h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Sadly, the first footnote here is not altogether true. For a time, the Sun newspaper was burned in the streets and boycotted. But as time went on, many Liverpool supporters returned to the paper that had printed the lies about their tragedy. I remember in one company I worked in there were complaints when the manager banned the Sun from the office. The original news story was originally published by the London newspaper the Evening Standard. Some Liverpudlians based in London still refuse to buy either paper to this day, myself included.

This is a succinct but well-written and emotive entry and a fitting tribute to those who died and their families as well as those who endured the day's events and survived.

Jimster

Some but not all.

As you yourself say. But I kanae change the footnote can I.

Sadly, as time goes on, more and more Liverpool supporters are forgetting not to buy the paper. I challenged someone about this once and their response was "But that was years ago..."

Have to admit, I got a little upset when I read this entry earlier. I'm not even a football fan, but I saw what that day did to the people around me. Soon after it happened, my year at school organised a sponsored walk from Halewood, where we all lived (and, incidentally, the most southerly point of Liverpool) to Anfield in the North of the city. Spirits were surprisingly high that day, as we all felt we were doing soemthing positive, and even the people who'd been at Hillsborough on the day (who we'd persuaded to join us) seemed to have come out of themselves a little as we marched on.

A local radio station told listeners the route we were taking and as we went, drivers honked their horns in support. Eventually, after a good few hours' walk, Anfield came into view and we saw the hundreds of people who'd come to pay their respects. The entire perimetre of the stadium was covered in scarves, flowers and hand-written notes of condolence.

Slowly, we joined the queue to get into the stadium and one by one we fell silent as we tried to find a way to cope with the extreme emotions of bitter sadness mixed with pride in our own city. For some, it was too much and they broke down crying - actually, most of us did. But afterwards as we all caught the bus back home, we felt it had been worth it. We'd raised a lot of money for the memorial and helped a few of our friends begin the long road to coming to terms with what they'd witnessed.

In 1996, ITV screened a drama documentary written by Liverpool writer Jimmy McGovern which brought back so many painful emotions, but also helped to keep the campaign for a proper enquiry going.

J

I should have been there but was held up at Leeds at a athletics meet (flaming urine tests) and saw the whole thing unfurl from the station cafe while waiting for the next train.

I didn't feel like going to another match for at least 4 years.

On the Saturday 15 April 1989, thousands of Liverpool football club fans made their way to Sheffield on what was hoped to be a joyous trip to Hillsborough Stadium. The occasion was Liverpool's 17th FA Cup semi-final. The opposition on the day was Nottingham Forest.

As kick off time approached there were still hoards of fans milling around outside the gates still trying to get in, somehow a gate was opened and the fans all rushed in. soon fans had started to climb over the security fencing, as the stands became more crowded. They looked about for someone to do something. Play carried on for a few minutes. TV station went live to the scene and initial reports suggested acts of hooliganism1, however it soon became clear that the stand was packed solid. There was no way through the fencing and fans were being crushed. Some fans started to make stretchers from the advertising hoarding, as more and more fans were pulled from the stands.

96 people lost their lives that day, and the Gates at hillsborough2became a shrine within hours. Flowers and scarves were left. Over the next few weeks every funeral was attended by some of the players.

The reporting of this tragedy was a horrendous with top newspapers printing colour photo of people’s body’s crushed against to metal fencing. Many days after stories were coming out to what really happened, but what affects did they have on the Liverpool fans and the forest fans?

Monday the 17th of April 1989, only two days after the tragedy. The daily mirror brings their story to people’s attention. The headlines contained the words “NEVER AGAIN”, This headline suggested that the editor felt strongly about what happen and in their view it would never happen again.

The photo from the front page of the Daily Mirror was socking to many people’s eyes; most of the font page was dominated by a gruelling photo of people crammed up against the barriers in the foreground. People suffocating to death and others screaming for they’re lives hopelessly trying to move so that they could get a breath of air. Others in the middle being pushed slightly aware of what is happening at the front but not knowing the danger of the problem.
Finally in the background know one aware of what it happening no pushing or shoving just men and women watching the football match.

The colour photo was shocking and horrifying. May peoples reaction to this photo was understandable. To see your friends or relative on the font page of the news papers dead or sovereign would upset and make people mad and irrational. Even if readers had never meet those people sovereign on the front page, it may of shock them just by seeing a corps on the front of there daily newspaper.

My thoughts of why the editor chose to publish this photo are because it shows what was really going on, on the 15th, to show the public the truth; this would make sure that it would never happen again. It would shock people into doing something about what happened, the photo showed the truth.

That evening the Nottingham evening post was released, with the headline “CITIES OF SORROWS”. My thoughts of why the editor chose this headline is the editor felt as if the cities have been bought together by this tragedy and that they are grieving together.

It was the total opposite to the Daily Mirror. The Evening post’s approach was less shocking it was more comforting to Nottingham. The pictures are of local people were aimed at local people.

The Evening post contained three photos on the front page. The first picture contain picturesque bouquet of flowers and a plaque containing a remembrance from the lordmayor, Nottingham city council. It shows that the lord mayor cared about what had happen and wanted to pay his respects to the 96 people who lost there lives.

The second picture contained anouther floral tribut from the forest fans and the many other people from Nottingham, also there is an inflatable forest tree. The tribute is placed out side the grounds of Hillsborough. This picture also shows that the Nottingham fans and people care about what had happened and are just as sad about what happened on the 15th.

The final picture contained a picture that was taken at the game. It showed three forest fans helping an injured Liverpool fan pulled out of the crush, you know that they are forest fans because of their hats and jackets. Like the other picture it shows that Nottingham fans and people care and it had a very bioust point of view.

The pictures were chosen to show that Nottingham were good people and although that are in different teams in football they are the same team in real life.