Heysel 30 years on

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/heysel-30-years---peter-9254188

Reds’ fan Peter Hooton, lead singer of The Farm, was at Heysel Stadium in Brussels for the European Cup Final between Liverpool and Juventus on May 29, 1985 – and later a leading figure in the grass-roots ‘peace trips’ involving fans of the two clubs.
Here he reflects on the tragedy and its aftermath – while stressing he is only speaking on behalf of himself.
Some rival fans don’t know the truth about Heysel
“You’ll never bring the 39 people who died at Heysel back, and it was an absolute tragedy, but there is a lot of misinformation about this disaster.
“I’ve heard the chant ‘Justice for the 39’, most recently in March when we were playing Manchester United at Anfield. I think it’s a new generation who probably weren’t even born when Heysel happened and don’t really understand what went on at the time.
“There was a judicial process and there were convictions. Captain Johan Mahieu, the police officer who was responsible for Z Block, where the disaster took place, was given a nine-month suspended sentence. Albert Roosens, the former general secretary of the Belgian Football Association, was given a six month suspended sentence.
“Belgian police officer Michel Kensier was acquitted. In a separate civil action brought by family members, four officials were found not liable for the deaths that resulted from the tragedy. They included Jacques Georges, the former president of UEFA; Hans Bangerter, former UEFA general secretary; former Brussels Mayor Herve Brouhon; and Viviane Baro, a former Brussels councillor for sports.
“And 24 Liverpool fans were extradited on involuntary manslaughter charges, with 14 found guilty, following a trial, on April 28, 1989, almost four years after the tragedy – it was a lengthy legal process.
“Those fans found guilty were sentenced to three years in prison, 18 months of which was suspended. Some might say those convicted didn’t serve enough time, but that’s a different argument.”

The idea that anyone had died didn’t enter our heads
“The very fact they played the match was unbelievable. We weren’t aware anyone had died. When it did start it wasn’t a normal match. You were thinking ‘Something’s not right’. People around me thought there might be people injured, with broken ribs, legs – that type of thing.
“I think the one thing that put panic into that mass movement of people which led to the collapse of the wall was flares being fired over from the Liverpool section – because on a terrace you can’t really see what’s happening 20 yards away. We could see people moving back en masse and then there was a massive thud when the wall collapsed. There were chaotic scenes for maybe two hours but, honest to God, no one around me thought there were any fatalities – and if we had any idea we would have walked out. We wouldn’t have watched a football match.
“We’d been in the ground early, and it wasn’t until shortly after 9.40pm that the game kicked off. There was an element of fatigue, everyone was fed up and you were looking at the situation and thinking ‘It can’t be that bad because they’re playing the match’ – that’s the truth. All the passion had gone from the game, but the idea that anyone had died didn’t enter our heads.
“It was only when we got back to the railway station – we were going to Ostend that night – that we heard rumours of two, three or four fatalities. Everywhere was shut and the police were telling people to take off their scarves and they were confiscating fans’ banners.
“It was a surreal atmosphere, but during the lead up to the game it had been so different – an almost carnival atmosphere. There had been the odd incident in Brussels city centre – I think a jeweller’s shop window was smashed – but, overall, it was just a normal cup final build up.
“In the stadium, I saw skirmishes – but you saw skirmishes like that, as an experienced football fan, over the years.”

The stadium was not fit for purpose
“There should have been proper segregation. That so-called neutral section – Z Block – was nothing of the sort. There is a massive Italian community in Brussels so there was never going to be a neutral section, and the authorities should have known that.
“The then Liverpool chairman, John Smith, chief executive Peter Robinson and Juventus president Giampiero Boniperti were disgusted with the state of the stadium. Why it was chosen I’ll never know – it was dilapidated and anyone looking at it would know it was not fit for purpose.
“As a Liverpool fan I don’t feel any culpability whatsoever. I did not choose that ground. I did not make the security arrangements. I wasn’t involved in the fracas that happened by the chicken wire separating those Liverpool and Juventus fans. I watched the match and, in a way, I feel a little bit guilty that I did – but I don’t feel any culpability or responsibility because, as far as I was concerned, we were going to a ground that had met safety standards. But it had a breeze block wall outside, no sign of any turnstiles and the terraces were crumbling under your feet. It was criminal to stage a cup final there.
“You just thought six Merseyside police officers with experience of Anfield and Goodison would have sorted out what was happening in two minutes. The police, or security, seemed to react by attacking, and things escalated to a point of no return.”
Healing The Wounds
In August, 1985, 18 Juventus fans visited Liverpool after an invitation from the Liverpool 28 Improvements Committee in Cantril Farm – which included then youth worker Peter Hooton.
The trip, which had actually been planned before Heysel as part of a routine exchange visit, was organised by Peter, together with Mark Fitzsimmons from Cantril Farm, who later went on to become a youth worker. It was funded by the John Moores Foundation and supported by Liverpool City Council.
The Juventus fans were led by Mauro Garino, a long-time friend of both Peter and fellow Liverpool fan Kevin Sampson, who helped organise the visit. The group attended a civic reception at Liverpool Town Hall, toured Anfield and Goodison Park and enjoyed a concert on the Royal Iris which featured The Farm, Groundpig, Jegsy Dodd and Ted Chippington. John Peel, who had been at Heysel, was the DJ.

Peter recalls: “The Royal Iris night was a fantastic occasion. John Peel had wanted to come up because of what he had seen at Heysel. The whole trip was successful. Initially, the hard-core Juventus fans – the Juventus Ultras – were against it going ahead, but they eventually gave their blessing. And their leader was part of the trip.
“We went to Turin the following year and got a great reception from the local people. Their attitude was that the game should never have been played at that stadium.
“When Juventus played at Anfield in 2005, some Juventus fans turned their backs when fans on the Kop displayed the Amicizia (friendship) mosaic. I just thought if they want to turn their backs that’s their right. I think their attitude was ‘It’s too little too late’ and I think that was the attitude of a lot of Liverpool fans. There’s a small plaque at Anfield but I think many Liverpool and Juventus fans think their clubs wanted to move on from the disaster.
“Our peace trip was grass roots and accepted as a genuine gesture. Liverpool and Everton fans were involved and no one ever said to us ‘What are you doing this for?’
“There was no attempt at saying sorry because we didn’t feel any guilt. That might look bad in black and white, but we’d been having a laugh with Juventus fans all through the day of the match. Organising the visit was a way of saying ordinary people can get on. We didn’t want to brush what had happened under the carpet and wanted to show the Italians they could come to our city and be welcomed.”
Rival fans' chants
“You shouldn’t use the deaths of people to get back at another club on any level so when you hear certain chants, or read things on social media, you want to come back with the facts.
“When people chant ‘Murderers’ they may say it’s not about Hillsborough, but because of what The S*n said about Liverpool fans it will be linked to Heysel and Hillsborough.
“The ‘Always the victims, it’s never your fault’ chant was started by Man Utd fans during the period Luis Suarez was facing allegations of racism (against then Utd player Patrice Evra). But of course you could say it brings in Heysel and Hillsborough. It’s a chant that does hurt people, especially those who lost loved ones at Hillsborough.
“Heysel was never raised by rival fans in the late 1980s. After the advent of the Premier League, I think there was a certain feeling that the European ban had affected Everton’s finances. And when Everton were flirting with relegation it manifested itself a little bit more then because people were looking for reasons why they were in this situation.
“Success on the pitch pales into insignificance when it comes to life and death and to bicker about it is wrong on any level.”

 

Well done luv

 

“Success on the pitch pales into insignificance when it comes to life and death and to bicker about it is wrong on any level.”

amen to that

 

I thought the article brought up some good points and with the anniversary of this coming up I thought it was a good time to post it.

 

That was an interesting read, good post mate. RIP the 39.

Did anyone on here go? Is there any truth in rumours that it wasn't just Liverpool fans who were in Brussels that day?

 

Always good to get this on here before Matth turns at 1 minute after 12 on the day.

 

Very good read. Lots of points that don't get mentioned like the main culprits being found, tried and jailed - I've pointed this out many times. It will never bring those fans back of course and it remains a blemish on our club that it ever happened but at least justice was meted out as best as was possible. Thoughts are always with the families, nobody should go to a football game and not come home.

He got this wrong though - “The ‘Always the victims, it’s never your fault’ chant was started by Man Utd fans during the period Luis Suarez was facing allegations of racism (against then Utd player Patrice Evra).''

There's video evidence of that chant by utd fans at a youth game before Suarez even joined us.

 

i watched that game and it was disgusting it got brushed under the carpet by the media!!

 

I remember it at the time, not only was it at a youth game with mums, dads and kids making up the spectators, it couldn't have had any other meaning since Suarez hadn't even joined us! There's no place for those type of chants by any fans, ours included.

 

Single Rose for who?.

please log in to view this image

 

I don't blame the families whose loved ones were killed that terrible night being angry with Liverpool FC they have every right to be, there were no letters of condolence to them and they rightly expected a public apology from Liverpool FC, but the OP explains a lot about the clubs stance and the other contributory factors to what happened and the club's duty to protect itself from circumstances that were out of its control.

But Hillsborough brought home the loss the families, Juventus FC and decent supporters of Juve must have felt in the aftermath of Heysel, there was a difference to how both disasters occurred but the outcome of both was innocent people died and should be mourned and remembered by LFC and our supporters.

Although the two clubs have done business in the transfer market and played in friendly and competitive games since 1985 the Juventus supporters will never forgive LFC and that's their right but their "ultras" also had a lot to answer for that night, those near the almost none existent fence separating them from the Liverpool fans were quite happy to break and throw lumps of concrete from the crumbling terraces just as the arseholes from our side were doing, those involved on both sides of that have no excuse even if the ground wasn't fit for purpose or whether we should have had the 3 sections behind the goal instead of only 2, violence anytime/anywhere at football matches can't be condoned but it was unfortunately the norm 30 years ago.

RIP the Heysel 39.

 

I think @Red Hadron Collider was there, but I don't think he's ever gone into detail on it and I'm not sure he wants to either. Don't know about anyone else.

 

Mate you're right. It could so easily have been the other way round as to who lost fans that night. Shameful behaviour on both sides, Liverpool fans knifed in the town centre, Italian in the crowd with a starter pistol people thought was a real gun, the list goes on. No excuses as to blame for what happened, our fans were culpable and thank God it wasn't worse, it certainly could have been. RIP 39.

 

The lads I used to go to the game with back then were on the tube train in Brussels early on the morning of the game, as the train went through the Italian Quarter and the automatic doors opened a gang of Belgian/Italian's charged on and battered them with wooden sticks and one of the lads was knifed, planned ambush and off the train and away at the next stop down the line.

 

I'm not going to post the actual picture on here out of respect for the 39 but look at the picture in this link - taken 'before' the game even started, no excuse as I've said but extreme provocation nevertheless - http://www.sundaypost.com/sport/spo.../the-1980s-football-s-darkest-decade-1.105545

 

You're correct jb, but when 39 innocent people die at a football match things that would otherwise be highlighted in the media to its full extent is overlooked, remember the other Liverpool lad with the denim jacket on who got battered behind the goal at other end, I think he was the one the Italian aimed the starting pistol at as he tried to get away.

There was trouble in the city even the day before the game and right through the day of the game, the many stabbings that Liverpool supporters got in Italy in the Rome final played its part in the bad feeling in Brussels I reckon

 

I think you're right and no doubt that bad feeling played it's part. Unfortunately Italian fans don't seem to have toned down the violence much whereas in this country it's very rare.

 

Yeah, different policing methods and attitude towards knives, plus the street layout is different in many Italian cities where they can attack the opposition supporters and vanish down a maze of side streets in no time.

 

The fact that the game was played after the wall collapsing is a testament to what UEFA is. Corrupt money grubbing scummy organisation