Heysel, 40 years ago today.

[A Quiet Monkfish]

39 died. 32 Italians, 4 Belgians, 2 French, and one lad from Northern Ireland who was working in Brussels at the time.

I'd forgotten how awful it was.

[Porth Pouncer]

Tragic

However I think Liverpool shouldered too much of the blame. I visited the stadium less than a year later. It was in such was in such poor condition that walls crumbled away. The game should never have been played there. We wouldn't have played a non-league match there.

But I think its not an excuse for both sets of fans behaviour. I remember seeing the Italian fan with a gun!

[Cyclops]

I can still see the grey, swollen faces of the crushed Italian fans - just like I can vivdly remember the Bradford fire which was being shown LIVE on TV.

Some things, you just can't unsee - and they should be positively viewed to influence the future. I've sat in wooden Football stands since then and wondered whether Bradford could ever be repeated.

[The Lone Gunman]

Some things, you just can't unsee - and they should be positively viewed to influence the future. I've sat in wooden Football stands since then and wondered whether Bradford could ever be repeated.

Did you see the recent documentary about the Bradford fire on the BBC? It was very good - I think it's available on the iPlayer now if you didn't see it.

Hopefully, the lessons learned from that terrible day, particularly in respect of the exit arrangements at stadiums, should ensure a tragedy like that couldn't happen again at a UK football ground.

[Harry Lime]

Tragic

However I think Liverpool shouldered too much of the blame. I visited the stadium less than a year later. It was in such was in such poor condition that walls crumbled away. The game should never have been played there. We wouldn't have played a non-league match there.

But I think its not an excuse for both sets of fans behaviour. I remember seeing the Italian fan with a gun!

Liverpool fans rightly shouldered the blame because their fans charged at a family and mixed sector of fans causing them to flee. The condition of the stadium clearly didn't help but an act of thuggery was the direct cause.
Also the Juve fan with the gun has turned into some sort of folklore urban myth.
A son of one of the team officials had a starter or cap gun which was barely more than a toy.

[insider]

Am I remembering correctly but did they still play the game?
If so that's fecking mind boggling.

[lardy]

Am I remembering correctly but did they still play the game?
If so that's fecking mind boggling.

They did. I think the players were shielded from being told the extent (told it was run of the mill hoolies), but they all had a pretty good idea. That's what I remember reading anyway.

[Armitage Shanks]

I was coming home from a junior school trip from Belgium, and hearing it on the radio.

[The Bloop]

They did. I think the players were shielded from being told the extent (told it was run of the mill hoolies), but they all had a pretty good idea. That's what I remember reading anyway.

Sure i remember it being live on BBC1 following the news. It was mentioned on the news as hooliganism, which was common place at the time, and of people being hurt. Once the programme started it was mainly focused on what time the game would kick off.

[insider]

If I remember I think Wogan was on after the news and they broke off to say there had been some trouble in Brussels.

[JamesWales]

Did you see the recent documentary about the Bradford fire on the BBC? It was very good - I think it's available on the iPlayer now if you didn't see it.

Hopefully, the lessons learned from that terrible day, particularly in respect of the exit arrangements at stadiums, should ensure a tragedy like that couldn't happen again at a UK football ground.

It was an excellent documentary.

I actually have a prediction on the next potential stadium crushing disaster. An 'e-turnstile' that stops working. There's already been near misses. Cant see it being as serious as before, but the ingredients are there.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/60110440

[Bobby Dandruff]

If I remember I think Wogan was on after the news and they broke off to say there had been some trouble in Brussels.

It was all shown live on either BBC or ITV, I can’t remember which.

I recall watching the whole thing on my B&W portable TV at university with my flatmates, with the (football) presenters having to somehow talk through what was going on. :-/

[robjohn44]

Liverpool fans are not the salt of the earth as we seen at wembley they have a huge section of bad behavior it was their fault




However I think Liverpool shouldered too much of the blame. I visited the stadium less than a year later. It was in such was in such poor condition that walls crumbled away. The game should never have been played there. We wouldn't have played a non-league match there.

But I think its not an excuse for both sets of fans behaviour. I remember seeing the Italian fan with a gun![/QUOTE]

[insider]

https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/1252d394...5abcd5a1b4e0dc
Woman was on followed by the football

[NYCBlue]

I can still see the grey, swollen faces of the crushed Italian fans

I don't remember this. I remember seeing it kicking off in the Liverpool end (which apparently UEFA had decided it was OK for Juve fans to also have tickets for) I remember seeing Juve fans with poles, various charges between the two sets of fans, and a lone scouser emerging from the area of the end occupied by Juve fans with his face bloodied. As I recall, he was wearing an older Liverpool shirt and continued to get a kicking as he made his way along the side of the pitch. I don't remember anything about the game besides the dodgy penalty. Which I think Platini took and scored.