subject: On Behalf Of The People Of Liverpool [print this page] There comes a time when we have to look in the mirror and ask ourselves what we could have done to make things a lot better. On April 15 1989, a lot of people must of asked themselves over and over again if they were responsible for the death of ninety-six women, men and children. This was a disaster waiting to happen when the Football Association chose the Hillsborough stadium for Liverpool to play Nottingham Forest in the semi final FA Cup tie. The warnings had already been expressed from the previous year when Liverpool met Nottingham Forest at this ground football fans then reported to the authorities the Leppings Lane was not fit to handle crowds of this magnitude.
A public inquiry by Lord Justice Taylor had found that the cause of the disaster was "a failure of police control" but the media had given little consideration for the victims or their families when Sun newspaper published their front page headline "The Truth." Kelvin MacKenzie the papers editor encouraged and defended his version of events that fans had picked the pockets of victims and urinated on the police whilst other fans had beat up police officers giving the kiss of life to victims. This led other papers like the Daily Express to write stories like "mayhem caused by drunks." This was a smear on Liverpool by Kelvin MacKenzie that effected the city enormously who no consideration for humanity.
For 23 years the people of Liverpool have not only experienced the biggest tragedy in sport at Hillsborough but they were systematically portrayed has thieves, drunkards, liars and hooligans and this would of continued to remain the truth had it not been for the determination and passion of the Family Support Group, Hillsborough Justice Campaign, Hope for Hillsborough and the people of Liverpool. Trevor Hicks who lost both of his daughters (Sarah 19 and Victoria 15) led the way to campaign for justice and undeniable evidence to the changing events that took place in the inquiry known has the Taylor Report. But more crucial to all those who denied and witnessed these events was the decision of Dr Stefan Popper the coroner be overturned. Anne Williams who lost her son Kevin Williams aged 15 appealed to the European court of Human Rights that all the victims were not brain dead and there were people in urgent need of ambulances nine minutes after the match had started 3:15. The inquest and the European Court and come the same conclusion and returned a verdict of accidental death.
Twenty three years later the bereaved families have discovered how much truth can be uncomfortable for their trust in humanity and society was met with lies, cover ups and a sad occasion to know and learn how our emergency forces, the police and ambulances had let these people believe all that could be done by them was done. The Hillsborough Independent Panel since January 2010 worked extremely hard and meticulous with their findings which brings our own establishment to disrepute and leaves Liverpool vindicated. The thousands of fans for all these years who have been psychologically scared by the establishment can today be proud of their city, families, friends and football team for Liverpool has proven once again who the real criminals are and they are not and never will be scoucers.
