Liverpool Try To Avoid Playing On Hillsborough Memorial Day
March 15th, 2006 by Alan Hylands
After being eliminated from this season’s Champion’s League, Liverpool are appealing to Blackburn Rovers to change the date of their Premiership clash which is scheduled for 15th April as it clashes with the annual Hillsborough Memorial service.
“We have already been in touch with the Premier League and Blackburn,” said Reds chief executive Rick Parry.
Parry told the Liverpool website: “This is an issue we were aware of right at the start of the season.
“That’s why we contacted the Hillsborough Families’ Support group last June and they said they accepted that, sadly, one day it might be an inevitability that we’d have to play on 15 April.
“Now we are out of Europe, there may be some scope to look once again but it’s not just our fixtures to consider, it’s Blackburn’s as well and this is their home fixture at the end of the day.”
Relatives of the families bereaved on that fateful day in 1989 have led the calls for the match date to be switched as the memorial service is traditionally attended by Liverpool players and officials.
As one of the most terrible days in English football history, the Hillsborough disaster still looms large over Liverpool Football Club and with the memories still so fresh for so many people there can’t be too many reasons for Blackburn Rovers not to agree to the switch. Ultimately that greatest of Liverpool heroes Bill Shankly got one thing wrong, football isn’t more important than life or death or the act of remembering those who paid for their loyalty to their club with their lives.
Explore posts in the same categories: Liverpool
March 15th, 2006 at 10:28 pm
I am glad this has happened (just not so glad that a CL exit allowed it to happen). As mentioned, the Hillsbrough disaster casts a huge shadow over Liverpool Football Club, and I think those directly affected should take comfort in the fact the terrible day is remembered on the shirts worn by their heroes in the form of the Eternal Flames which sandwich the badge, as well as by the Eternal Flame shrine at Anfield.
Each time I’ve visited Anfield I have been astounded that there are fresh flowers and messages, from families, fans and well-wishers from across the globe. I also hope that those involved take comfort that that terrible day has forced football clubs and authorities to take action to make stadiums both safer and a more pleasant environment for all.
Having said all that, the families continue to seek Justice for the 96, and the bringing to account of those directly responsible for these needless deaths. All football fans should support this campaign, that day could so easily have befell virtually any football club/fans.
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/lfc_story/memorial/
March 16th, 2006 at 8:17 am
Even 17 years on it’s hard to believe that something like the Hillsborough disaster actually happened. Other terrible football tragedies like the Ibrox disaster can be thought of as being in a time when safety measures weren’t such a high priority but in the late 1980s to allow 96 people to die because of the mistakes of a few people is quite unbelievable.
It’s sad we live in a society where tragic acts such as Hillsborough have to happen to make those in authority act in people’s best interests and tighten up safety in our sporting arenas. The fact that there has yet to be justice for the deceased is still one of the hardest parts to comprehend. Foxhunting can be trailed through both Houses of Parliament for years but the Govt. can’t put any pressure on to bring those responsible to account.