Liverpool FC Forum

by **Reg** » Sat May 29, 2010 11:05 am

Heysel football disaster remembered 25 years on.

Saturday, 29 May 2010 6:54 UK

On 29 May, 1985, 39 football fans died during violent clashes between Liverpool and Juventus supporters at the European Cup final in Brussels.

As a result of the disaster at Heysel Stadium, UEFA banned English clubs from taking part in European football for five years, with Liverpool serving an extra year.

For lifelong Liverpool fan Chris Rowland, the events of that night are as clear today as they were 25 years ago.

"I remember all of it," he said. "The memory has stayed crystal clear in my mind."

More than 60,000 Liverpool and Juventus fans were at the rundown stadium when violence erupted about an hour before kick-off.

A retaining wall separating the opposing fans collapsed as the Italian club's supporters tried to escape from Liverpool followers.

Thirty-two Italians, four Belgians, two French and a man from Northern Ireland died while hundreds of fans were injured.

Mr Rowland, who was not involved in the violence, was aged 28 at the time and regularly travelled with friends throughout Europe to support Liverpool.

"It started out like all the European trips," he said. "There was no reason to suspect it would be very different to any of the others."

But when Mr Rowland, now aged 53, arrived at the stadium half an hour before the match, it became clear that something was amiss.

"We saw people charging over the wall and charging towards us," he explained. "Our first thought was that they were attacking us.

"We saw chaos around the turnstiles and the shabby state of the ground."

He said he heard a sound similar to that of a heavy metal gate clanging - which he later realised must have been the wall falling.

A wall separating supporters fell and crushed a number of fans Mr Rowland, who lives in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, became aware that someone had died later that evening.

But it was not until reading the morning newspapers the following day that he realised the real extent of what had happened.

"It was incredulous that something of that scale could have happened," Mr Rowland added.

"You cannot begin to understand the enormity of it. It was awful, absolutely awful."

Inside the stadium's dressing room waiting to play was Liverpool defender Gary Gillespie.

'Completely useless'

Mr Gillespie said he and his teammates had no idea what was happening.

"We we very much cocooned in that dressing room," he said. "We did not really know what the situation was outside.

"As we were getting changed in the dressing room there was the usual banter, obviously the usual nerves because it was such a big occasion, and then we got conflicting reports about what had happen."

Following the tragedy, there was widespread criticism of the Liverpool fans and English football supporters in general, who had gained a reputation for hooliganism in previous years.

UEFA imposed the ban on English clubs and in 1989, 14 Liverpool fans were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter at a five-month trial in Belgium.

They were given three-year sentences - although half the terms were suspended.

There has never been an official inquiry into the incident to find out exactly what happened.

Some people claimed Juventus supporters provoked Liverpool fans by hurling stones and other missiles, others blamed the lack of police presence, poor organisation and a decrepit stadium.

Italian journalist Giancarlo Galavotti, London correspondent for the Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper, was at the Heysel Stadium on 29 May, 1985.

He described the Belgian policing of the event as "completely useless".

"I could really tell, let's say 15 minutes, 20 minutes, half an hour, before the fatal clash occurred that it was a very serious and dangerous situation that was developing," he said.

"Irrespective of what was the behaviour of some sections of the Liverpool fans, if Belgian police had been adept in policing the situation, like the Italian police were the year earlier in Rome, I do not think there would have been such a tragedy happening in Brussels in 1985."

Liverpool supporter Graham Agg, 48, from Netherton, Liverpool, also criticised the Belgian police and the state of the stadium.

Some claim Juventus fans provoked Liverpool fans by hurling missiles "How they got permission to hold a European Cup final was beyond belief," he said. "It was falling down. There was no security.

"The terrace was crumbling - you could pick up bricks. It was a disgrace.

"In Liverpool's history it is one of the dark days, but a very small minority caused the trouble.

"Even when they did cause the trouble, they did not intend for people to die. If it had been held in a proper stadium it would never have happened."

The game eventually went ahead, despite objections from both managers, and Juventus won 1-0 with a second-half penalty.

The Heysel Stadium, built in 1930, was demolished and replaced by the all-seater Stade Roi Baudouin.

A plaque to remember the 39 people killed was unveiled at Liverpool's Anfield stadium on Wednesday.

A two minutes' silence was held at the city's town hall on Friday when the bells were rung 39 times - a gesture that is being repeated on Saturday.
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RIP 39 fellow football fans, such a shameful disaster. The memory of it still makes my blood run cold.

I hope one day the two clubs will find a way to face this tragedy together and find forgiveness.

by **NANNY RED** » Sat May 29, 2010 11:37 am

R.I.P OUR 39 FELLA FOOTBALL FANS.

by **red37** » Sat May 29, 2010 7:42 pm

It seems like yesterday

Still raw....

RIP To those who lost their lives that night.

by **Reg** » Sun May 30, 2010 11:02 am

76 views and only 2 posts, yet 39 innocent people lost their lives. Why do fans ignore Heysel? Do we not feel we have a case to answer?

Its the blackest event in the history of the club and people ignore it?

by **dawson99** » Sun May 30, 2010 11:04 am

Reg wrote:76 views and only 2 posts, yet 39 innocent people lost their lives. Why do fans ignore Heysel? Do we not feel we have a case to answer?

Its the blackest event in the history of the club and people ignore it?

Theres not really much anyone can say mate. A very sad day for football. Just because a thread lacks posts don't mean the thread lacks substance

RIP

by **Ben Patrick** » Sun May 30, 2010 11:14 am

Reg wrote:76 views and only 2 posts, yet 39 innocent people lost their lives. Why do fans ignore Heysel? Do we not feel we have a case to answer?

Its the blackest event in the history of the club and people ignore it?

It is a difficult one mate.

I think every Liverpool fans thoughts are with the families of the Juventus supporters that lost their lives that night.
It is something that alot of people would want to forget - not that it should be forgotten.
The fact that LFC supporters indirectly led to the tragedy happening is something that is really hard to deal with, even so many years on.

My thoughts are definately with the families of the people that lost their lives that night.

RIP

by **laza** » Sun May 30, 2010 11:44 am

RIP 39 lost souls

Never again

by **Reg** » Sun May 30, 2010 11:45 am

Thanks lads, its reassuring that we're not 'unaware' or trying to ignore or avoid the issue.

My wife is from Torino by the way, and a Juve fan.......

by **Reg** » Sun May 30, 2010 12:11 pm

Italy remembers Heysel disaster Published: 30/05/2010 at 08:52 AM

UEFA president Michel Platini vowed there would never be a repeat of the Heysel stadium disaster as he attended a memorial in the northern Italian city of Turin Saturday, 25 years on.

Belgium police face Italian fans on May 29, 985 in Heysel stadium in Brussels, as violence broke out one hour before the European Champion Clubs final between Britain's Liverpool and Italy's Juventus of Turin, killing 39 fans and injuring more than 600.
He spoke as Belgium, Britain and Italy all held ceremonies to mark the 1985 tragedy.

During crowd trouble, 39 people, mostly Juventus fans, died when a wall collapsed as they waited to watch their team play Liverpool in the European Cup final at the stadium in Brussels. Another 600 fans were injured. Despite the terrible scenes in the stadium, the match went ahead, the authorities deciding that to cancel it risked creating further unrest.

Former Juventus playmaker Platini, who played in that match, which went the Italians won 1-0 to lift their first European Cup, remembered the darkness that came over him. "I was carefree like all players who were going through an important moment," he said Saturday. "But that match was played in darkness for us players. I still remember that match today and I can't forget it. "As president of UEFA I guarantee that it will be one of my priorities to ensure such a tragedy never happens again."

In Britain, bells rang out in Liverpool on Saturday to mark the anniversary of the disaster. Thirty-nine chimes sounded out at the city's town hall in memory of the victims and flags at all Liverpool FC's buildings were flown at half-mast as a mark of respect. The club's managing director Christian Purslow attended the memorial service in Turin, the home city of Juventus, along with families of the victims.

New Juventus president Andrea Agnelli also spoke of his memories of the event. "I was a nine-year-old child and I was in front of the television and saw my parents' worried expressions but I didn't understand and they couldn't explain it to me," he said. "Since I've grown up my understanding has matured. I've always struggled to feel our victory in that Cup, even if the players assured me it was a real game. "Now we have to ensure that future generations have secure stadiums so that football can be enjoyed in serenity and joy."

Despite criticism of UEFA and the Belgian Football Association over the condition of the ageing stadium and the ticketing allocation, no official inquiry was ever held.

Heysel stadium was demolished in 1994 and the King Baudouin Stadium was built on the site. It too hosted a brief commemoration ceremony on Saturday, the Belga news agency reported. A statue in memory of the victims of the disaster stands outside the stadium.

After a five-month trial in Belgium in 1989, 14 Liverpool fans were given three-year sentences for involuntary manslaughter. English teams were banned from Europe for five years as a result of the tragedy with Liverpool being barred for an extra season.

by **NANNY RED** » Sun May 30, 2010 12:14 pm

I was there Reg and no one who ever goes to watch a football match should not return home,

by **Fivestars** » Tue Jun 01, 2010 1:18 pm

I was also there that day. The place was falling down but that is was no excuss for what happened that day.

by **devaney** » Sun Jul 04, 2010 1:49 pm

Reg wrote:76 views and only 2 posts, yet 39 innocent people lost their lives. Why do fans ignore Heysel? Do we not feel we have a case to answer?

Its the blackest event in the history of the club and people ignore it?

Reg - my own feelings are that a lot of people simply want to remember the good times and make questionable excuses about the bad times !!

Reg - I got castigated and subsequently received a very lengthy and somewhat unjustified ban for suggesting that the mindless drunken d.ickheads singing their moronic Munich songs at the SOS Christmas party were of the same mentality as the supporters responsible for the disasters associated with LFC. I was banned before I could respond to the disgusting and totally unreasonable comments by Redbeergoggles, because he like the moderators had clearly assumed that I was referring to Hillsborough which certainly was not the case. I take exception to being insulted at the best of times but when it is based on totally incorrect assumptions then it becomes unacceptable.

Heysel was a very sad day in the memory of Liverpool football club and and the behaviour of both Juventus and Liverpool fans was disgraceful and if some of the younger fans on this forum have difficulty with my attitude towards a spoiling minority of idiots then I am sorry, but to be frank I am more concerned that 39 people needlessly lost their lives.

Well done for remembering Reg and like yourself my thought are with the families and friends of the Juventus supporters who lost their lives on that terrible night.

by **supersub** » Sun Jul 04, 2010 7:51 pm

devaney wrote:
Reg wrote:76 views and only 2 posts, yet 39 innocent people lost their lives. Why do fans ignore Heysel? Do we not feel we have a case to answer?

Its the blackest event in the history of the club and people ignore it?

Reg - my own feelings are that a lot of people simply want to remember the good times and make questionable excuses about the bad times !!

Reg - I got castigated and subsequently received a very lengthy and somewhat unjustified ban for suggesting that the mindless drunken d.ickheads singing their moronic Munich songs at the SOS Christmas party were of the same mentality as the supporters responsible for the disasters associated with LFC. I was banned before I could respond to the disgusting and totally unreasonable comments by Redbeergoggles, because he like the moderators had clearly assumed that I was referring to Hillsborough which certainly was not the case. I take exception to being insulted at the best of times but when it is based on totally incorrect assumptions then it becomes unacceptable.

Heysel was a very sad day in the memory of Liverpool football club and and the behaviour of both Juventus and Liverpool fans was disgraceful and if some of the younger fans on this forum have difficulty with my attitude towards a spoiling minority of idiots then I am sorry, but to be frank I am more concerned that 39 people needlessly lost their lives.

Well done for remembering Reg and like yourself my thought are with the families and friends of the Juventus supporters who lost their lives on that terrible night.

Then why did you once again use the plural "disasters"

by **Lando_Griffin** » Sun Jul 04, 2010 8:49 pm

RIP the 39.

by **Owzat** » Mon Jul 05, 2010 7:46 am

dawson99 wrote:
Reg wrote:76 views and only 2 posts, yet 39 innocent people lost their lives. Why do fans ignore Heysel? Do we not feel we have a case to answer?

Its the blackest event in the history of the club and people ignore it?

Theres not really much anyone can say mate. A very sad day for football. Just because a thread lacks posts don't mean the thread lacks substance

RIP

A lot of people wouldn't know much about it, a lot of people wouldn't know what to say and a lot of people don't come on a football forum to talk about deaths and disasters.

I think everyone would benefit from reading the wikipedia page on this, two large losses of life in a decade that involved fans of this great club, and sadly the amount of facts associated with either event seem to be lost among popular myth and used to knock our great club and supporters

I've never had a discussion with a Juventus fan about Heysel, but have had an argument with an owls fan who trotted out the gospel according to the s*n which I find very annoying. Heysel was not fit for its use, but it seems the authorities are happy not to publically lump blame where it belongs and prefer to let fans take the rap.

Yes, there is no smoke without fire, but there were incompetents in control of the fire and the area was littered with flammable liquids. I was going to watch the match on TV, never got to see the match as I saw the tragic scenes and didn't believe anyone would play a match after that

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heysel_Stadium_disaster

All in all this was a disaster waiting to happen, given the award to host the event, the allocation of tickets, the policing, security etc. Humans only seem to learn from mistakes and tragedies, not even always then. Lots of people do things they shouldn't when driving, don't pay attention to the road the whole time, but until you get caught out you don't learn. "It won't happen to me" is only true up until it does.

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