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Originally Posted by Jagger
I attended the Hillsborough semi final in 1988, the year before the disaster. I was in the stands (seats) above Lepping Lane. Looking down on the fans, it was obvious that there was major crushing then too, just nobody died. I remember telling my dad that there could be major problems here. I told a steward too about my concerns. I didn't take it any further though trusting that those in charge would deal with it.
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I've read numerous accounts similar to yours which adds to my confusion as to why the FA hasn't been implicated particularly in light of Liverpool's request to have the game played at OT and knowing full well that if at Hillsborough the police were insisting in putting them in the LL end when they had the larger support?
I really don't get why the FA aren't one of the questions because it was their decision making that contributed to this.
FWIW now .. from the Taylor report.
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269. The FA were strongly criticised by the Football Supporters' Association and others for having imposed the Hillsborough venue on Liverpool for a second year running. The Liverpool supporters had to travel much further to Sheffield than their Nottingham rivals. The police required that if the match was to be at Hillsborough at all, Liverpool would have to have the west and north side accommodation. The disadvantages of that and the disparate numbers of home supporters of the two clubs have already been set out. Liverpool had had to knuckle under to the arrangement in 1988.They resented having it imposed in 1989. To hold the match at Old Trafford would have been a perfectly good and acceptable alternative. Indeed, the FA nominated Old Trafford as the venue for the replay should there be a draw at Hillsborough.
270. Mr Kelly, the FA's Chief Executive, sought to give reasons for preferring Hillsborough, but the only onewhich seemed to have any validity was that the1988 match had been considered a successfully managed event. He admitted that a telephone call from the Chief Executive of the Liverpool Club protesting and putting Liverpool's case had not been mentioned to the FA committee which finally decided the venue. Mr Kelly frankly conceded that "there was an element of unfairness" to Liverpool in choosing Hillsborough for a second time. I think the decision was ill-considered. No doubt in future the FA will be more sensitive and responsiveto reasonable representations.
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And you're welcome and I am genuinely and sincerely happy for you and the people of Liverpool as a whole that you get some sense of closure and vindication today. I'm from a town and my father was in an event that went through a similar cover up and a tarnishing of the dead through lies so whilst I can't exactly identify what you all went through, I can appreciate your suffering, your frustrations and anger and your long drawn out fight for justice.
Sure we will argue and bicker and will probably continue to do so, but despite what Shankly says, this is beyond that. JFT96
