20 years ago, 96 People Died in the “Hillsborough Disaster” in Sheffield

This blog could probably just post things about how old I feel and it would continue on quite happily… I clearly remember this tragedy that happened 20 years ago today. It’s my first real memory of any news story that really showed a large amount of death close enough to home for me to pay attention. I thought of it again when the towers were hit, even though it was on a much smaller scale, but it still felt close. Most Americans I’ve talked to, don’t even know about it, so here is the BBC memorial story. It had one strange and eventual benefit for me and I’m sure lots of other kids that attended the games, which was the removal of the horribly scary fences that stood strong at the front of all of the stands, creating an impenetrable perimeter to the pitch. They were the main cause of all of the deaths, and they always made me think of a prison fence, blocking access and ultimately a good view of the pitch. Not being a big football/soccer fan, I was glad of anything that made the sport more enjoyable and accessible, and that let me attempt to feel as passionate as my Dad always did. See an image of the crush against a fence here. It was at the home ground of Sheffield Wednesday but was a game between between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, which was abandoned soon into the second half.