After Liverpool FC, who else?

Throughout my younger years I saw Arsenal play a lot. I was never an Arsenal fan but it was my only opportunity to go to football matches, and I did get to see Liverpool play away to Arsenal several times.

The Arsenal team when I was younger included Liam Brady, Frank Stapleton, Pat Rice, David Price, Pat Jennings and Willy Young amongst others and the manager was Terry Neil. I actually managed to get sign photographs of a few of them over those years.

My sister's boyfriend (Kevin) used to take me to Highbury as often as he could, I loved going even though it wasn't Liverpool, the atmosphere you get from being at a 'top-flight' match is an experience every football fan should have at some point in their lives whoever the match is between. It's immense. Such a buzz as you hear the crowd roar & chant as you approach your seat (or in them days your standing position), I can't describe how that makes me feel, it's amazing.

Arsenal won the FA Cup in 1979 and it was the most exciting cup final I had ever seen (up until 2006) and beating the Mancs made it so much better. I recorded the match commentary off the radio and I have played that tape so many times that I know quite a bit of that commentary word perfect.

Here is a couple of bits of the commentary from when the game was 2 - 1 to Arsenal:

"McIlroy's inside the area, he's still there, he must score ... McIlllllllrrroooyyyy has scoooorrrrred for Manchester United, it's 3 - 2 and United are right back in the game"

"It's Liam Brady now for Arsenal, ball comes in, high across the area, it's there, Alan Sunderland. I do not believe it, I swear I do not believe it, Alan Sunderland has won the cup for the 2nd time for Arsenal 3 - 2"

I did feel a little jealous at the end of the 1979 season as Kevin decided to take my sister to Highbury to see the Arsenal team parade on the open-top bus celebrating their win of the FA Cup over Man Utd. My sister didn't (still doesn't) even like football, she got to go just because she was his girlfriend. Pfft ... is that important!

I'm not an Arsenal fan, by any stretch of the imagination but providing they don't affect Liverpool's placing in the league or cups then I am not bothered if they win, unlike some other teams - who I never want to do well. Besides half my family support Arsenal and it's nice to see them happy when Arsenal win ... sometimes ;)

What Does Hillsborough Mean To Me

It's very hard to put into words what Hillsborough means to me because Hillsborough, to me, is not a place, is not a football ground, it is an event, a disaster.

It was April 15th 1989 and it was an FA Cup semi final between Liverpool & Nottingham Forest.

I was not at the match, I do not live near Liverpool, I don't know anyone, personally, who died or even anyone who knew someone who died. So some will think how can it have affected me all these years.

But … Liverpool the City, Liverpool the Club and Liverpool the Family are all in my heart. It breaks my heart to think of the anguish and heartache my Liverpool family were going through on 15^th April 1989 and have been going through ever since.

It makes me immensely proud when I see how Liverpool the city and Liverpool the Club pulled together to help the bereaved and the traumatised.

Not many a day goes by when the Hillborough tragedy does not come to my mind. I fill up with emotions every time I read or see anything reported about that day. It is such a terrible tragedy that must never happen again. I tried desperately hard to buy tickets to the match but had no luck, or maybe now you could say I had a lot of luck. I know if I had managed to get tickets I could very well have been in amongst the crush or witnessed it first hand, I thank the lord my family did not have to go through the worry, the anguish, the heartache, the not knowing on that day, that so many others did.

The lies that were written after this catastrophe were disgraceful, I find it hard to believe that some human beings are capable of putting money before compassion.

 

NINETYSIX Liverpool fans died that day, they just went to watch a football match.

There must be some justice for the 96 – it has gone on far too long without anyone truly being held responsible for the mess that unfolded. We all know justice won't bring back the 96 souls but it will hopefully bring closure for many people and help them get on with their lives.

My wish is for my Liverpool family to feel peace in their hearts because for the last 23 years we have all been, and still are, very angry.  

After 23 years a petition was signed by over 100,000 people which led to a debate in The Commons regarding the release of all Hillsborough documents.

MP for Liverpool Walton, Steve Rotheram made a dramatic speech for the families of the Hillsborough victims to open the debate.

And the outcome was favourable. The families fighting for justice would finally get to see all of the official documents that have been kept hidden since 1989.

Other Liverpool related blogs :
A Hero From My Childhood

My favourite  football match 

How it all started for me