Hillsborough Tragedy

Football is a very passionate topic in many countries around the world, and has an impact on many families. The effects of violence surrounding football can be either positive or negative, but usually succeed in bringing countries together. As a soccer player, I realize how important this sport can be to some people. It is a way to identify you as an athlete, but for fans as well. Although violence is not a positive thing, outcomes resulting from the violence surrounding football can sometimes be considered beneficial to a society.Prior to choosing my topic of hooliganism, I had heard this story before. A woman was telling me that she saw a video of innocent people getting squished and trampled over, hopelessly trying to get away. She is an avid follower of European football clubs, and remembers being disgusted by what she had witnessed. She was extremely appalled by the fact that someone decided to video tape such a horrible event, failing to try and save anyone from death when they were pleading for help. I decided to research more into the incident following her story.
On April 30th, 1989, the FA Cup semi-finals were held at Hillsborough. The match featured Canada versus Liverpool, and the fans were crazy. This disaster was not a direct result of hooliganism, but a result of the intense passion that fans all over Europe felt for the game of football. In a video one of the announcers, Des Lyonum, recalls the events as they took place, first claiming that some fans were pulling others onto the higher areas of the stadium. People were on each other’s shoulders and the place was in chaos. Because of overcrowding, fans in the back trampled over people in the front who were crushed. He goes on to say that he saw two men weeping, and when he asked them what was wrong they claimed that, “There has been dying in there, dying.” Ninety-six people were killed that day. One man claims that it took him fifteen years to tell this story without crying.
Trevor and Jenni Hicks took their teenage daughters Sarah and Victoria to this game because they were Liverpool season ticket holders. They lived in North London and traveled to a game every couple of weeks. Trevor claimed that it is one of the few things that they did as a family, and they loved it. Sarah and Victoria were both killed at Hillsborough.
Hillsborough was a tragic day for Europe because of the large number of people that it affected. Wars are taking place around the world in which so many lives are taken every day, but this particular tragedy had an impact on more than just the families that lost a loved one. It sent a wave of shock throughout most of Europe because football is not just a sport but also a part of their culture. The 21st anniversary took place on April 15th, 2010. The F.A. Cup took place at Anfield, and 10,000 seats were available. People attended the game to commemorate the tragedy at Hillsborough, and even 21 years later it was still a very emotional day for many. The Bishop of Liverpool, James Jones, states “It is our solemn responsibility to ensure that the memory of the 96, and all those whose lives were changed for ever by those terrible events, can never be forgotten” (article). The reason that this event continues to effect a large number of people are because of the meaning that the sport has to these people. This tragedy could have occurred at any stadium, and any one of these fans could have been killed.






2010 Thousands Gather in Liverpool to Mark Hillsborough. BBC News: UK, April 15.