Hillsborough 25th anniversary

[gumbomoop]

This April 15 is 25 years since Hillsborough. ESPN to air 30 for 30 doc on the tragedy, Tues eve April 15, 8 pm.

http://espn.go.com/30for30/film?page=hillsborough

[Bostondevil]

Same day as the one year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing. I wonder what it's going to be like around here. Security for the Marathon itself is kinda insane. Not surprising, but still, the atmosphere around this year's marathon is going to be different.

[JohnGalt]

This April 15 is 25 years since Hillsborough. ESPN to air 30 for 30 doc on the tragedy, Tues eve April 15, 8 pm.

http://espn.go.com/30for30/film?page=hillsborough

I encourage anyone with at least a cursory interest in soccer to watch this documentary. Hillsborough fundamentally changed the sport in Britain and helped lay the foundation for the Premier League's global popularity today. Meanwhile, the actual victims and their families were largely forgotten/ignored. Hillsborough continues to be a defining point within Liverpool's culture, a culture already brimming with regional pride. "We're not English, we're Scouse."

b92c3-prop140413-033-liverpool_man_city.jpg

[Billy Dat]

I encourage anyone with at least a cursory interest in soccer to watch this documentary. Hillsborough fundamentally changed the sport in Britain and helped lay the foundation for the Premier League's global popularity today. Meanwhile, the actual victims and their families were largely forgotten/ignored. Hillsborough continues to be a defining point within Liverpool's culture, a culture already brimming with regional pride. "We're not English, we're Scouse."

b92c3-prop140413-033-liverpool_man_city.jpg

I knew little to nothing about that tragic event, the documentary was chilling. It can be rough to watch as you realize that you are watching people being smothered to death. I was 17 years old when this happened and, watching the doc, I saw many, many people my age in that crowd, looking and dressing roughly like me...it's one of those "It could have been me" scenarios. As someone who stood many times in a packed Cameron Indoor Stadium Student section, you ask yourself, "What if those bleachers were caged pens with only one exit in the back and people just kept funneling into the pen?" That's what happened. The aftermath of the coverup and attempt to place the blame on "drunken Liverpool fans" was a disgrace. It is a very well done doc.

[JohnGalt]

I knew little to nothing about that tragic event, the documentary was chilling. It can be rough to watch as you realize that you are watching people being smothered to death. I was 17 years old when this happened and, watching the doc, I saw many, many people my age in that crowd, looking and dressing roughly like me...it's one of those "It could have been me" scenarios. As someone who stood many times in a packed Cameron Indoor Stadium Student section, you ask yourself, "What if those bleachers were caged pens with only one exit in the back and people just kept funneling into the pen?" That's what happened. The aftermath of the coverup and attempt to place the blame on "drunken Liverpool fans" was a disgrace. It is a very well done doc.

Agreed. Another exceptionally well-done 30/30 by ESPN. I was reading Tony Evans' tweets yesterday and the depth in which he was affected without being physically hurt is incredible. He's currently vacationing in Italy because the ceremonies/remembrances are emotionally too much for him.

I think maybe the only thing more remarkable than the extent of the coverup is the resilience of the family [and community] in fighting for the truth...even in the face of deep, institutional conspiracy. There will be a re-airing Sunday at 10pm if anyone that missed it is interested in watching. As an aside...Liverpool is currently fighting for its first Premier League championship in 24 years...maybe there is poetic justice in the world.

YNWA.

[Billy Dat]

Agreed. Another exceptionally well-done 30/30 by ESPN. I was reading Tony Evans' tweets yesterday and the depth in which he was affected without being physically hurt is incredible. He's currently vacationing in Italy because the ceremonies/remembrances are emotionally too much for him.

I think maybe the only thing more remarkable than the extent of the coverup is the resilience of the family [and community] in fighting for the truth...even in the face of deep, institutional conspiracy. There will be a re-airing Sunday at 10pm if anyone that missed it is interested in watching. As an aside...Liverpool is currently fighting for its first Premier League championship in 24 years...maybe there is poetic justice in the world.

YNWA.

I was reading those tweets, too. I am guessing that you and I followed a similar path - headed to Twitter during the airing to see the discussion and seeing pundits (Grant Wahl, in my case), promoting the Evans tweets. It is a great example of how social media adds depth and context to existing information sources or entertainment pieces. Of course, the nasty twitterites tweeting hateful replies at Evans last night equally demonstrate the ills of social media.

It is amazing how the swapping of a competent police chief for an inexperienced one, in terms of handling soccer matches, was probably the primary reason that this happened. There were so many breakdowns along the way, and the fact that the families had to review a wall full of Polaroids looking for their dead loved ones, only to then, upon identifying the photo, have to immediately identify the actual corpse, was surreal. As you say, the resiliency of those families is admirable, perhaps invoking the Churchillian mandate of, "When you're going through hell, keep going".

[JohnGalt]

I was reading those tweets, too. I am guessing that you and I followed a similar path - headed to Twitter during the airing to see the discussion and seeing pundits (Grant Wahl, in my case), promoting the Evans tweets. It is a great example of how social media adds depth and context to existing information sources or entertainment pieces. Of course, the nasty twitterites tweeting hateful replies at Evans last night equally demonstrate the ills of social media.

It is amazing how the swapping of a competent police chief for an inexperienced one, in terms of handling soccer matches, was probably the primary reason that this happened. There were so many breakdowns along the way, and the fact that the families had to review a wall full of Polaroids looking for their dead loved ones, only to then, upon identifying the photo, have to immediately identify the actual corpse, was surreal. As you say, the resiliency of those families is admirable, perhaps invoking the Churchillian mandate of, "When you're going through hell, keep going".

Yea, more or less. I listen to a podcast called The Anfield Wrap that Tony calls into regularly. His opinions are generally interesting/insightful so I began following him on twitter. I actually only signed up for twitter a few months ago and I must say that it's fantastic. I've had several wonderful discussions with authors that I previously wouldn't have been able and numerous other individuals interested in the same material/thoughts. Sure, many of the tweets make you question humanity, but I've managed to find a number of niche writers that discuss topics not quite mainstream enough to draw the trolls...specifically data analytics in soccer. I regret not joining earlier.

When I used to ship out we always discussed the Error Chain in our bridge resource management refreshers (i think the airlines are big into it as well). Most accidents are the byproducts of a number of mistakes (i.e., links in a chain), any of which, if caught/eliminated, would probably have meant the accident wouldn't have happened...or at least in a much less serious manner. I think this is a case study in the non-transportation world where removing the experienced police chief constituted the first link in the error chain.

My biggest question is this: Why did all the police rush to the fence to try and pull people over, rather than run around and tell people to exit back toward the turnstiles? Surely more people could have been removed more quickly from the pens if people were shepherded out the back.

[Billy Dat]

My biggest question is this: Why did all the police rush to the fence to try and pull people over, rather than run around and tell people to exit back toward the turnstiles? Surely more people could have been removed more quickly from the pens if people were shepherded out the back.

Seems like the rank and file were following orders and the orders that you describe never came.

I am relatively new to following EPL, but I really enjoyed "Being Liverpool" when it aired last year. I imagine sitting in Anfield and singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" with the faithful to be a bucket list sporting event alongside attending any portion of the Masters, etc. I just hope my name never appears in one of Brendan Rodgers envelopes.

[JohnGalt]

Seems like the rank and file were following orders and the orders that you describe never came.

I am relatively new to following EPL, but I really enjoyed "Being Liverpool" when it aired last year. I imagine sitting in Anfield and singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" with the faithful to be a bucket list sporting event alongside attending any portion of the Masters, etc. I just hope my name never appears in one of Brendan Rodgers envelopes.

Probably true although there appeared to be a lot of officers standing around without any guidance. And at one point one of the fans yelled at the cameraman to quit filming the victims and film the police officers "not doing anything." I know it's much easier said sitting on my couch at home, but my first thoughts were: circle around the back and start getting people out that way.

It's so interesting to me that you make that comment about "Being Liverpool" because almost universally it seems Americans loved it and Liverpudlians hated it. That Anfield Wrap podcast I keep mentioning regularly references it as one of the problems of Brendan's early tenure both because it was time consuming and because it made Brendan look a bit amateur. I don't necessarily agree, but most of the guys over in Liverpool do. I imagine a big part of that is that we never actually won a game during the period of the show so it has sort of a bitter taste around it, but the dichotomy in thought and how perfectly it seems to fall along an American/British line is interesting to me.

In any case...Brendan really looks like the real deal now. Let's hope it continues.

[Billy Dat]

It's so interesting to me that you make that comment about "Being Liverpool" because almost universally it seems Americans loved it and Liverpudlians hated it. That Anfield Wrap podcast I keep mentioning regularly references it as one of the problems of Brendan's early tenure both because it was time consuming and because it made Brendan look a bit amateur. I don't necessarily agree, but most of the guys over in Liverpool do. I imagine a big part of that is that we never actually won a game during the period of the show so it has sort of a bitter taste around it, but the dichotomy in thought and how perfectly it seems to fall along an American/British line is interesting to me.

For me, it really pulled back the curtain on the EPL and how it operates. Most of my EPL knowledge comes from listening to the "Men in Blazers" podcast and those guys, at the time, said it was a landmark documentary series as that kind of access had never been given to the fans. I get why existing fans wouldn't like it, especially Brits. Despite the popularity of reality television in the UK, it seems very un-British to be so showy and public with things.

[blazindw]

I just got a chance to watch the 30 for 30 tonight, and while I can't really decompress to give all my thoughts now, this was one of the hardest things I've ever watched on television. I can definitely understand if people didn't make it all the way through because some of the scenes and the accounts they have are just gutwrenching.