It's time for Liverpool fans to stand up to all this Heysel rubbish. Yes, Juve fans died - we are very sorry that that happened, but it was not Liverpool's fault. We owe Juve nothing, but the same respect we have given to all the big European clubs.
It's time to end the guilt pushed upon us. We do not need forgiveness.
It is UEFA officials who should have been in prison for mandissolution. They are the ones directly responsible for 39 coffins leaving Brussels.
Liverpool fans - stand up and be proud!
The facts summarised
On the 29th May 1985 Liverpool F.C played Juventus F.C(Italy) in the European Cup Final held at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium. Pubs in the vicinity of the Heysel Stadium are given the green light to serve alcoholic beverages.
Police presence is scarce in the streets leading to the stadium.
UEFA had decided that the stand behind one of the goals would be allocated to Liverpool supporters but that the end section of the stand be allocated for 'neutrals.' Liverpool F.C objected to UEFA about the allocation, as they would do prior to Hillsborough, but their fears were ignored. This gave the potential for the two sets of rival supporters to be in the same stand separated only by an inadequate, flimsy fence, which only consisted of chicken wire. It transpired that the 'neutral' section was filled by mostly Italians who had bought tickets from the neutral Belgium's.
Italian fans hold up a banner containing the words " Reds Animals ".
Due to the close proximity the Juventus supporters start to pelt the Liverpool supporters in the adjacent section with missiles.
In provocation, and maybe remembering the violence they were subjected to at the previous Final in Rome, the Liverpool supporters charge towards the Juventus fans and into the neutral section.
Fighting breaks out and in panic the spectators not involved in the trouble started to flee away from the trouble and towards the opposite end of the enclosure. Unfortunately their escape is blocked by a brick wall, built to contain, which ran along the entirety of the parameter of the enclosure.
In the resulting crush, as spectators tried to scale the wall and negotiate the drop that followed, the wall collapsed under the mounting pressure.
One Italian fan, caught on camera and later identified fires gun shots.
Thirty nine people lost their lives. As with Hillsborough the poor stadium design gave no chance for the large numbers to safely evacuate.
Not enough stretchers available to carry dead and injured.
Consequently all English Clubs were banned from European competitions for 5 years, with Liverpool receiving a further 2 year ban.
No major inquiry was ever made into the causes of the disaster and it seems now that the causes and the circumstances have been chosen to be forgotten, only blame remains... A number of Liverpool fans were convicted of involuntary mandissolution for their part in the Heysel riot but none served any further time in jail beyond that spent on remand.
BBC's ratingdo you agree???? too stingy, in my opinion... Liverpool player ratings Marks out of 10...
Liverpool erect a memorial to the victims of the Heysel stadium disaster 10 years after the tragedy. The monument in the new Kop stand at Anfield is a replica of a 10-foot sculpture in Juventus' stadium in Turin.
