You wish that a book like Mike Nicholson’s The Hillsborough Disaster: In their Own Words didn’t have to be written. It would ease a great deal of pain if 96 football supporters hadn’t lost their lives on April 15, 1989. Bad things like Hillsborough aren’t supposed to happen in the beautiful game, but sadly they have. People shouldn’t die watching a game they love. The game should bring people together for enjoyment and camaraderie, not death and injuries.
It’s sad that Hillsborough happened, but it’s even worse that there were other disasters that claimed many lives.
Thirty-three were dead at Burnden Park in 1946. Two tragedies happened at Glasgow’s Ibrox Stadium in 1961 and 1971 with a total of 68 dead. 1985 was a year dominated by two tragedies: 39 dead at Heysel and another 56 deaths from a fire at Valley Parade. Then there was Port Said in Egypt where 74 were killed and more than 500 were injured in 2012.
This book is special and necessary because it gives a voice to the victims, the survivors, and their families. The book is for those who want to “understand the true story of Hillsborough,” knowing that it’s important to know the truth. The truth has been absent from this discussion for so many years at the expense of do many.
The truth is that 96 people died and over 700 were injured because mistakes were made. Supporters were put into dangerous situations inside and outside the grounds, situations that were not necessary. Football supporters wanted to see a great game and their favorite team, but tragically they got something very different.
The book begins with a thoughtful foreword from Margaret Aspinall, Chairman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group. It is followed by a detailed breakdown of the tragedy, moment by moment and person by person. These factual accounts are incredibly detailed and terribly heart-wrenching.
Survivor Richie Greaves said, “You remember everything about that day.” Every detail is remembered forever. And who would ever have thought that such a “lovely day” would turn out so horribly.
It’s hard to find anything positive in this terrible tragedy. Nicholson does talk about raising awareness for today’s fans.
It’s true that young “modern” fans don’t understand what happened there. It is beyond comprehension for them to think that 96 innocent people were crushed to death at a football match. It just doesn’t match today’s game, where modern stadia are well-maintained, are full of amenities, and are most of all, very safe for players and spectators alike. In 1989 fans were crowded into “pens” at the stadium; today that would never be done. Those terrible pens and the mismanagement of them caused great harm to a lot of people, including those at Hillsborough, over the years.
I imagine that this was not an easy book for Nicholson to write, but he does well to retell the story of Hillsborough in the most appropriate and caring manner, allowing the facts and the people to speak for themselves. He acts more as a facilitator than anything else. We highly recommend that you also take a look at his three-part documentary on the Hillsborough tragedy.
Liverpool fans and supporters live by the mantra “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and this book shows that they will tirelessly honor those who died and continue to aggressively seek justice for the 96, no matter how long it takes.
