Heysel tragedy on Youtube

[Guest Greasy Belcher]

I watched the Heysel tragedy on youtube last night. It was a disgraceful painful and shameful thing to watch. It was hard to look at. I hope everyone looks at that and reminds themselves to never let football return to those dark days. Having watched it there's a few points I noted.

 

According to the commentary there were only abour 25 policemen in the staduim when the trouble started. This is insane, there was trouble brewing beforehand and they send in only 25 police. Also the Juv fans had prepared a huge flag which said REDS ANIMALS, they were charging around with this pre-made banner and pelting liverpool fans with rocks. Kenny Dalgleish said afterwards "I don't condone the behaviour of our fans, but they were being pelted with missiles for a long time before it kicked off". Personally I'm really mortified watching the footage as a liverpool fan, I've been led to believe it was al liverpool fans fault, but I now realise that it came from both sides and was not a simple case of liverpool fans picking a fight with an unwilling foe.

 

Some of the footage is of dead juventus fans being covered with sheets and layed upon barricades which is upsetting, there's also footage of people shouting for help with their legs under the fallen wall begging for help. I can't believe they actually went ahead and played the match knowing at that time at least 28 people had died. If crowd violence ever leads to multiple deaths at the stadium and the game is played regardless I'll stop watching football forever. These kind of scenes were commonplace at football matches 20+ years ago, I feel if the stadium had of been modern and the wall not collapsed it woud not have been the tragedy it is and the majority of these people would still be alive. As for the wall collapsing, it could have went either way, there was plenty of footage of liverpool fans clamouring over stuff trying to get out of it. I think the people who died wanted nothing to do with the fighting, meanwhile all the idiots were goading each other on the front line.

 

Its a touchy subject I know. I don't know how Juventus fans can ever find it in their hearts to forgive liverpool fans. The 2005 match between the two clubs served as a bridge to friendship and forgiveness. But there were still large sections of the Juventus support not ready for that and I can't say I blamb them. Maybe if they watch this confronting footage that will observe the behaviour of both supporters and relise that it could of happened to either set of fans.

 

RIP 39

YNWA.