A little known Hillsborough fact: Colin Andrew Sefton

[jambreck]

West ham bloke at work reakons it was all the fans fault. I don't know enough about it really.

Please, let's not go there!

The Hillsborough Independent Panel Report exonerated the fans completely. Link to the major findings here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-19577033

 

[leffe186]

I think splitting hairs about who supported who on the day is irrelevant. And it's important to remember it.

96 people died unnecessarily from simple stupidity, and 25 years on its still a lesson. A lesson on how to police large events, on how to ensure safety, on being mindful of each other and having respect for the person next to you... regardless of sporting allegiance, background, race, whatever... and to prevent that ever happening again. It's not just a Liverpool love in, it's significant for the whole game as a spectator sport.

Absolutely - it's not just a Liverpool love-in and is significant for the whole game as a spectator sport. Which is precisely why I think it might be useful to remind people that it wasn't just Liverpool fans involved, and why this might help people remember that it could have been any one of a number of clubs in their position.

I'd like to think it's irrelevant, but frankly I think it's undeniable that a considerable number of fans feel that Liverpool are "milking" it. I emphasise again, I don't personally think that's the case. But we are now 25 years removed from Hillsborough, which means an entire generation of fans have never stood at a football match, and will struggle to understand the conditions under which we all watched football 25 years ago. A prominent chairman proposed the use of electric fences FFS. I just think including a Spurs scarf might be useful to drive home the point that this is not just about Liverpool and Liverpool fans, but it is about all fans, and there is a reason why we all observe a minute's silence.

 

[riggi]

Please, let's not go there!

The Hillsborough Independent Panel Report exonerated the fans completely. Link to the major findings here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-19577033

Ye I wasn't exactly buying what he said.

 

[dricha1]

I work in an office in Liverpool and it is safe to say Liverpool and Everton supporters stand shoulder to shoulder when it comes to Hillsborough.

I mentioned that I'd learnt that one of the 96 was a Spurs fan and didnt really get the response I was expecting, almost a "Really, and your point is?..." I suppose that is to be expected, Hillsborough is still very raw in the city, most definetly down to the in-justice for the victims.

I think that one of those that died was a Spurs fan is insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but it should serve to remind our fans, and those of other clubs, that this was a tragedy for the whole football family.

Anyway my local MP, Esther McVey has made a good job of being a bit insensitive today, using twitter to score political points during the ceremony.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

And Heysal is quietly forgotten although that also involved Liverpool fans.

To be fair that's for the other teams fans to remember but that was pretty unlucky consequences for Liverpool. We were all doing shit like that in the early eighties, watch footage of spurs in Rotterdam (feynoord 1983) for example. It wasn't entirely Liverpools fault that the stadium was structurally a reck.

 

[Mattspur]

This was from 2009, yet still it's commonly referred to as 96 Liverpool fans.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/andrew-sefton-23-3418477

 

[mattyspurs]

Well it's a small world. I shared a BBC link yesterday about 'Seft on facebook. A friend of mine who I employed for 4 years has just commented that he was one of his best mates. My business used to be in Skelmersdale. Has just told me all about him, how he was a sound lad and always up for a laugh and how gutted he was to lose him as a mate. He also mentioned that Gary Mabutt went to the funeral and gave him two signed shirts, presumably for a raffle to raise money for the family.

Good lad that Mabbs, although we already knew that.

 

[Rocksuperstar]

Couldn't think where else to post this, but the offices of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Her Majesty's Treasury and the Office of the Solicitor General have some explaining to do;

The Cabinet Office has launched an investigation into claims that insults which were sent to the victims and families of the Hillsborough disaster were sent from government computers.

The Liverpool Echo said it had discovered that text on the Wikipedia page of the disaster had been changed from computers within Whitehall. It said that in 2009, "Blame Liverpool Fans" was added to the page, while in 2012 the phrase "You'll never walk alone" was changed to "You'll never walk again" and other insulting variations.

Full story from The Guardian

 

[deckchair]

I was 16 when Hillsborough happened and was at school with another contributor to this site, leffe186. The school we attended was full of sporting excellence and two good footballers from the year below us had a lucky escape. They were due to be in that part of the stadium, but outside the ground they had been offered a swap on their tickets for great seats on the half way line on basis that a couple of chaps really wanted to be 'in with the crowd' on the terraces. Our school mates readily accepted the swap.

The week after the distaster they gave an account the events of in our school assembly. In eight years of assemblies at that school its the only one i remember (barring our maths teacher that used to tell winnie the pooh stories). The whole hall was absolutely silent for what seemed like hours and this was far away from Merseyside, in North London.

I do not consider Hillsborough to be a 'Liverpool' disaster.....for me it is a 'football' disaster or a 'sporting' disaster which has utimately led to significant safety improvements at stadiums throughout the country and beyond.
I also remember reports of Milan fans singing YNWA at their next game which was a nice touch.

 

[TheChosenOne]

The enquiry was today shown footage of the crush and 38 injuries at the 1981 Tottenham v Wolves semi.

 

[Jody]

Well it's a small world. I shared a BBC link yesterday about 'Seft on facebook. A friend of mine who I employed for 4 years has just commented that he was one of his best mates. My business used to be in Skelmersdale. Has just told me all about him, how he was a sound lad and always up for a laugh and how gutted he was to lose him as a mate. He also mentioned that Gary Mabutt went to the funeral and gave him two signed shirts, presumably for a raffle to raise money for the family.

Good lad that Mabbs, although we already knew that.

Gary mabbutt is a class act. They don't make them like that anymore.

 

[Higginz]

Basically a sizeable number of our lot were still down at the bar getting tanked up at 3.07 yesterday, and the whole silence was held against noticeable chants such as 'North London is ours' from inside. I was pretty much next to the gangway/exit, so not sure how it sounded further up the stand, but as we immediately got a 'wankers!' chant from the WBA lot I assume it was audible to them...

Sorry for going back to a month old post but I missed this thread at the time and just spotted it.

I was in with the West Brom fans for the game and it was very audible throughout the ground. There was more than one chant and it went on during the entire minute silence. I know they were in by the bars but it really wasn't an excuse, as it would've been obvious the silence was going on.

Back to more recent conversation. Just seem the footage of the incident vs Wolves. Horrible scenes.

 

[TheChosenOne]

The enquiry was today shown footage of the crush and 38 injuries at the 1981 Tottenham v Wolves semi.

For "enquiry" read inquest, sorry.

 

[Dougal]

The start of Justice today. Whatever you feel for Liverpool as a club, this is a human story.

 

[diamond lights]

Listen to the mothers and fathers whose kids didn't come home. The two sisters, Sarah and Vicki Hicks were 15 and 19, that's the age of my daughters. I can't have Liverpool as a football club but the human story is heartbreaking. Pleased about the verdict today. RIP

 

[AW?]

Listen to the mothers and fathers whose kids didn't come home. The two sisters, Sarah and Vicki Hicks were 15 and 19, that's the age of my daughters. I can't have Liverpool as a football club but the human story is heartbreaking. Pleased about the verdict today. RIP

That story brought a tear to my eye earlier. Horrendous, the whole thing. 27 years is truely shocking. How could that Police Chief sleep at night? How could you not come clean at some point in all that time? Baffles me.

RIP

 

[Wirral Spurs]

Our friend's brother died at Hillsborough, glad they have justice.
Also glad this post was bumped. I wish they would say 96 football fans not Liverpool fans.
RIP Colin Sefton COYS.

 

[Typical Spurs]

As a father I can only imagine the horror of both my boys going to a game and never returning. It's incomprehensible. I feel so sorry for those who lost loved ones.

But, and I'm gonna get neg repped to hell for this, Liverpool the football club are vile. I live up norf and can confirm what you already know - their fans are the most deluded 'the world owes me something' fans I know. They live on their past history. Supported Suarez when he bit Ivanovic. But I distinctly remember they played Wigan away and in the warm up wore 'support for Suarez' t-shirts, after he had been racist to Evra. Clearly racist. A lip reader on Sky at the time revealed what he said. Yet they still felt the need to support him and act like they were the victims. I talk to my friends who are all 30 and in to their football. Mention Heysel and they don't know anything about it. That was also a tragedy that saw all English teams banned from European competition because of Liverpool. Yet it's never ever mentioned by the media.

I am in no way saying that takes away from the horror of the 96 dying at Hillsborough. Again, I feel so sorry for the families. But that doesn't stop me despising the club for loads of reasons, a couple in the above paragraph.

I'm only being honest.

 

[diamond lights]

As a father I can only imagine the horror of both my boys going to a game and never returning. It's incomprehensible. I feel so sorry for those who lost loved ones.

But, and I'm gonna get neg repped to hell for this, Liverpool the football club are vile. I live up norf and can confirm what you already know - their fans are the most deluded 'the world owes me something' fans I know. They live on their past history. Supported Suarez when he bit Ivanovic. But I distinctly remember they played Wigan away and in the warm up wore 'support for Suarez' t-shirts, after he had been racist to Evra. Clearly racist. A lip reader on Sky at the time revealed what he said. Yet they still felt the need to support him and act like they were the victims. I talk to my friends who are all 30 and in to their football. Mention Heysel and they don't know anything about it. That was also a tragedy that saw all English teams banned from European competition because of Liverpool. Yet it's never ever mentioned by the media.

I am in no way saying that takes away from the horror of the 96 dying at Hillsborough. Again, I feel so sorry for the families. But that doesn't stop me despising the club for loads of reasons, a couple in the above paragraph.

I'm only being honest.

I agree with every word you say. I just don't think now is the time to say it as it confuses the issue and may make us look like we don't have the genuine human empathy that this specific situation demands. I'm from Northern Ireland and know very well what it is like when a whole group/nationality/culture of people are classified in one way and it can be dangerous. Life's more complicated than that.
The fact that there was a cover up is a disgusting reflection on the establishment and part of the danger is stereotyping individuals and groups. Each lost life was a human being that deserved more respect.

 

[kungfugrip]

Since this weekend sees the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, a special mention for Colin Andrew Sefton - a 23 year old Spurs fan from Skelmersdale who was one of the 96 who tragically died that day and who was at the game because he was the only one among his group of friends (most of whom were Liverpool fans) who had a car.

RIP to him and to the other 95.

Always annoys me slightly that the media, whether through laziness or ignorance, always talk about the 96 Liverpool fans who died. Or even the FA, who have set aside 96 seats for this weekend's semi finals and put 96 Liverpool scarves on them.

It's disrespectful to his memory.

I emailed the Sky Sports editor yesterday afternoon to inform them that it should be described as 96 Football Fans on account of Colin Sefton. They changed their headline on their main page within 10 minutes. I'd done the same on the BBC site about a month ago. Usually they revert to type though because '96 Liverpool fans' has become so engrained in everyone's consciousness.