Hillsborough

Tomorrow marks the 17th anniversary of possibly the greatest tragedy in modern sports history. On April 15th, 1989, Liverpool FC were set to play Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup Semi-final at Hillsborough, the stadium normally home to Sheffield Wednesday. As was custom during that decade, Liverpool fans were separated from Forest fans by fences, especially on the terraces (the cheapest section where there were no actual seats, just concrete floors and some rails). As gametime appraoched, more than 5000 Liverpool fans were still trying to enter the grounds. Instead of delaying the start of the game, police opened another gate, allowing a flood of fans to enter the terraces, crushing many of the fans that had already entered. The game was postponed, and after more than 10 minutes, a gate was opened allowing fans to escape onto the pitch (field). Once the section was emptied, there was a total of 95 Liverpool fans that had been crushed or trampled to death, and one fan died several years later after being in a persistent vegatative state.

Since the Hillsborough tragedy, stadiums have gotten rid of the terraces in favor of actual seating.

I have only been a Liverpool supporter for about 5 years or so, but this is one of those days that makes me appreciate my life a little more. I have been to over 100 professional soccer matches in the last 10 years and I am a season-seat holder for the LA Galaxy. I could never imagine the absolute joy that I get from attending matches bringing this type of horror. Reading the names, you can see that some families lost multiple members.

As my annual tribute to those 96 fans who lost their lives, I will post their names and ages here:

You'll Never Walk Alone
John Alfred Anderson (62)	Thomas Howard (39)
Colin Mark Ashcroft (19)	Thomas Anthony Howard (14)
James Gary Aspinall (18)	Eric George Hughes (42)
Kester Roger Marcus Ball (16)	Alan Johnston (29)
Gerard Bernard Patrick Baron (67)	Christine Anne Jones (27)
Simon Bell (17)	Gary Philip Jones (18)
Barry Sidney Bennett (26)	Richard Jones (25)
David John Benson (22)	Nicholas Peter Joynes (27)
David William Birtle (22)	Anthony Peter Kelly (29)
Tony Bland (22)	Michael David Kelly (38)
Paul David Brady (21)	Carl David Lewis (18)
Andrew Mark Brookes (26)	David William Mather (19)
Carl Brown (18)	Brian Christopher Mathews (38)
David Steven Brown (25)	Francis Joseph McAllister (27)
Henry Thomas Burke (47)	John McBrien (18)
Peter Andrew Burkett (24)	Marion Hazel McCabe (21)
Paul William Carlile (19)	Joseph Daniel McCarthy (21)
Raymond Thomas Chapman (50)	Peter McDonnell (21)
Gary Christopher Church (19)	Alan McGlone (28)
Joseph Clark (29)	Keith McGrath (17)
Paul Clark (18)	Paul Brian Murray (14)
Gary Collins (22)	Lee Nicol (14)
Stephen Paul Copoc (20)	Stephen Francis O'Neill (17)
Tracey Elizabeth Cox (23)	Jonathon Owens (18)
James Philip Delaney (19)	William Roy Pemberton (23)
Christopher Barry Devonside (18)	Carl William Rimmer (21)
Christopher Edwards (29)	David George Rimmer (38)
Vincent Michael Fitzsimmons (34)	Graham John Roberts (24)
Thomas Steven Fox (21)	Steven Joseph Robinson (17)
Jon-Paul Gilhooley (10)	Henry Charles Rogers (17)
Barry Glover (27)	Colin Andrew Hugh William Sefton (23)
Ian Thomas Glover (20)	Inger Shah (38)
Derrick George Godwin (24)	Paula Ann Smith (26)
Roy Harry Hamilton (34)	Adam Edward Spearritt (14)
Philip Hammond (14)	Philip John Steele (15)
Eric Hankin (33)	David Leonard Thomas (23)
Gary Harrison (27)	Patrik John Thompson (35)
Stephen Francis Harrison (31)	Peter Reuben Thompson (30)
Peter Andrew Harrison (15)	Stuart Paul William Thompson (17)
David Hawley (39)	Peter Francis Tootle (21)
James Robert Hennessy (29)	Christopher James Traynor (26)
Paul Anthony Hewitson (26)	Martin Kevin Traynor (16)
Carl Darren Hewitt (17)	Kevin Tyrrell (15)
Nicholas Michael Hewitt (16)	Colin Wafer (19)
Sarah Louise Hicks (19)	Ian David Whelan (19)
Victoria Jane Hicks (15)	Martin Kenneth Wild (29)
Gordon Rodney Horn (20)	Kevin Daniel Williams (15)
Arthur Horrocks (41)	Graham John Wright (17)