Alan Davies & Hillsborough Comments

[Red_Jim]

Surely it should be up to the club in question if they feel comfortable playing a game on a date when their fans would rather be remembering the lost. It's certainly not a bunch of trolls from Bristol's right to tell people how to grieve. None of your business. None of mine either, wasn't alive.

On a separate note, that is a very nasty little piece from Brendan O'Neill. What a ******* moron.

Bristol trolls?! Well you would say that as a bloody Liverpool fan!

I know numerous non-Bristolians who agree with Alan Davies. The Hillsborough disaster is an absolute tragedy that should never ever be forgotten but how is it any different to Heysel, to Munich, to the Bradford Fire... etc etc? People died in all of these and no one tragedy is more tragic than another. All should be respected equally.

Liverpool FC and their persecution complex never ceases to amaze me.

[94th Minute]

Liverpool are holding a memorial service on Sunday at Anfield which families and players will all attend. And people on here think they should be playing a football match instead.

Oh, please don't get me wrong, I don't think that they should choose football over a memorial service... that's not the point I'm making

I'm saying there shouldn't be a memorial service at all... there shouldn't have been for the past decade.

[slartibartfast]

Bristol trolls?! Well you would say that as a bloody Liverpool fan!

I know numerous non-Bristolians who agree with Alan Davies. The Hillsborough disaster is an absolute tragedy that should never ever be forgotten but how is it any different to Heysel, to Munich, to the Bradford Fire... etc etc? People died in all of these and no one tragedy is more tragic than another. All should be respected equally.

Liverpool FC and their persecution complex never ceases to amaze me.

Spot on, if you want dignity connected with tradgedy, look no further than Bradford!

[Andy082005]

Just curious do liverpool still play on the anniversary date of the Heysel Disaster???

Well it's end of May isn't it? So season would be over then. Let's hope they never end up in a Championship play off final....they may not e able to compete

[Super]

Oh, please don't get me wrong, I don't think that they should choose football over a memorial service... that's not the point I'm making

I'm saying there shouldn't be a memorial service at all... there shouldn't have been for the past decade.

Right so the club should just forget the 96 that died that day.

[Red-Robbo]

Well, 25 years isn't really that long is it, there will be a very large portion of the Liverpool support who lost someone they knew or loved or where there.

I just don't think it's right to play on that day, I certainly don't think it's right to force them to if they don't want to.

I don't agree with the reaction to Alan Davies though, But that's twitter isn't it? Sad that a ****-wit journalist would try and label an entire city/support group with the blame for some idiots on twitter. Christ, should we all be compared to the twonk who abused Wooly?

I guess at the end of the day, as someone said, it really doesn't affect us here - and the moving of the match wouldn't affect anyone other than Chelsea much either, and even them, not that much.

I'm all for Alan Davies being allowed to express an opinion though and I'm glad you can see that too, JT.

As for Brendan O'Neill - whether you agree with him or not, I think he expressed quite eloquently a concern at society where you aren't allowed to say anything 'off message'. He's quite an interesting writer, who started as a revolutionary communist and now blogs in conservative papers as well as the Grauniad. I don't always agree with him, but he isn't a ****wit and he didn't slur the city of Liverpool in that piece.

[lifelong]

Right so the club should just forget the 96 that died that day.

I think I`m right in saying Man Utd wore black arms bands this season when they played Liverpool in memory of the Munich crash.

[94th Minute]

Right so the club should just forget the 96 that died that day.

If only there was a way that you could remember people without having a memorial service every year... nope, I can't think of anything either. Looks like it's a yearly memorial service with changes to the footballing calendar to suit really is the only way

What a good job it is that no other football teams have had disasters they need to remember the dead from, otherwise we would never get a football season completed

[Eddie Hitler]

Why not do a poll?

I'm mostly behind Alan Davies here, for example 66 people were killed in a crush at Ibrox 2 January 1971 after an Old Firm game. Their deaths were marked suitably as follows:

On 2 January 2001, the thirtieth anniversary of the tragedy, a larger monument was unveiled at the corner of the Bill Struth Main Stand and the Copland Road Stand. The monument contains blue plaques displaying with the names of each person killed in all three incidents. A statue of John Greig, the Rangers captain at the time of the 1971 disaster, stands atop the monument.

In 2011, the 40th anniversary of the disaster was commemorated before the Old Firm game on 2 January 2011 when a one-minute silence was observed before the game. Both teams wore black armbands as a sign of respect and were led out by John Greig and Billy McNeill – the respective club captains at the time of the disaster (although Billy McNeill had not played due to injury).

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

So commemorate it with respect but do not expect the rest of the footballing world to continue to arrange their fixtures to avoid this date 23 years on and for the foreseeable future.

[ZedRed]

What a good job it is that no other football teams have had disasters they need to remember the dead from, otherwise we would never get a football season completed

Or maybe if every club suffered a 'disaster' then mugs like you would understand

[Super]

If only there was a way that you could remember people without having a memorial service every year... nope, I can't think of anything either. Looks like it's a yearly memorial service with changes to the footballing calendar to suit really is the only way

What a good job it is that no other football teams have had disasters they need to remember the dead from, otherwise we would never get a football season completed

You sir are an utter disgrace.

[adebolashuffle]

You sir are an utter disgrace.

What has he said thats so disgraceful ??

Could of done with how the sarcasm but i agree with his point.

[94th Minute]

You sir are an utter disgrace.

I've never been called sir before, I've got to say I like it! If positive reinforcement works then I think I might just go around being right more!

Your post says little more to me than "I have no other argument to make against this quite logical response than to call you a disgrace"

Are you saying that, as posted above, the old firm teams are a disgrace for showing their respects through a permanent memorial?

[Jordan Tansley]

I guess at the end of the day, as someone said, it really doesn't affect us here - and the moving of the match wouldn't affect anyone other than Chelsea much either, and even them, not that much.

I'm all for Alan Davies being allowed to express an opinion though and I'm glad you can see that too, JT.

As for Brendan O'Neill - whether you agree with him or not, I think he expressed quite eloquently a concern at society where you aren't allowed to say anything 'off message'. He's quite an interesting writer, who started as a revolutionary communist and now blogs in conservative papers as well as the Grauniad. I don't always agree with him, but he isn't a ****wit and he didn't slur the city of Liverpool in that piece.

I found the tone of the article inflammatory and provocative, there genuinely is no need for that in an established paper. I don't mind a bit of snide ribbing on here, but he, in my view of course, has over stepped the mark.

Threads like this do my head in, why so many self professed experts on every subject feel it's within their remit not only to decide what happened that day but also how people should grieve is beyond me. Liverpool don't want to play that day for whatever reason (several have been given in this thread alone) and that should really be the end of it.

I've sat and watched the memorial service that's held at Anfield every year on the TV before. It seems to help the people involved. Who has the right to put a stop to that?

[Super]

Sure if this was city and not Liverpool people would have a different view.

[Andy082005]

You sir are an utter disgrace.

Wow.....over react a little more

[94th Minute]

Or maybe if every club suffered a 'disaster' then mugs like you would understand

You're right, what I need is more disasters like this so that I can mourn the families terrible losses and... wait I'm not a Scouser

[mcbcfc]

Lots of name calling on here. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. If you are unable to express an argument without resorting to insulting others, your argument can't be that strong.

[Fiale]

It's been 23 years - they have taken a tragic incident that should be remembered and turned it into a grotesque ritual not to be questioned.

[redfred]

Why not do a poll?

I'm mostly behind Alan Davies here, for example 66 people were killed in a crush at Ibrox 2 January 1971 after an Old Firm game. Their deaths were marked suitably as follows:

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

So commemorate it with respect but do not expect the rest of the footballing world to continue to arrange their fixtures to avoid this date 23 years on and for the foreseeable future.

Well said - and this perfectly describes why Liverpool fans ARE different in their approach to the tragedy of football fans losing their lives.

Currently it seems that most outside of Liverpool feel that they are dragging out the memorial of those that lost their lives, whilst also uneccessarily affecting the football calendar. This can't just be because they feel there was an injustice, but more because of the self pitying nature of Scousers.

[bywaterred]

Someone said something on the radio that I hole heartedly agree with....

Do Manchester united play on the anniversary of Munich?

Do planes still fly on the anniversary of 9/11?

Do the tubes still run on the anniversary of 7/7?

Yes they do. Enough said.

[mcbcfc]

It's been 23 years - they have taken a tragic incident that should be remembered and turned it into a grotesque ritual not to be questioned.

This seems spot on to me

[Nibor]

It was a long time ago now, fair play to the families still fighting for evidence to be made public but I don't see any need for an ongoing moratorium on Liverpool playing games on that particular day. I expect the victims would rather be remembered by a crushing Liverpool victory than an empty stadium. The vitriol thrown at Alan Davies was ridiculous and in a few cases actually criminal.

[glynriley]

It was a long time ago now, fair play to the families still fighting for evidence to be made public but I don't see any need for an ongoing moratorium on Liverpool playing games on that particular day. I expect the victims would rather be remembered by a crushing Liverpool victory than an empty stadium. The vitriol thrown at Alan Davies was ridiculous and in a few cases actually criminal.

Unfortunate turn of phrase there mate. Have to say I agree with you though.

[slartibartfast]

Sure if this was city and not Liverpool people would have a different view.

Maybe, but I'm certain nobody else in Britain would!

[Nibor]

Unfortunate turn of phrase there mate. Have to say I agree with you though.

Oops. That was a genuine accident before anybody gets sand in their fanny.

[Jordan Tansley]

Unfortunate turn of phrase there mate. Have to say I agree with you though.

Agreed regarding the phrase. Disagree with the overall point. Even more importantly this is an FA cup semi... It might be a little different had it been a league game.

See no reason why the memorial service should be cancelled. See no reason why Chelsea should have their game switched either.

Let them get on with it, it's how that club deals with it and how that club helps the families effected, why interfere?

[cityexile]

...See no reason why the memorial service should be cancelled. See no reason why Chelsea should have their game switched either.

JT, you put your views across in a thoughful way, and I agree with your general 'live and let live' approach to how people deal with grief.

However, this sentence is the key to me. I will be honest here, as I do not know the timeline, but if Chelsea's game has been switched from the orginal plan to accomodate this memorial, then I do see it as worthy of debate. If however, it is Chelsea asking after the event for a change then I think that is just tough potatoes on them and they should get on with it.

If it is the former, then the two elements of your sentence are mutually exclusive - somebody else needs to change their plans seriously to accomodate Liverpool.

[Super]

JT, you put your views across in a thoughful way, and I agree with your general 'live and let live' approach to how people deal with grief.

However, this sentence is the key to me. I will be honest here, as I do not know the timeline, but if Chelsea's game has been switched from the orginal plan to accomodate this memorial, then I do see it as worthy of debate. If however, it is Chelsea asking after the event for a change then I think that is just tough potatoes on them and they should get on with it.

If it is the former, then the two elements of your sentence are mutually exclusive - somebody else needs to change their plans seriously to accomodate Liverpool.

Not sure what the plan was with both games. If it wasn't for TV the London game could of been played fri evening. 6pm is a crazy time for the game on a Sunday.

[wayne allisons tongues]

Fa have said can't switch cup dates for it would clash with hillsborough. So Chelsea have to play a cup semi and champs league semi in space of 48hrs. I think Liverpool everton would be a good and fitting game to play on the anniversary.

Before anyone says what do you know, as they normally do on here I'm 39 and lost my wife nearly 5 years ago suddenly due to a heart attack. So know a bit about grief and how to overcome it, but everyone grieves in differant ways. Just I think why should the whole of football have to be rearranged just to accommodate Liverpool.