5C Everett Miller Hillsborough: A True Tragedy

On that day at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, 96 Liverpool fans died, crushed by a mass of people. This weekend marks the 25 anniversary of the worst sporting disaster the British Isles has seen, as every professional and semi-professional game in England will kick off at seven minutes past the allotted start time, as the game at Hillsborough was stopped after six minutes on that fateful day. Teams will then remember those who perished with a minute’s silence.

Outrage, anger and pain has been with the families ever since that FA Cup semifinal between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

Tributes have been paid at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium today in a service to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers received a standing ovation after giving a moving speech, while a sculpture – named the Band of Life – was unveiled, with 96 lights to represent each person who lost their life. 96 seats were left empty in the stadium to remember the victims, with flags and scarves of each football league club draped over them as a mark of respect. Everton fans  also gathered at Goodison Park to pay their own tributes.

That so many youngsters were among the victims was particularly heart-rending. People can find tremendous strength through adversity, but if either of my children had been lost at Hillsborough, I honestly cannot see how Janet and I could ever have recovered from it. Adam was only eight at the time, but had he been 15 or 16 and wanted to go to the match, I might well have made arrangements for someone to watch it with him from the terraces rather than the stand. I could imagine myself saying to him, 'You don't want to go into the seats, you'll get a better atmosphere on the terraces.' To think of him at the Leppings Lane end of the ground is just too painful.