I actually saw a match in January of 1999 at Hillborough (a 4-1 FA Cup third round loss for Norwich vs. Wednesday, predictably). It was pretty surreal being in a place where such tragedy had happened. We were even seated in the Leppings Lane end on the upper level with the other travelling Norwich supporters (the only two-tiered part of the stadium, where the people above were pulling people up from the crush below). Whenever I see footage of the Hillsborough disaster I always get chills. It is funny how tragedies feel closer to you when you have been to the place where they happened, albeit 10 years after the fact.
I remember a lot about that day. The brakes were starting to fail on our hired van on the way to the match (and Yorkshire is hilly), but we dangerously soldiered on to the match. I remember a lot of the pubs near Hillsborough had signs posted banning away colours from their premises for fear of trouble (it is hard to hide a yellow collar), be we found a friendly pub on a side road where we mingled with some of the home supporters after convincing them that we cam in peace. And I remember the Sheffied Wednesday Band playing their hearts out for much fo the match.
Then after the match, we had to wait for hours at a roadside pub near Rotherham while we waited for AA (roadside assistance) to come and pick up the van which was now undriveable. So most of us got completely smashed and we didn't get back to Norwich until the wee hours of the morning.
/cool story bro
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