Hillsborough

Fair play to Barton for getting so heavily involved. It really does go to show that this isn't a football issue, it's a political issue and is about how Liverpool as a city had been treated over the years, and those attitudes continue to this day.

David Cameron has just confirmed that there was a cover-up. Statements were amended, The Sun were briefed for their headline by the police, and bodies had blood taken without consent to test for alcohol, including children.

"No evidence of violence, hooliganism or ticketless, no evidence that Liverpool fans conspired to arrive late, and no evidence that they robbed from the dead."

"The panel found that 164 statements were "significantly amended", including the removal of 116 negative comments about the leadership of the police, to push the blame for the tragedy onto the fans."

Andy Burnham speaking now. He's done a lot to help the justice campaign.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-me ... e-19543964

Sigh.

The report in full:

http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/do ... 1/0581.pdf

From Kelvin Mackenzie:

Today I offer my profuse apologies to the people of Liverpool for that headline. I too was totally misled. Twenty three ago I was handed a piece of copy from a reputable news agency in Sheffield in which a senior police officer and a senior local MP were making serious allegations against fans in the stadium. I had absolutely no reason to believe that these authority figures would lie and deceive over such a disaster.
As the Prime Minister has made clear these allegations were wholly untrue and were part of a concerted plot by police officers to discredit the supporters thereby shifting the blame for the tragedy from themselves.
It has taken more than two decades, 400,000 documents and a two-year inquiry to discover to my horror that it would have been far more accurate had I written the headline The Lies rather than The Truth. I published in good faith and I am sorry that it was so wrong


Very hollow apology. Still not taking responsibility and trying to pass the buck.

From Kelvin Mackenzie:

Today I offer my profuse apologies to the people of Liverpool for that headline. I too was totally misled. Twenty three ago I was handed a piece of copy from a reputable news agency in Sheffield in which a senior police officer and a senior local MP were making serious allegations against fans in the stadium. I had absolutely no reason to believe that these authority figures would lie and deceive over such a disaster.
As the Prime Minister has made clear these allegations were wholly untrue and were part of a concerted plot by police officers to discredit the supporters thereby shifting the blame for the tragedy from themselves.
It has taken more than two decades, 400,000 documents and a two-year inquiry to discover to my horror that it would have been far more accurate had I written the headline The Lies rather than The Truth. I published in good faith and I am sorry that it was so wrong


Very hollow apology. Still not taking responsibility and trying to pass the buck.

Simply got no time for that attention seeking cretin MacKenzie. The Daily Star ran a similar story at the time, based on the same sources The Sun used, but after learning of their mistake retracted it and apologised the very next day. MacKenzie and his massive ego couldnt do that.

Most of what we've heard today is only what we knew or suspected all along. It's still shocking, it's just unbelievable it took this long to come out.

Got to say, as much as I dislike the Tories, Cameron did well today. And credit to Andy Burnham for pushing this all along. Most of all credit to the families for conducting themselves in such a dignified and eloquent manner. Thoughts are with you.

[JLP]

I thought this awful tragedy deserves a stand alone topic. I will add my comments later as are only just tearing the news. The revelation that 41 of the victims had the potential to live is beyond belief.

It's inexcusable it's taken this long, and cretinous of McKenzie to consider that self pitying whine to be an apology, but good that finally everything we've really known for years, is official now. The coroner's inquest bit is particular horrifying.

[JLP]

You have to wonder how high this will go. Mrs Thatcher hated football fans and tried to force all sorts of legislation on fans following Heysel. It would not surprise me that the Government of the day were actively involved in the cover up.

You have to wonder how high this will go. Mrs Thatcher hated football fans and tried to force all sorts of legislation on fans following Heysel. It would not surprise me that the Government of the day were actively involved in the cover up.

Not only did she hate football fans, but she and her advisors specifically disliked the city of Liverpool:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16361170

Given the political and ethnic demographic of Liverpool, and what was going on just across the water from Liverpool at the time, it's not difficult to work out where this prejudice all came from. And even to this day, it continues. I (2 years old at the time of Hillsborough) have had rival fans come up to me and personally call me a murderer. Liverpool fans get labelled "the worst animals in Europe". Hopefully today will put an end to that and the city can go back to being thought of as the great city that gave us the Beatles, rather that a punchline to jokes based on lies and stereotypes.