in your gob and a camera staring at you. You’re asked stupid inane questions like "how do you feel" etc.
What makes Hillsborough different though (in my mind) is the attitude of the press and many others at the time – "they were probably drunken, fighting, thick, semi-criminal, doleite scousers who brought it upon themselves". Had such a disaster happened at say, Royal Ascot or Epsom on Derby Day, would we have got similar derogatory comments about the crowd. Would we f@@k.
No one in authority admitted they screwed up big time and many (police on the spot for a start) took the unsavoury anti-scouse football fan attitude I referred to earlier, that may well have delayed help to those in need . If they hadn’t, perhaps, just perhaps, there may have been fewer fatalities than 96. When that bigotry is acknowledged perhaps those who grieve now can move on. A football fans life is just as worthy as say, that of a Cheltenham Festival racegoer.I can understand some points as to what Clivex is saying regarding the events in Liverpool.
What happened back in 1989 was a huge tragedy and a shocking event that should not of happened and will never happen again due to our current atitude of Health and Safety mixed in with the compensation culture.
The people of Liverpool wether you like them or not are proud of their city and this event brought all football fans together to united in what was a sad day with 96 people some as young as 14 losing their lives due to the events of that tragic day.
Just look over the years to see events which binds Scousers together such as James Bulger,Rhys Jones,Hillsborough, all of them touched a raw nerve and brought a sense of loyalty,togetherness,friendship and the continued fight for justice to be done or indeed justice which has been done.
Today was a sad day for Liverpool but they handled it well and the fact that fans from Everton,Manchester United and many other clubs left tributes outside Anfield just shows that this event still haunts the memories and minds of football and sports fans alike and the fight for proper closure and justice to this tragic event is still needed before any Liverpool fans can properly move on.
The event touched a lot of folk who could easily relate to those who died, many more than those who could the victims of the Marchioness and Piper Alpha. Which is not to downplay those tragedies, it’s just the way it is.
Which is precisely what you are doing
Not me personally, if anything I empathise more with those bright young things on the Marchioness than football supporters. Just trying to point out why I believe the media coverage given over to Hillsborough has been more extensive than several other equally dreadful domestic disasters. To reiterate: a large number of folk in the guise of legions of football match-goers in this country would have felt, and continue to feel "I could have been in their shoes" and therefore want and would expect what some could misconstrue as ‘over the top’ coverage of an ‘important’ anniversary.
Tell me Clivex would you feel differently about today had the deaths occurred at Twickenham?
No.I relate to football far more than i d to rugby
Again you choose to misinterpret the point I was trying to make. I wasn’t asking what game you prefer I was asking would you find todays events far away ‘oop north’ more affecting had they occurred in your backyard all those years ago
Anyway enough of that. As a matter of fact since my earlier post I’ve watched BBC News and have to admit it was a little too liberal with the sentimental for my taste, so I too know where you’re coming from matey.
What happened to the Heysel memorial coverage in 2005?
Hillsborough was a tragic accident, brought about by Victorian-age grounds, and shambolic policing.
The current coverage would sit better with me, if we had witnessed the same level of hand-wringing on the 20th anniversary of that fateful, and utterly avoidable, night in Belgium.
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