HIllsborough & my experience of 1980's football in England
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- čas přidán 28. 04. 2016
- The Hillsborough inquest verdict this week reminded me of my experience of football in the 1980's.
It also stirred up a regret, that despite similar the problems in football for some time, nobody did a thing to stop it until HIllsborough.
So this is my personal story of that period in English football. - Sport
Hi Peter.
I'm a season ticket holder for Liverpool and fortunately for me I wasn't born until 1985 so have never had to stand at a top flight match. My dad however was at Hillsborough and many other games in the 70s and 80s and he has said to me many times that Hillsborough shocked him but didn't surprise him. He had many similar examples of what you had as well. Crush barriers giving way etc. it was the pens that caused the problem at Hillsborough rather than the actual fence at the from as the two side pens were nearly empty. As a 4 year old boy in Liverpool I was one of the fortunate ones - my dad came home. Im pretty sure there is a video on CZcams from the semi final in 1981 when spurs fans were crushed in the leppings lane end against wolves. Fortunately for them, the pens were not installed by then so that had that extra little bit of room - but that was a warning and a half about the potential or disaster but nothing was done.
Thanks for sharing your experience in this video
I also experienced a match at Highbury in North bank where I got scared due to over crowding in the 80's. It was the only match I had to leave early. Everything else about that era with football was so much more exciting!
every football supporter should watch this video and realise that it took a terrible tragedy like Hillsborugh to happen to allow them the safety which they enjoy today. Well done Peter, I still feel the sadness.
you mention a few times that you don't know why you decided to make this video or something similar but i fully encourage you to share your stories, trading related or not the content is very pleasing to watch, even if it's about such a devastating time. your life lessons and stories are of course always appreciated. it's the random events we don't see coming that we seem to reflect on best. such as this story you tell or the time you pushed yourself on your bike and ended up falling off - which was an excellent analogy by the way
Hi Peter, great video! Yes, some of the subject matter is sad, but I guess that most of us would - with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, change things if we could. I've never been a football fan myself. I've been to a couple of matches way back in the 1970's and all of what you are saying; the fighting, the crushing, the verbal and physical abuse, was around then too. I suppose the thing we can be thankful for is that with the advent of all-seating etc, the crushes are a thing of the past. Now if only we can stop the modern youth carrying knives and killing each other, I reckon we'll be on a winner........
Only just seen this video you posted 5 years ago. I’m a Kop season ticket holder of many years. I’ve been going to football on a regular basis home and away since around 1994, when I was about 13. I’d been to many games before that but not quite as often. My dad first took me to games when I was around 6 or 7 so we’re talking 1987/88 ish. I have memories of the excitement of seeing my heroes play at Anfield back then but I also remember hearing words of abuse you wouldn’t hear much of nowadays from sexist, racist, homophobic etc etc. it was a very different place and the facilities were light years behind what we have now. In fact I have memories of being stud in what seemed to be most peoples urine on the Kop or Gwladys Street back then. One thing that always sticks out in my mind is how much I pestered my dad to take me to that Hillsborough SF v Forest in 89. I had just turned 8 a week earlier and I had money from birthday cards and even gave that money to my dad and said please pick up 2 tickets. He did and I was so happy. They were for the Leppings Lane. My dad ended up being offered a big decorating job that he couldn’t refuse and therefor passed the tickets on to a friend at the pub and I never got to go and I was so upset that my mum was almost going to take me but because there was nobody to babysit my sister the tickets had gone. Me and my dad always talk about this and how lucky we were because his friends went but luckily they arrived early and ended up in one of the other pens either side of the centre. My experiences of football have mostly been great but for the odd fight I’ve witnessed. Lots of people wish for the old days and the way football used to be and I do too sometimes but then I think no, we’ve moved on for the better.
Thanks for posting that story. Fate is a fickle beast, isn't it?
It's amazed how much football has changed. Some things are not for the better, but at least it's a comfortable and safe environment for fans now.
Thanks again for sharing.