What does Hillsborough mean to you? Pt 2

"I was 15 at the time and I was at Hillsborough and the memories will stay with me for the rest of my life. Not a day goes by when I don't think of what happened and the fact that my two schoolfriends died that tragic day. A thread regarding my two friends is on Redboywonder's thread 'Dedicated to Adam' [on the liverpoolfc.tv message boards] so I won't repeat it here. After my parents had watched the events of Hillsborough unfolding on the television in one of my Aunties houses, they tried the emergency number without success. My mum's sister phoned round the family and with it being a Saturday most were out shopping etc. So my Auntie phoned my cousin Kevin to see if he knew anyone who had a car who could take my Mum and Dad to Sheffield. He borrowed a car, which had no tax, no MOT and he only had a provisional licence. He agreed to take them to Sheffield, he said he was prepared to take the 'rap' if they were stopped. At the time we were not on the phone at home, so there was no point in me trying to find out our neighbours number as I knew my Mum and Dad would be in me Aunties. My Mum and Dad arrived at Hillsborough about 6.30 in the evening and my Auntie phoned our neighbour who informed her that I hadn't turned up there. People were still around the stadium, dazed and confused. They found out where the nearest police station to the ground was and made their way there. When they arrived they spoke to somebody on the desk and he asked would my father look at personal belongings that had been dropped to see if he could recognise anything that I may have lost.

As my father was looking through these belongings, a man had been taken to one side by one of his friends. The man was inconsolable, he had just found out his mate had been accounted for - dead. My father and other people who had gone to the police station were still looking through the belongings when I had arrived home at our house and my Auntie had made contact with the neighbour who in turn went to tell my father. The lad whose mate had been pronounced dead, turned to my father and hugged him and said, 'Your lad was 15, he's still a baby. My mate has seen us do the lot, his proudest moment was in Rome in '77. The next time we play in a European final, you ask yer lad to dedicate it to him.' Last season when we won in Rome, I looked at the night sky above Rome and thought thank you, please let us go all the way. I'd remembered what the fella had said to my dad and I didn't forget. After all this is where he had his proudest moment. When we actually got to the final in Dortmund, my stomach was in knots the way the game was going, when the final whistle went and the fans were singing 'You'll Never Walk Alone' and people were jumping all around me, I looked to the sky with a lump in my throat, tears rolling down my cheek and I kissed the Liverbird on my badge and whispered under my breath, "For you, my special friend, we did it. I didn't know you, but I didn't forget you either. I dedicate this win to you, my special friend who looks over me day and night.' This was my proudest moment supporting Liverpool, not for the glory on the night, but for the fact that my dad had made a promise to somebody he didn't know but who had lost his best mate and for you my special friend yes, I did dedicate my feelings to you that night. 13 years on the hurt and pain remain. To Wrighty, Jasper, my 'special friend' and 93 other innocent Liverpool fans who lost their lives that tragic day, forever in my thoughts, 'You'll Never Walk Alone'. One day, Justice will be achieved."

Samdoddsred

"13 years ago, I watched in horror as the events at Hillsborough unfolded on the TV screen. My memory is terrible so I can't remember what I did afterwards. I am ashamed to say that just two months after the tragedy, I went to England and spent one day in Liverpool (on a guided tour) but never went to Anfield to pay my respects to the 96. The magnitude of the horror of Hillsborough never hit meuntil I began visiting LFC websites in late 1999. I began reading the Hillsborough tributes book on a website and to my horror discovered something I didn't know - that there were so many young people among the 96 victims, one as young as 10. On 15 April 2000, I visited the HJC website - I didn't read all the sections but the account by King Kenny had me in tears. It still has me in tears whenever I read it every now and then. I am a regular on the RAOTL forum and last year on the 12th anniversary of Hillsborough, I spent the day reading heartrending posts and poems by many Reds, some who had survived Hillsborough, and some who had relatives or friends among the 96. It was a very moving experience. Visiting LFC forums has also made me realise what the S*n has done - I didn't know this before late 1999. A mate was kind enough to send me 'Hillsborough' by Jimmy McGovern. I have watched it once - and I have not watched it again. I can well understand why that mate of mine, an exiled Scouser, could never finish watching the documentary. Like all Reds, I feel strongly that justice must be done for the 96. I support the HJC in its fight for justice which must never ever end for someday, one day, the truth will out. Justice for the 96."

Cyn8

"It means as much to me as Liverpool football club does. I remember watching the match in my friends house in South Ireland. As the match kicked off we were in full voice as we always are until we saw what was happining in the crowd. My first toughts were someone needs help, not once did i think that the fans were causing trouble. As it all unfolded and we began to see the pain in peoples faces, it was heart breaking to see all those people who had gone to a football match to enjoy themselves and ended up never going home. The one thing that hurts me more than anything is the people who had their lives taken away from them never to see another football game or to see how their team is doing now - they never had sombody putthier hands up and say IT WAS OUR FAULT. It still lives in every Liverpool supporters heart but they are also still fighting for Justice for the 96. May you all rest in peace and know you are always in our hearts and will never leave - just like the love we and you have for Liverpool football club."

Madspud

"A mate of a mate had a spare ticket that he said I could have if I went to his house on the friday afternoon. When I got there he was full of apologies because he'd sold it to someone else. I remember being well gutted at the time, dead jealous of me mates who were all going! I remember taking a stereo with some cans up to a little lake by ours with a couple of other mates to listen to it! We rushed home when it started to emerge what was happening to watch it on the news. I remember my grandad (who lived with us at the time) saying, 'Look at 'em, at it again!' I didn't bother responding to the old fool. I was so worried for everyone, especially the people I knew. I remember phoning one mates' ma to see if she had heard anything. The woman was in absolute hysterics because he'd just that minute phoned her! I often find myself with extreme feelings of guilt for not getting that ticket. 'Why couldn't it have been me instead of some other poor blighter?' or 'What if I'd have gone and stood somewhere where a life could have been saved?' But I also have feelings of great relief too! Selfish feelings really, but feelings I can't help! YNWA"

Paz9

"So much said and so much felt since that day. I spent the worst 30 minutes of my life frantically searching for my brother, thankfully I found him safe and well. Tragically this was not the case for so many others and their loved ones. My heart goes out to them."

FlashingBlade

"Up until Hillsborough, I was regularly attending matches. After watching and hearing the horrors of it all, I decided never to go again. Football just didn't seem to matter anymore. RIP 96."

Jardine

"Hillsborough didn't mean nothing to me when it happened because I was a baby but now it means a lot! My uncle and cousin died at Hillsborough and my family miss them deeply. I actully can't be there at Anfield on Monday but I will take a few minutes to say a prayer.

Justice for the 96."

Lynz-4-Owen

"To me it's a reminder never to take anything for granted. That something so simple and enjoyable as going to a football match can turn your life around. That you shouldn't deprive yourself of the things in life that make you happy, that you should always be thankful for what you have, and that you should always do all you can to help others when they need it most. It means that while football is still 'just a game' is still provides an emotional escape and is an essential part of so many lives, that it can do a lot of good.

And it means I'll never forget."

BigDaddy

"Because I was about 7 or 8 at the time I don't really remember much clearly about that day, apart from the fact that in the weeks building up to it, I wasnt allowed to go to games with my grandad and uncle (who usually took me) because my mum was heavily pregnant with my younger sister. I remember being sad that I wasn't allowed to go and having a bit of tantrum and being yelled at by my parents. Then I remember them both hysterically running around waiting for the phone to ring so they would know my uncle and grandad were OK after listening to the events on the radio/tv. Me thinking I was never going to see them again, thankfully both were fine, but very shook up.

My sister was also born that day so I remember it being an extremly happy/sad day and every 15th April I get torn between birthday celebrations for her and unbelieveble sadness for what happened. As for the media stuff, I don't remember much of it aside from the disgusted way my dad spoke of the s*n newspaper and when i was older I was told why. Nothing compared really to some of the stuff I've read but the 15th of April is alwaysaday of conflicted feelings for me."

Shabz

The 15th of April 1989, a day that is forever etched in our minds.

Even now just saying that date brings forth a whole range of memories and emotions that will stay with me for life. A day that started out full of hope & anticipation and ended in total despair & sadness.

Most of the people who visit this website and its forums will know by now how the events at Hillsborough on that warm sunny spring day touched me personally, so I won't go into that here. What I do want to say is that we must always have 'Hope in our hearts' that Justice will one day be given to the victims and the families of the victims.

On the question of 'What does Hillsborough mean to you?' To me it means so many things, the first thing I think of is my fellow Liverpool fans, who went to a football match not knowing it was to be their last. Secondly, anger that the people who they trusted with their lives that day have literally gotten away with murder. Last of all a determination to fight for justice for the 96 victims, a fight that sadly thirteen years on we are no nearer to winning than we were at the start. Some people say we should forget about the fight for justice. I feel that would be taking the easy option, not the right option. Whatever Hillsborough means to you personally and where ever you may be on the 15th April this year, let us all join together at 3.06 and remember the victims of that terrible day. Truth & justice for the 96."

RedBoywonder

"In 1985 I was in Heysel and four years later I watched the tragedy on TV over here in Luxembourg. I was terribly shocked and couldn't understand why it happened again. I was thinking of the parents of those kids who died and even now the tears are coming back to my eyes. I can't express myself that well in English but I still feel sorry for those who lost their beloved family members."

Paki

"I was at a cousin's house playing while the TV in the background playedout live pictures from the game. I was 6 years old, not long before my love affair with Liverpool Football Club started, but I was too young to understand what those pictures meant or how they WOULD matter to me in years to come. I like many others am not from liverpool nor did I lose anyone I knew on that day but I feel the loss of 96 fellow liverpool lovers and my heart is with their friends and families."

Manj

At the time, being a young 16 year old, if my innocence hadn't already gone, it did after that day. I grew up over night, my emotions changed, my behaviour changed, my personaility changed, my life changed... I would never be the same. I had a strange day at the time as I go to the game with my sister and my dad. At the game I can relate to previous comments about police horse and touble outside and then inside my ticket still intact to this day remains a keep sake.

In the ground, circumstance made my father choose between saving his daughter or saving his son... if you are a parent think about that one for a minute. How do you choose, who would you choose... but that is what circumstance made you do. My dad chose my sister (which by the way was the right decision). She is only 5ft 3ins so at one point my dad stood with his ear inside the person next to him and in between was my sister, in effect she was drowning due to lack of oxygen. I might I add was a lucky one who escaped the terrible tragedy and made it onto the picth to help save others... but what Hillsborough means to be is my dad chose my sister. I respect him for this and if it ever happen again I would expect him to make the same decision... but that doesnt help any. Hillsborough also means to me that we should never forget the people that lost their lives, we should never forget the suffering the families have been through and we should never stop the Justice campaign."

Macca1972