23 years on a finally the truth come out. Hillsborough Independent Panel’s report revealed that:
- crowd safety was comprised at every level
- 164 police statements were doctored in an attempt to blame the fans
- police carried out computer checks on the dead to impugn the reputation of the deceased
- lives could have saved had emergency services reacted quicker
- Published reports in various newspapers, the first being The Sun were inaccurate and false
Kelvin Mackenzie is not wrong in suggesting the that title the Sun’s headline news should have been “TheLies” not “The Truth”. It was bold statement to make back then as his reliable source was anything but. The article caused a boycott of The Sun in Merseyside which is still effective today. His meagre apology for running the article is a little too late. Over 23 years he has been nothing short of arrogant and abrasive on Hillsborough Disaster, continuously blaming Liverpool fans. Did it never occur to this flamboyant journalist (then editor) that something didn’t ring true about the story? Did he (and other like him including Boris Johnson) really believe that Liverpool supporters would urinate over dying bodies, especially their own fans and trample all over people.
I was a teenager watching the game on television. I remember the horror unfolding before my eyes. I couldn’t understand why this was happening and why the police were not helping. 96 people died that day and Sheffield Metropolitan Police response to the tragedy was to doctor statements and remove negative comments about them. I go to Liverpool games and there always a bunch of opposition supporters who taunt us about Hillsborough believing The Sun reports.
Shame on The Sun, shame on the Metropolitan police and shame on the FA for not demanding answers quicker. How can sorry be enough for families who have suffered a quarter of a century for justice.
Bunty
The Chatterjis Blog 