Hillsborough: Twenty Year Remembrance

CCSC_STRIKER20 · Aug 3, 2009

Signed LFC Photographs To Be Sold For Hillsborough Families

A SALE of 96 past and present Liverpool FC signed player photos is set to be launched to raise money for grieving Hillsborough families.

From today, pictures of Reds greats will go on offer in a bid to amass £96,000 or more for relatives whose loved ones died in the Sheffield tragedy.

Retro Reds, a respected LFC memorabilia firm, has struck an agreement with the Hillsborough Family Support Group (HFSG).

All proceeds from the sale will go towards the HFSG in the 20th anniversary year since the 1989 tragedy.

Ninety-six photos of each of the 96 players will go on sale on eBay at regular intervals over the coming weeks, with most on offer at around £50.

More sought-after signatures from the likes of Steven Gerrard and Kenny Dalglish could be auctioned and could fetch notable prices.

Retro Reds already has a good relationship with many Liverpool legends from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, including greats like Terry McDermott, Ian Callaghan and Joey Jones.

Genuine signed shirts and photos from players in the current squad are much harder to come by in the more suspicious and fraudulent modern market.

HFSG president Trevor Hicks, who lost his two teenage daughters at Hillsborough, will approach the present Anfield team, including heavyweight stars like Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Jamie Carragher, to broach the idea.

Bob McKluskey, from Retro Reds, said: “This is an official Hillsborough Family Support Group project and 100% of the cash goes to them.

“The photos will be those of players in big games like cup finals and buyers will also receive a certificate from Retro Reds and the Hillsborough families.

“We are really pleased to be doing this in the 20th anniversary year.”

Margaret Aspinall, chairwoman of the HFSG, who lost her son James, 18, at Hillsborough, told the ECHO: “It is a fantastic idea.

“Retro Reds have always been very supportive of us and hopefully it will raise much-needed funds for the group.”

The HFSG need to pay for a number of trips down to London where talks were held with politicians about the disclosure of thousands of hidden Hillsborough documents. Due to sheer volume of material, the families are looking to move into a new office as the release of the files gathers pace.
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CCSC_STRIKER20 · Aug 6, 2009

New Ways For Liverpool To Honor The 96

HUNDREDS of readers responded to our online Hillsborough poll emphasising a firm and widespread belief that even more should be done to remember the 96 victims.

Answers on exactly how that could be done varied; suggestions included 96 empty seats being dotted around Anfield to a stand in the new stadium being named the Justice Stand.

Anyone who has attended the annual memorial services to the disaster knows how passionate so many people remain about what occurred that day in 1989 and what has happened since.

Clearly those memorial services along with minute-silences and permanent memorials like Anfield’s eternal flame, offer some comfort to still-grieving families and help keep a sharp focus on the need for justice and the truth.

Many felt the intensity of the 20th anniversary memorial service at Anfield this year should be maintained annually.

But the poll yielded some interesting ideas about what else can be done to honour the dead.

Another strong suggestion was a city centre memorial with a feature which incorporates the names of every victim.

It is vital that we also embrace the most important memorial to the dead - a continued focus on safety at large scale sporting events throughout the country, and a determination that there should never be a return to standing and terracing at football matches.

Architectural trends can be as circular as fashion so the passage of time could theoretically see the concept of standing being considered for new stadiums.

But listening to the families of those who died in South Yorkshire one thing is clear - a return to standing at any UK stadia would be an insult to the memory of their loved ones.
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CCSC_STRIKER20 · Nov 13, 2009

New (Controversial) Hillsborough Memorial Statue To Be Unveiled In Liverpool

CCSC_STRIKER20 · Nov 19, 2009

Liverpool Calls For Controversial Anniversary Monument To Be Scrapped

A WOMAN whose haunted face became one of the most poignant images of Hillsborough today called for a proposed controversial monument about the tragedy to be scrapped.

The tortured features of Debbie Routledge, then 18, pinned up against the Leppings Lane perimeter fence, were shown throughout the world following the terrible crushes in Sheffield over 20 years ago.

The Walton woman, who rarely speaks about her ordeal, today decided to tell the ECHO of her huge upset with the planned memorial.

Ms Routledge said she is horrified with the 15ft high artwork which is being considered for the 21st anniversary of the disaster.

The season ticket holder described the creation as a “mirror image” of what happened to her on the Sheffield terraces.

The metal sculpture incorporates three figures, two of them lying horizontal, one apparently looking up to the heavens, in a striking encapsulation of April 15, 1989.

Debbie, now 39, told the ECHO: “I’m horrified it should be considered a monument.

“It’s an image I put back to that day. It would be very wrong to put it on display.

“It’s not appropriate. There’s already a monument at Anfield, why do we need a second one?

“As soon as I saw it, I thought, ‘Oh no!’ It’s not an image I would want to see.

“If I was in Liverpool, I’d make a conscious effort to avoid it.

“It’s very graphic and too fresh for the survivors.”

Debbie was pictured with her pal Lisa Ridings crushed up against the fences.

Their faces looked pained and initial newspaper observers presumed they had been killed, but they survived.

Heroic fans hauled both Debbie and Lisa on to the other side and laid them side by side on the pitch,

They passed out but supporters brought them round by slapping their faces.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, Liverpool forward Craig Johnston gave Debbie lifts to Sheffield Hospital.

In 1997, she described her ordeal, recalling gasping for air when she really wanted deep gulps.

Inside the pen they had been able to breathe in but not out. Then, she added: "We were the lucky ones, we got out. I still don't know how but somehow we made it."

Debbie moved up to Glasgow 18 months ago, but has still got a season ticket for Anfield and tries to get to most home games.

She lost the use of her left hand temporarily after Hillsborough after she fell on it.

Debbie added: “The artwork is something different, but the survivor’s viewpoint has to be considered as well as the bereaved families.

“I was pushed over the fence and as I was on top I was helped over by another fan.

“Lisa was carried out on one of the stretcher boards

“I’d love to know who helped me.”

Today, Liverpool council said they were in a period of “reflection” until it is decided what to do next with the proposed sculpture.

The idea has not been scrapped, but given the opposition to the design, it seems unlikely it will be approved.

A council spokesman said: “The artist commissioned the memorial at his own risk, it’s not something commissioned by the Town Hall or the council.

“There is still an ambition to erect a memorial, but will it be this? We don’t know.”

Some bereaved families from the Hillsborough Family Support Group were shown a model of the sculpture by artist Tony Evans and began to canvass opinion among relatives of the 96 fans killed and survivors.

The group agreed to underwrite the cost of the artwork, but it was stressed that a lengthy period of consultation was always set to be followed before any approval is made.

The creation polarised opinion among Liverpool fans after images of the memorial were leaked on to the internet.

A poll run online by the ECHO revealed how 69% thought the design “inappropriate”, 23% viewed it as “thought-provoking” and eight per cent thought it “misguided.”

If it is approved, it could be stationed in the Town Hall ballroom and moved around to different locations in the city centre.

The idea for another monument was first broached by former Liverpool Lord Mayor and avid Red Steve Rotherham who presided over the emotional 20th anniversary events last April.

Dad John Glover, who lost his son Ian at Hillsborough, and campaigner Anne Williams, whose son Kevin, 15, was killed in Sheffield, have expressed their unhappiness with the proposed design.

Artist Mr Evans, himself an LFC supporter, has since stated he was shocked by the public reaction and said he did not want to offend anyone with his work.

He added he had amended the design after being told it was “not strong enough”.
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CCSC_STRIKER20 · Jan 26, 2010

Hillsborough Panel Announced

The Home Office today confirmed the seven names who will make up the Hillsborough Independent Panel.

The panel, who are due to meet for the first time in Liverpool on February 4, consists of individuals who cover a range of disciplines like researching, medicine, archives, policing and media.

Chaired by the Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Reverend James Jones, the panel will oversee the release of previously unseen files related to the Hillsborough disaster.

Hillsborough Independent Panel:

Phil Scraton: Professor of criminology at Belfast's Queen's University and author of 'Hillsborough: The Truth' book.

Katy Jones: TV producer and factual producer on Jimmy McGovern's acclaimed Hillsborough documentary drama.

Peter Sissons: Liverpool-born newsreader, journalist and former host of the Question Time show. Also Liverpool John Moores University Honorary Fellow.

Paul Leighton CBE: Former Deputy Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Dr Bill Kirkup CBE: Former associate medical director, Department of Health.

Christine Gifford: Member of the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Council on Public Sector Information.

Sarah Tyacke: Former chief executive of the National Archives and Keeper of the Public Records.

Home Secretary Alan Johnson said: "The new panellists are all experts in their field and will bring a range of vital skills to the work of the Hillsborough Independent Panel.

"I am delighted they have accepted the responsibility of assisting Bishop James in releasing papers surrounding the terrible tragedy."

Bishop James added: "Great thought has been given to the set of skills needed to do this important work.

"I am so pleased that my colleagues have agreed to join the panel and dedicate themselves to this major task.

"Together they provide excellent skills for the serious work of overseeing the disclosure of the documents."

The Home Office have consulted the Hillsborough families throughout the process of establishing the panel and in the appointments.

Hillsborough Family Support Group chair Margaret Aspinall said: "The HFSG is extremely pleased that the panel announced today is now nearly complete and that the archive and review work can soon begin in earnest.

"We welcome the panel which has the confidence of all interested parties and is felt capable of executing this very important task. We look forward to working with them over the coming months and hope that the outcome is satisfactory."
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Bishop Of Liverpool James Jones Welcomes Make Up Of Hillsborough Independent Panel

BISHOP of Liverpool James Jones has welcomed the announcement of the seven individuals who will make up the Hillsborough Independent Panel to oversee the publication of papers surrounding the 1989 tragedy.

Their closely-guarded identities were unveiled this morning by ministers at the House of Commons, with the seven people covering a range of disciplines from police, health, archiving and media including three people with strong links to Liverpool.

They are Phil Scraton, professor of criminology at Queen’s University, Belfast, and writer of the acclaimed The Truth book on the 1989 disaster ; Katy Jones, TV producer and factual producer on Jimmy McGovern’s drama documentary, “Hillsborough” ; Liverpool-born newsreader, journalist and former host of the Question Time show Peter Sissons ; Paul Leighton CBE, former Deputy Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland ; Dr Bill Kirkup, CBE, formerly associate medical director, Department of Health ; Christine Gifford, member of the Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Council on Public Sector Information ; and, Sarah Tyacke, former chief executive of the National Archives and Keeper of the Public Records.

The Panel will meet for the first time in Liverpool on February 4.

Home Secretary Alan Johnson said: “ The new panellists are all experts in their field and will bring a range of vital skills to the work of the Hillsborough Independent Panel.

“ I am delighted they have accepted the responsibility of assisting Bishop James in releasing papers surrounding the terrible tragedy.

The Hillsborough Independent Panel and its terms of reference were established last month.

Bishop James said: " Great thought has been given to the set of skills needed to do this important work.

"I am so pleased that my colleagues have agreed to join the Panel and dedicate themselves to this major task.

"Together they provide excellent skills for the serious work of overseeing the disclosure of the documents.”

The Hillsborough families have been consulted throughout the process of establishing the panel and in the appointments announced today.

Hillsborough Family Support Group chair Margaret Aspinall said: “ The HFSG is extremely pleased that the Panel announced today is now nearly complete and that the archive and review work can soon begin in earnest.

“ We welcome the Panel which has the confidence of all interested parties and is felt capable of executing this very important task. We look forward to working with them over the coming months and hope that the outcome is satisfactory.”
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Grinners89 · Jan 26, 2010

Small steps. Good news.

CCSC_STRIKER20 · Feb 3, 2010

Fight For Justice Is Stepped Up As Hillsborough Documents Are Released

The eight-person panel appointed to oversee the release of official documents relating to the 1989 Hillsborough Disaster will convene for the first time in Liverpool tomorrow, meeting family representatives of some of the 96 supporters who died.

The Home Office, which announced the panel members last week, has not confirmed the agenda, but it is understood the Hillsborough Family Support Group and Hillsborough Justice Campaign will be represented, and Anne Williams, who has long campaigned against the inquest conclusions about how her son, Kevin, 15, died, will also meet the panel.

Chaired by the Right Rev James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool, the Hillsborough Independent Panel begins its work following the government's pledge on the 20th anniversary of the disaster last April that all documents held by official agencies would be made public. That was prompted by two Labour ministers and north-west MPs, Maria Eagle and Andy Burnham, who responded to families' protests that a full account has never been produced of what happened on the day and in the disaster's aftermath. Eagle said then that she still agrees with many families that South Yorkshire police attempted to cover up its culpability by the orchestrated alteration of officers' statements.

One panel member, Phil Scraton, professor of criminology at Queen's University, Belfast, first discovered the changing of statements and presented his findings to a previous inquiry, the 1998 "scrutiny" by Lord Justice Stuart-Smith, who argued it did not constitute a cover-up.

Announcing the members last week, the home secretary, Alan Johnson, said the panel will work with the government and other public bodies, including South Yorkshire police, ambulance and fire services and Sheffield city council, to "oversee the maximum possible public disclosure of ... documentation relating to the Hillsborough tragedy and its aftermath".

Sheffield Wednesday football club are also understood to be willing to release their own archive, but are negotiating with their insurers, who, with South Yorkshire police and Sheffield city council, paid compensation to victims and bereaved families who sued the three bodies for negligence following the disaster.

Johnson said of the process: "I believe that the independent panel has an historic opportunity to bring healing to those affected by the tragedy, and that its establishment can help to begin to bring an end to the grievances strongly felt by many."

Margaret Aspinall, chair of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, whose 18- year-old son James died in the disaster, has welcomed the appointments. While the families were heartened by the government's pledge to release the documents, they have been cautious about agreeing the process, having felt hugely disappointed by Stuart-Smith's scrutiny. Aspinall said that the group wanted Scraton included on the panel, because as a long-term author and researcher into the disaster, he had the families' trust. Scraton and Katy Jones, a journalist who was factual producer on screenwriter Jimmy McGovern's 1996 ITV drama-documentary Hillsborough, which also uncovered new material, are the only two panel members with professional expertise directly related to Hillsborough.

Scraton is expected to take a lead role in writing the report the panel will produce following the release of documents which number in the tens of thousands. The report, according to its Home Office remit, will "illustrate how the information disclosed adds to public understanding of the tragedy and its aftermath". Johnson said that in addition to the eight-panel members, "a suitably experienced lawyer" will also be appointed.

South Yorkshire police offered last April to make all its documents public and today the assistant chief constable Andy Holt explained that the force will work in partnership with the panel. "We are happy to be involved with the panel," he said. "There is a good deal of suspicion from the families that a cover-up took place, and the panel will provide transparency, an assurance that the release of our documents is above board and being done with integrity."
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CCSC_STRIKER20 · Feb 4, 2010

Hillsborough Panel To Meet Today

The Hillsborough Independent Panel is due to convene for the first time in Liverpool today.

The panel, chaired by the Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Reverend James Jones, will oversee the release of previously unseen files related to the Hillsborough disaster.

Bishop James said: "I'm pleased that today the Hillsborough Independent Panel can start with the challenge we face. Today is first and foremost about listening, listening to the voices of those affected by the tragedy."

Members of the Hillsborough families will be present at the meeting.

Hillsborough Family Support Group chair Margaret Aspinall said: "We welcome the panel."

The Hillsborough Independent Panel consists of Phil Scraton, Katy Jones, Peter Sissons, Paul Leighton, Dr Bill Kirkup, Christine Gifford and Sarah Tyacke.
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