http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/latest-news/159269-lfc-plan-sign-of-unity-for-hillsborough-service LFC plan sign of unity for Hillsborough service Liverpool Football Club today announced its campaign to unify all sports fans from across the world in remembering the 96 supporters who tragically lost their lives at Hillsborough. To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the disaster, which occurred on April 15, 1989, the club are asking fans, followers, sporting institutions and general sports fans to donate a scarf as a sign of global unity for the Hillsborough families. Each scarf received will be laid out on the pitch at Anfield on the day of the annual Hillsborough memorial service - Tuesday, April 15 - in the shape of the number '96'. The club invite any kind of club scarf, no matter what sport they represent, and request that submissions are made no later than Tuesday, April 8. Those donating scarves are also encouraged to write a personal note to the Hillsborough families on their chosen item, for an additional sign of support on the 25th anniversary. Margaret Aspinall, chair of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, which is planning the memorial service, commented: "The annual memorial service in memory of the 96 is always a moving occasion for the families and survivors. "We already receive so much support from people worldwide, but if we could create what would be a fantastic symbol of unity on the pitch from donated scarves from across the world, this would be a truly moving way of bringing the world together for the 25th anniversary of Hillsborough." All donated scarves should be sent to: Hillsborough Scarves, 20 Chapel Street, Liverpool, L3 9AG - and should arrive by Tuesday, April 8 to be guaranteed to be included in the pitch display during the memorial service. International supporters are advised to check international postage times, costs and import logistics ahead of sending their donation; the club will not be able to pay for postage of donated scarves. Kenny Dalglish has also written to all 92 English league clubs as well as the English, Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh national teams to ask for their support by way of donating their club scarf to the proposed symbol of 96. After the service, the club's official charity, the Liverpool FC Foundation, will donate all scarves to local good causes, including homeless charities, along with a signed item of LFC memorabilia. Therefore, the club unfortunately will not be able to return donated scarves.
All a good cause and all that, but I'll give them time of day when they unite sports fans across the globe to help families of the Heysel disaster too, you know the one that they were 100% at fault for.
That's nice of you. I don't mind how Hillsborough keeps floating to the furore, the campaigning for the victims, their memory and their families is a very just cause. I just detest the way Heysel is constantly swept under the carpet and all but forgotten about. They were both avoidable tragic losses of life on epic scale, and as such both deserve equal attention - do you not agree? I'll be sending a scarf, by the way
You have the internet there so there's no excuse for your ignorance regarding Heysel, its not swept under the carpet by LFC or us, the club have formerly apologised, there is a plaque at Anfield in rememberence of the 39 victims, Liverpool 'fans' involved and caught on the night did time in Belgian jails, and we Liverpool supporters who were there or not deeply regret and are deeply sorry for what happened. Hope that helps.
Your full of it mate, all decent Liverpool fans are well aware of what happened and where the blame lies. Nothing has been swept under the carpet but forgive us if we don't want to discuss it all the time. I hate the way that some fans want to link the two incidents, of course we are going to fight for justice when it comes to Hillsborogh but there is nothing hidden when it comes to Heysel the info is out there and our club has to live with it.
What i think is, you should have saved that thought for another day. Not make it the first response from a Hull fan on what is a touching gesture from a club still mourning the loss of family members,children, friends and loved ones. Apologise right now !
The one that 30 LFC fans were extradited to Belgium and imprisoned for, it being the largest criminal deportation in British legal history, you mean. What a shame people like you choose to spread hate.
Don't worry, Scousers. Dr Hat doesn't always type via his sphincter, but he usually does, as he has demonstrated here...
Not spreading hate at all, and what Liverpool did 20 years later was too little too late. But let's leave it there for another day, you're right Kempton, I apologise for making my comment at a sensitive time.
You brought up an event that has nothing to do with the thread. All decent Liverpool fans, of which I consider myself one, are ashamed about our own fans actions that caused the tragedy at Heysel. We will never be able to apologise sincerely enough or for long enough. The poor, poor souls who lost their lives that day can't be brought back, that wouldn't be justice, it would be a miracle. Imprisoning, within months of the incident, the main perpetrators and sentencing the secretary-general of the Belgian Football Union and police chief in charge at Heysel, together with civil damages of £5m compensation against the convicted fans and the BFU, awarded to the families, is what could be considered an attempt at justice. Just to add this, which doesn't really need saying but will clue you up a bit on the reality of the situation, other than flinging out assumptions and accusations. You may think Liverpool feel very awkward about the subject of Heysel but what's more concerning is that it's even more of a taboo at Juventus. Go on to the club’s official website in search of a tribute and you will struggle to find anything beyond 106 words within a 645-word article called 'Juventus wins everything', a tribute to their successes in the 1970s and 1980s. In The Truths of Heysel, a book written by Andrea Lorentini, whose father Roberto died in Brussels and whose grandfather Otello has led the campaign for the victims to be officially recognised by the club, writes of the ''bewilderment, reticence, guilty silences and suspicion'' the bereaved have faced in their dealings with Juventus. She writes that the families don't want their lost ones to become a 'cause celebre in England , particularly not when the purpose has purely been to score points on the terraces. A little more recognition closer to home is what we want'. It is a stain on our club forever but as for 'leaving it for another day' - just NO! Let it go, bringing it up to point score, if nothing else, is disrespectful to those lost lives.
I thought Juventus fans attacked Liverpool fans in the neutral area and the main body of Liverpool fans rushed across to protect them and the Juventus fans tried to get away and crushed people against the wall. oh, and Juventus were awarded a penalty for a foul a few yards outside the box!
Don't get hung up on Caveman Bob/ Mr Hat's stupid rant. He tries too hard to be provocative, and usually people ignore the ****e he comes out with. It sounds like a great idea for the memorial. Good luck for the season. If you can beat any of the teams around us along the way, that would be most kind.
I don't doubt that Liverpool and its supporters feel shamed and embarrassed by that day, but its my opinion that there hasn't been enough done to show support and unity specially when all the stops are made for their own victims of a very similar tragedy. An apology in the local rag and a plaque 20 years on from the disaster is far from enough in my opinion, and in fact I think just adds insult to old wounds. The fact that it came on the back of drawing Juventus in competition for the first time since the tragedy speaks to me that it was more driven by fear in an attempt to reconcile with Juventus fans and try and calm them out of seeking retribution. On the Juventus club stance, I agree it's concerning and also bewildering that they seem to have swept the whole thing under the carpet. I didn't know about any of that. I also didn't know that the families of the Heysel disaster didn't want any solidarity from England, if I've read what you posted correctly, which I guess is fair enough for the lack of tributes, and maybe I've got a lot of the situation wrong. I would certainly say that if that is he stance of the victims families of Heysel that it would be disrespectful to press on and hold memorials in spite of it. But as I said, the apology was far too late and by that stage was better left unsaid. There were two chances to issue it sincerely, both immediately after the incident and also after Hillsborough, but it just didn't come until the two teams met again. I'm sure if roles were reversed you would agree with that. As a side point, do you not think the two events could be linked? Don't you think that the Heysel disaster made it far easier for the police and government to shift the blame onto Liverpool fans and cover the tracks?
The neutral tickets were sold en masse to Juventus fans, causing the buffer area beside the Liverpool end to be filled with hooligans from both sides. What happened next isn't defined clearly but someone somewhere decided to start throwing debris and other small missiles at each other (I think there was probably plenty of provocation). The fans started to give chase and as 39 Juventus fans were clamoring over a wall it collapsed and crushed them. A stupid, senseless tragedy that could have been avoided. As a club we take full responsibility for it and the fans that were found guilty were extradited. We commemorate it through memorials as often as is respectful to the Heysel families as well. Thanks to the OP for posting this though. Hillsborough wasn't only a tragedy for those involved, it was a tragedy for all of England, if not humankind. If the police, those sworn to protect you, would cover up their involvement - well what does that tell you about the government? What does it tell you about the morality of the men and women in power? Hopefully a tragedy like this is never seen again and thank you for bringing this cause to attention.
I think you are not correct there. The Liverpool fans charged and the wall collapsed onto the Juventus fans. The tragedy made worse by the fact that the Juventus fans in that area were not the type who would have been up for any trouble. If it wasn't for incidents like that down the years we wouldn't have ended up with the pens and fences which contributed to the Hillsborough disaster.
