Penny For Your Thoughts
Filed under: Articles by akvbcfc, General Football, Penny for Your Thoughts
After a short break, akvbcfc is back with an article. Here are his thoughts on recent events:
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A month away from my laptop due to exams have not quenched my thirst for the beautiful game and what a month it has been…
Into The Abyss You Go…
On Saturday 16th August 2008, who could have possibly predicted the season that was later to unfold?
It has been a truly remarkable year for numerous reasons, and as usual, it has come to an end full of joy and laughter, tears and sadness, success and failure. A season that began with visions of Brazilian magic emerging from the realms of Stamford Bridge, and with a Messiah in charge of Newcastle, has ended with a heroic Russian riding off into the sunset, and a new Messiah, whose eternal image is tainted with the pain of relegation.
Another rollercoaster ride has ended with the demotion of West Brom (again), Boro (thank god), and Newcastle (haha). For the first time in their history, Newcastle have been relegated from the Premier League, and the Tyne-Tees derby will now take place…in the Coca-Cola Championship. Do I have any sympathy for West Brom? Just a bit, but they prepared for this day the second they were promoted back to the Top Table. Any sympathy for Boro? Yep, definitely. They have a fantastic chairman and good facilities, but they always seemed to be a bit out of their depth in the top flight. Any sympathy for Newcastle? Get a grip.
Newcastle United has been badly run since the day that Bobby Robson left the club and the club deserves no sympathy or kind thoughts whatsoever.
Yes, relegation was hard on the fans. The thousands of fans who decide to host mass wakes or parties depending on the result the week before. The thousands who turned on their club completely mid-season, when the team needed them most. My message? It may be cruel, but get on with it. Being a Bluenose, we’ve been relegated from the Prem twice, but we didn’t get any sympathy coming our way. Heck, Leeds are in League 1, and not one person has offered them even a tiny amount of sympathy.
Honest, hard working players have been sold as the club constantly tried to ‘improve’, but as a result, the club have only moved backwards. James Milner has provided a perfect example. He was a quality young player, who gave his all and never put in a bad performance. However, Graeme Souness decided that he didn’t like the kid and he did his utmost to offload him onto another club. Villa didn’t sign him, and then Newcastle had another chance to utilise the young star’s potential. What happened? He signed for Villa last summer. The club ditched bright young stars in favour of over-paid layabouts who offered little. Boumsong, Collocini or Luque anyone?
Mismanagement has been evident for the past few seasons, and this was brought to a head by the entrance of Mike Ashley. The Spurs fan who wanted to go and have a beer with the Toon Army before the game. You couldn’t make this stuff up.
Then? Then he hired Dennis Wise, Executive Director (football), and the club just became even more of a laughing stock. To think, things went downhill from here!
I know that this article may seem as if I am completely against Newcastle FC and everyone connected with the club, but let me be clear, I am not. At their best, Newcastle fans can be quite brilliant in their encouragement. However, mismanagement, diabolical decision making and a lack of unity has led to a situation which previously seemed unthinkable. This is a good club, with a very large fan base and a unique belief that anything is possible, and I admire that. However, Newcastle United has no-one to blame but Newcastle United. They brought it on themselves.
Where to now?
“Whoever comes into the football club will have a big job on their hands”
Alan Shearer’s words will resonate in the minds of Newcastle fans this morning as they tried to piece together the puzzle that is Newcastle FC. There are no more Messiahs (apart from Ant and Dec, but they’ve got Britain’s Got Talent), and the club has to start again. Of the 3 relegated clubs, West Brom are in the best position to bounce back, purely because they know what the Championship is all about. Boro have not played a game in the second tier for 11 years, Newcastle haven’t played a game there for 16, and it will be a monumental shock to the system when the league kicks off next season.
West Brom have players on low wages, so they’re fine. Boro have relegation clauses in most, if not all of their players’ contracts, so they should be OK. Newcastle…well, what do you think?
I would say that at Boro, the whole playing squad needs overturning, because in many ways, the squad is just not good enough. Personally, I would say that they also need a new man in the dug-out, but it seems that the patience of the Boro owner Steve Gibson may win the day. Boro need a couple of strikers who actually know where the goal is, and they need to refresh the club with younger, hungrier players, who will fight for everything. Newcastle? A complete overhaul is needed, otherwise the club could implode. Without these relegation clauses in contracts, the club will find it very hard to balance the books next season. If Shearer stays on, and you just get the feeling that he will, then the squad must be replaced. Not refreshed. Replaced. The players are not good enough, and that is a fact.
Going Down the Right Way
Albion deserve a bit of respect. Yes, they went down, and yes, in certain matches they proved to be cannon fodder for the opposition, but at least they went down playing football. As a result, after their relegation was confirmed, the Hawthorns stood to a man and gave the players a standing ovation. It was an amazing sight considering what had just happened, but that was testimony to Tony Mowbray’s unique brand of football, which involves getting the ball, and passing it. People have slated West Brom all season, saying that they had to play ‘dirty’ if they wanted to stay up, but in the end, they were only 3 points off survival. And that was with a suicidal defence and a set of strikers who could not hit a barn door with a banjo. If West Brom had the likes of Wheater and Huth in defence, and maybe Obafemi Martins upfront, then they would not have gone down. Let the Championship take note, you can play beautiful football in the Premier League.
Next Challenger Please…
It’s our turn now.
That is the message that will echo down the corridors of Molineux, St Andrews, and now, for the first time, Turf Moor. The mission statement for Wolves, Blues and Burnley is clear – Survival.
The failures of Albion, Boro and the Toon Army are clear to see, and it is up to the promoted sides to make sure that they learn from the past failures of other clubs. Can they do it? Of course they can, because anything can happen in this game. Will they do it? Now that question is a bit harder to answer. It is of the utmost importance that all 3 sides are resolute in defence, with a touch of class in the centre of the park and strikers who will get crucial goals at crucial times. Mick McCarthy, Alex McLeish, Owen Coyle…Good luck, you are going to need it.
Join our FA or F off
The Football Association of Wales will take no action over the debacle during the Cardiff-Swansea match where referee Mike Dean was hit with a coin. Despicable. And that’s just the Welsh FA. It’s about time that Cardiff and Swansea joined the English system fully, or they leave for good. The FA should have the right to punish each and every club playing in English League’s. Is it so much to ask?
Why Barry has to stay at Villa
Yes, I know you are surprised, startled, and maybe a little bit shocked…but it’s true. If Barry goes to Liverpool now, he will probably end up playing left back/left wing in a World Cup year. It’s about time that Mr Barry woke up and realised the truth. If he goes to Liverpool, he won’t be utilised ‘properly’ as he is used currently in his central midfield berth at Aston Villa. Sit on the bench, or be the heartbeat of a top 6 Premier League side? Come on, a World Cup is more important than a seat on the Liverpool bench.
My Top Moments of the Season
It really has been an enthralling season, for a number of reasons, but after much consideration (about 5 minutes when I was making breakfast), here are the 6 memories that I will take away from this season:
1) The Rafa Benitez Rant – Well, what more can I say…It was an extraordinary premeditated attack which did…well…nothing.
2) Phil Brown’s Half Time Show – Brown’s decision to conduct his half time team-talk on the pitch at the City of Manchester Stadium was not well advised. Let’s leave it at that.
3) The Worst Premier League Ever? – I’m sorry, but the talk that this season has been the most competitive ever will not wash with me. The standard of football in the top division is decreasing. Yes, there is undoubted quality when you look at the top 6 teams in the league, but apart from those teams, there are very few others who offer anything. Teams entering the Premier League should have nothing to fear…Play half-decent football, and score a few goals, and you should be safe…comfortably.
4) Roy of the Rovers – Kiki Macheda. Absolutely amazing. Just when United were down and out against Villa, and when their title aspirations seemed to be on the brink of collapse, the young debutant stood up and finished with aplomb. It was one of those magic moments, and Macheda has gained cult status at Old Trafford after two touches of a football. It’s what this game is all about.
5) Down and Out? – This season has seen the demotion of some truly massive clubs. Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Norwich, Southampton and Charlton have all been relegated and they all face a massive task if they are to return. Such monumental events can only be remedied by following the glowing example of Nigel Pearson’s Leicester City side who have been promoted back to the Championship.
6) We are Premier League! – At the end of the day, our own club’s triumphs are the greatest. Blues were promoted on a historic day at the Madjeski Stadium after a nail-biting victory over Reading, and the celebration party that followed the final whistle was worth all the nerves and anger that had gone before.
Can’t wait till next season? Join the club.
By akvbcfc
View From The South – That’s Another Fine Mess We’ve Got Ourselves Into!
A second dose of Bazza for the week!!
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Well it’s down to the wire as our manager has long said would be the case. It is of course dispiriting that having had the prize in our own hands with only twenty or so minutes to go only to have it so cruelly snatched away by two of the best goals we are likely to see at St Andrews for some time to come.
Last evening I sat through the Norwich Reading game in the expectation that the Canaries would put up a rousing performance in front of their own fans purely on the grounds that it was a shit or bust moment for them given their parlous state in the bottom three. They play neat, slick football on their own beautifully manicured pitch and have the capability to trouble anyone. They had not lost in Norfolk to any of the top six all season so I was guardedly optimistic. Sadly they played all their football in front of Reading and never turned Duberry and Bikey who don’t look so clever when facing their own goal. Reading were given far too comfortable a night and when the inevitable chance for Reading came they took it and Norwich capitulated to an easy 2 – 0 defeat. They are probably going down I’m afraid which is a pity since I think they are better value than Barnsley but the Tykes have three more points and possession is nine tenths isn’t it? This brings me neatly on to our own situation:
1. We are in possession of an extra point over Sheffield United and three over Reading.
2. The default position has not changed.
The assumption has to be that Sheffield United are going to win at Crystal Palace. They may not of course but the basic assumption that they will has to be taken as granted. Therefore nothing has changed; Birmingham have to set up to win the game. There is nothing to lose; we have to win at Reading. They for their part have the same objective. They have to attack us and this could play into our hands. We have been better this season at picking teams off away from home than we have been at St Andrews when the onus has been on us to take the game to the opposition e.g. the demolition job we did on teams like Bristol and Doncaster and the mugging of Swansea. In the final analysis, it is Reading, not us who have it all to do; it could just be their undoing. There is always the scenario that Sheffield United won’t win at Palace and the games end up as two draws. Either way, Blues go up. Out of the three teams involved, Sheffield and Reading are dependent on our fate. Sure Reading can go up automatically if they beat us but they are nevertheless dependent on Sheffield also faltering.
Let’s lock horns and may the best prevail. I still believe it to be us. Reading are not a great team. They didn’t need to be to beat an inferior Norwich last night and a simply dreadful Blues at St Andrews earlier in the season. I do not believe we will defend that badly again.
KRO SOTV
Penny For Your Thoughts?
Filed under: Articles by akvbcfc, General Football, Penny for Your Thoughts
Here’s akvbcfc’s weekly article.
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Credit Where Credit is Due
Frank Lampard has had a horrendous time of it in the past couple of years. He lost his mother, and now he has had troubles with his long time girlfriend which has led to his home being split. How do the media in this country react? Despicably, as usual.
Newspaper stories have circulated about the behaviour of Lampard and one programme on LBC about Lampard infuriated the Chelsea star. Lampard’s sister was left distressed at what she was hearing, ringing Lamps and pleading with him to ring the radio station directly and talk to the presenter James O’Brien. What day was this programme broadcast? On the anniversary of the passing of Lampard’s mother. Terrible.
It’s about time that the media realise that there are times when you have to back off. The newspaper articles said that Lampard was doing the wrong thing because there were children involved. Well, answer me this, what would have happened if Lampard’s children had heard the radio station on that day? It’s about time the media start to grow up.
In amongst all the pain and heartache that Lampard has suffered, surprisingly, he has shown some of the best form of his Chelsea career. I, for one am surprised that he is not one of the nominees for the PFA Player of the Year award. Even though he has often been the scapegoat for numerous reasons, it’s about time that people lay off Frank Lampard, paying him some of the respect that he deserves. Well done Frank.
Cruel Twist of Fate
Poor Phil Jagielka. Probably Everton’s Player of the Season, and out for the rest of the season. Jagielka scored the winning penalty in the semi-final against Manchester United and he has been excellent all season. Jagielka has made the step up fantastically and he is equally adept whether playing at centre-half, full back or in central midfield. It was a terrible shame that Jagielka got injured and there is no doubt about the fact that he will be missed by the side when they step out at Wembley. The game has its good guys, Jagielka is one of those honest players who fans love because he gives his all every time he steps onto the field of play.
Anybody Out There?!
Nottingham Forest
Barnsley
Norwich
Southampton
Charlton
What do they have in common? Yes, they are all Championship sides. Yes, they are the bottom 5 sides in the league. But, more poignantly, they are all ex-Premier League sides.
It’s all good and well being a Premier League side, but when you get relegated, who cares? Is there anyone left who looks out for you? Yes, there are parachute payments, but is there much else? Both Southampton and Charlton are in money problems, Norwich and Barnsley are at risk, while it has been a fall from grace for Forest who were European champions a couple of decades ago. When you get relegated from the Prem, the money disappears. The pot of gold that you found at the end of the rainbow is no longer there and you are left to manage on your own.
When sides get relegated from the Premier League, two years of meagre parachute payments are not enough. With more and more money available to Premier League teams, relegated sides need more support. They deserve more support. If they don’t get it then…then expect a hell of a lot more teams to be entering administration. Teams are crashing and burning, and nobody cares. Manchester United do not give a damn about Southampton. Manchester United give a damn about Manchester United and Manchester United only. This is not the way that football should be.
If you want to have more money available in the game, then you have to be prepared to help others.
This is meant to be a footballing community. It’s about damn time that certain people are reminded of the meaning of the word ‘community’.
Penalty? Hold on…
Are you seriously suggesting that Gomes fouled Carrick? Seriously?! Come on, be reasonable. Gomes did brilliantly to capture the ball and punch it to one side before he even touched Carrick. So, why did the ref choose to give a penalty when it was blatantly not a penalty? Oh sorry, I didn’t realise we were at Old Trafford. Carry on…
The Toon are Tryin an’ Failin…Don’t You Just Love It?!
What is the difference between Alan Shearer and Newcastle United?
Alan Shearer will be on Match of The Day next season.
By akvbcfc
Penny For Your Thoughts?
Tip my Hat to ya
Well done Everton. Well done David Moyes. Very, very well done Bill Kenwright. Everton are going (back) to Wembley, and they will face Chelsea for the right to be named FA Cup Winners. It is no surprise that it is Everton, who have beaten away the threat of the Top 4 to reach the final. For years, David Moyes’ side have been knocking on the door, and maybe this is the start of something wonderful for the club.
A lot of credit must go to Moyes for the job he has done, and the brilliant squad that he has assembled, but also, one must tip their hat to Bill Kenwright, Chairman of Everton FC. Even when the club were in serious danger of relegation, Kenwright plucked a relatively unknown young man from Preston and has stuck by his side ever since. Even when the club were threatened with relegation, Kenwright kept the faith with Moyes and he has constantly been paid back.
Kenwright backs Moyes. Moyes delivers.
It’s the way that Everton FC work.
It isn’t rocket science, Moyes has created a side which has a strong backbone of experience mixed with youthful exuberance and some world class players who know the meaning of the word ‘loyalty’.
Even without Mikel Arteta, one of the best players playing for a side outside the Top 4, Everton have continued to prove effective in spite of a crisis which left them with no fit strikers (Saha aside).
Evertonians like to refer to the club as ‘The People’s Club’, and while there will be many teams that argue that point, there is certainly some truth in the sentiment. This is an honest club, with an honest manager and honest and determined players leading from the front.
Good luck Everton, I hope that you go all the way. Not because I hate Chelsea, and not because I love Everton, but because well run clubs deserve to be noticed.
The Debt-man? Run!
MPs want to stop owners from piling huge debts onto football clubs.
I’m sorry, is it me, or is this about 10 years too late?
The Parliamentary Football Group report says that it had “severe doubts” about whether clubs can continue to run with such high levels of debt…tell me something I don’t know. The one real fact to come out of the report is that the MPs have absolutely no power whatsoever when it comes to changing the face of the game. All of their suggestions are, well, just that. Suggestions. Will they be listened to? Come on, if football hasn’t listened to everyone else in the past who has warned of such dangers, are the footballing hierarchy really going to listen to a few MPs?
Question answered, case closed.
Respect for The Big Man
Mohamed Al Fayed has launched a stinging attack aimed at the “donkeys” running the FA and Premier League. Al Fayed said:
“But I worry that it won’t happen [a salary cap], because the Premier League and the FA are run by donkeys who don’t understand business, who are dazzled by money.”
He will probably get fined and strictly disciplined by the FA and the Premier League…but whatever happens, he is absolutely 100% correct. As he said, it is about times that chairmen stand up together and do something to change the way our game is going. However, while he said that change is needed, he also recognised the main reason why we will not get change. Money. Clubs will do anything possible to try and get more, even if it is at the expense of the normal fan.
Sort It Out
Manchester United can do it. So can Chelsea. Arsenal do it as good as anybody else. Heck, even Fulham and Spurs do it well. So, why can the FA not make a decent pitch? Top managers have all pointed out that the pitch is a complete disaster, but why? No-one plays there for most of the season, unlike at nearly every other ground in this country, yet the pitch is absolutely abysmal. The grass has been re-laid five, (yes FIVE) times since the stadium re-opened, and it will be re-laid once again this summer.
The problem comes because of the numerous events hosted at Wembley stadium. Whenever there is a concert at the stadium, the pitch is rolled up and transported away, and there is the problem. The pitch cannot it. Why are concerts being held at Wembley? To pay the bills, of course. These concerts, and NFL events are being hosted to try to pay back some of the £757 million paid in the construction of the stadium.
This is our national stadium. This is our pride and glory. This needs sorting. Soon.
On the run down south
Apparently, UEFA won’t mind if Rangers and Celtic want to join the Premier League. Well that’s just grand of them isn’t it? Be serious, if those two sides leave the SPL, then the league there will collapse. TV and sponsorship deals are based around the two Old Firm sides and if they leave then it will be simply disastrous for the country. Hold on, who actually said that they were wanted in this country anyway?
By akvbcfc
Penny For Your Thoughts?
Filed under: Articles by akvbcfc, General Football, Penny for Your Thoughts
akvbcfc looks at the tragic events from 20 years ago. I would like to add to his article and offer my thoughts to all those who are associated with Liverpool FC at this time, especially the family and friends of the victims.
Kev
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The Pain Lives on
It has been 20 years, twenty years, two decades, since the horrific event. However, the pain lives on. The date, 15th April 1989 will forever live in the memory. The number 96, will always tug at the heartstrings of football fans everywhere.
If you don’t know what happened on that fateful day, then here is a summary of possibly the greatest footballing disaster of all time.
Liverpool were playing Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough, home of Sheffield Wednesday. Outside the Leppings Lane end of the stadium, a large number of fans tried to get in to the ground as kick off approached on a vital day in the footballing calendar. As kick off approached, thousands of fans desperate to get in to the stadium were stuck outside and getting restless. There was a considerable build up of fans outside the Leppings Lane end, and police had a decision to make. Did they open the exit Gate C or not? Police Chief David Duckenfield was told that he had to order the opening of Gate C, but he was unsure. Did he refuse to open the gate and risk a number of deaths at the turnstiles outside the ground? Or, did he open the gate and risk a flood of fans going in to the stadium. Meanwhile, the crush was getting frantic. Fans were being crushed against gates, and walls. Children and women were screaming. There were 5,000 people outside the stadium desperately fearing for their lives. Duckenfield gave the message to open the gate. The results were absolutely horrific.
Fans flooded into the stadium, with no-one to check their tickets. Neither the police nor stewards were organised enough to cope. The fans flooded into the main two Pens behind the goal, Pens 3 and 4, but these pens were already dangerously overcrowded. Health and safety stated that no more than 1,500-1,600 fans should have been in Pens 3 and 4 respectively. There were over 3,000 fans in each pen.
The crush was becoming desperate. Fans didn’t know what to do and they were constantly being pushed forward by those behind. In all of this bedlam, the match actually kicked off. Fans tried to break down the perimeter fence behind the goal, facing the very real possibility of death. The police tried initially to try and stop the flow of fans onto the pitch, but they couldn’t. The time was 3.06 pm, and finally, a policeman came onto the pitch and told the referee, Ray Lewis, to stop the game immediately. Panic and confusion reigned; no-one knew what to do or how to do it. Ambulances couldn’t get onto the pitch due to numerous reasons, and fire engines which approached the ground were turned away by police officers who were unaware of the situation inside the ground. Why were they unaware? Their radio system was faulty.
Police and St John Ambulance volunteers did all they could to resuscitate fans. Some fans did everything they could to try and save the lives of their friends, their brothers, their fathers, their mothers and their sisters. Fans even used advertising boards as makeshift stretchers to try and get others fans to safety. The time was 3.27pm. It took until 4.01pm for the game to be officially abandoned, but no-one cared about the game now. There was something more important at stake.
This was at a time when mobile phones were not the norm. Technology was nowhere near advanced as it is now. However, there was coverage of the event. The BBC were at Hillsbrough, recording the game for Match of The Day, and when all of this happened, Grandstand, which was showing the snooker at the time, was stopped, and live coverage of the events in Sheffield were shown all around the country. Thousands and thousands watched on, in desperation, hoping and praying that it would all be alright, but knowing in the back of their minds that it would not be so. In Sheffield, people were dying.
Bodies of the dead were carried to a nearby gymnasium, where their pictures were taken and the pictures were put up outside the gym. It was up to friends and family members to identify the pictures and then the bodies. Numerous people had to travel hours and hours to get to Sheffield just to find out that their friend was one of those who had perished.
What can you say when something like this happens? The nation was in shock. The nation still is in shock. But, the question on the lips of everyone who was linked to Hillsborough is, Why? Why the hell did it happen?
Some blame the Liverpool fans, some blame the police. I wasn’t there, so I cannot tell you the real truth, but I can tell you a few facts. This was NOT an isolated incident. It happened before. There was a crush during the 1981 FA Cup semi-final between Spurs and Wolves. The ground itself did not have an up-to-date safety certificate. The latest certificate at the time was from 10 years prior. Both Sheffield Wednesday and the council blamed each other for the lack of an up-to-date certificate, but the blame lies with them both. In 1986, a senior policeman warned that the access for fans entering the Lepping Lane stand was wholly “inadequate”. They were warned. Three years before it happened. Three whole years in advance. And what did they do? Absolutely nothing. After the event, what did Sheffield Wednesday do? Nothing. No-one resigned. Not even the safety officer. And no-one, no-one said sorry. The failure to act, led to the deaths of 96 innocent people. Nearly half of the dead, 38 in fact, were under the age of 20. Another 39 were between the ages of 20 and 29. Around 80% of those who died were under the age of 30. What a waste of precious life. And it could all have been avoided.
What happened next is one of the most famous investigations in football history. Not only were there inquests in every home, pub, bar and football ground up and down the land, it was announced that Lord Judge Taylor was to carry out an investigation into the disaster. He wrote two reports – the Interim Report, released in August 1989, and the more famous Final Report (commonly referred to as the Taylor Report) in January 1990. The Interim report dealt solely with Hillsborough and it tried to wade through the rumours and lies to find the truth.
From this report the way that Sheffield Wednesday was chosen as a host for the semi-final was revealed. An initial letter from the FA only referred to how the money would be split between Wednesday and the FA. There was no mention of security. There was no mention of police protection. It was all money, money, money. No surprise there then.
Two days after the event, Graham Kelly, from the FA wrote to all clubs asking them for an “immediate review of ground safety” after the Hillsborough tragedy…it was all a little too late.
Then, in 1990 with no-one sure of what exactly happened, Taylor produced his second report, commonly known as the Taylor Report. Taylor said that each club should be issued with £2 million to transform their stadia into all-seater stadia. However, unknown to many are the other points raised by Taylor in his report. Taylor said that transfer fees had reached a level which was regarded as “grotesque” and “certainly out of all proportion to the amounts spent on ground improvement”. In the weeks after Hillsborough, Sheffield Wednesday did this statement proud. They spent £800,000 on new players. And you’re telling me that this couldn’t have been spent on the ground?
Taylor also called for a “new ethos for football”, in combination with a “reassessment of policy” in the way that the game is run. However, he couldn’t have that. Why? Because time is money. There was money to be earnt, TV deals to be fixed and a breakaway from the League to be negotiated.
Taylor also said that it was “legitimate” to wonder whether directors are “genuinely interested in the welfare of their grass-roots supporters”. Directors are greedy. Yep, knew that one already.
One major gripe that fans had with Taylor is that they believed that prices would escalade because of Taylor’s call for all-seater stadia. They blamed him. Was it his fault? Not a chance. He pointed to Ibrox where Rangers charged fans just £6 for a seat. He proved that it was viable to have all-seater stadia with cheap tickets. It was the money hungry clubs who demanded more money. No big surprise there, then?
Taylor’s wishes were clear. He wanted all-seater stadia. He wanted safety at stadia to be controlled. He wanted public money to help. He wanted the way football was being run to be overhauled (with reference to the self-interests of club owners and those who ran the league). Well, 3 out of 4 ain’t bad is it?
Well, yes it is bad. It is terrible. Football hasn’t learnt anything. Taylor gave us a warning about the way football was going, and no-one has heeded it.
What is even worse is that 20 years on, the friends and families of the dead still await justice. And they will probably never get it. They had gone to watch a game of football, and they never returned. It’s not right. It just isn’t.
In 1986, a senior police officer gave a stern warning which was ignored by the masses. In 1990 Lord Justice Taylor gave a stern warning which was ignored by the masses. When will it stop? It took the lives of 96 innocent men and women to be lost, for football to learn…absolutely nothing.
Some Things are Just More Important
I would now go on to write about other events in the sporting world, but I cannot. I would write about how the FA’s selection process for referees is shambolic, and how the rules of a penalty should be adjusted. I would also write about how Mark Hughes has found himself caught in a lose-lose situation, but I just cannot. Why? Because sometimes, football doesn’t matter. Sometimes, some things are just more important.
20 years on, all we want, is justice for the 96.
By akvbcfc
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