Own goal by Burnham puts Hillsborough inquiry into the spotlight

IT was hard to know whether to laugh or cry as Andy Burnham took to the Anfield stage at the 20th anniversary of Hillsborough disaster on Wednesday.
A thoroughly moving occasion until then, the arrival of the Culture and Sport Secretary saw the mood switch from tearful remembrance to bitterness and anger.
If Burnham thought he would be welcomed with open arms just because he’s a Scouser and Everton fan then he was sorely mistaken.
A greater misjudgement was to think that he could hijack the occasion with politics; that Liverpool, being a safe Labour area, would be on side.
How it backfired. The first platitude on behalf of Prime Minister Gordon Brown sparked murmurings of discontent, which led like a fast approaching storm to 30,000 on their feet chanting at him “Justice for the 96.”



This was in reference to the families of the 96 victims for a full, frank and open inquiry into their loved ones’ deaths.
Despite a plethora of reports, investigations and an inquest, no-one has ever been held responsible for the catastrophic decisions made by the police on that sunny April day in 1989.

The Taylor report into the tragedy laid the blame squarely on the shoulders of the South Yorkshire force, which faced with thousands of late arrivals causing a crush outside the stadium, not only opened the exit gate, allowing thousands of Liverpool fans to flood in, but then compounded their catastrophic error by channelling the human tidal wave straight into two pens of terracing that were already full to bursting.
The result: hundreds crushed, maimed and killed.
A single inquest on behalf of all victims returned a verdict of accidental death rather than unlawful killing, thus blocking attempts by the families to carry out a private prosecution.
A coroner’s hotly contested ruling that all the victims were dead by 3.15pm meant that no evidence after that time could be heard, meaning the police’s response to the unfolding disaster could not be fully investigated.
For 20 years the families had worked tirelessly in the face of Government opposition for a full inquiry into the day’s events.
They want answers. Why was the exit gate opened? Why were supporters channelled into pens already full rather than empty ones at each side? Did the police cover up evidence of their errors by altering their statements? Why were the 40 or so ambulances on stand-by outside not allowed in? What about a multitude of evidence suggesting many of the dead were still alive up to an hour after the game was stopped?
They want someone to be held responsible.

So when Burnham pitched up – when there was no reason for him to do so - there was only one thing he could say, which was to announce an inquiry; a proclamation that would have raised the roof.
There was a heightened sense that something might be said because he wasn’t even on the list to speak, but was a “last minute addition” to proceedings.
But he said nothing other than to dish out some bland niceties which meant nothing to anybody – and he was duly rounded on.
It wasn’t a personal attack on Burnham per se – successive Tory and Labour governments have refused to budge on the issue – but if he wasn’t there to make that announcement then what was he there for?
Ironically he has achieved exactly what he didn’t want to, and has done all his detractors a huge favour.
By sparking the barracking and protest (which wouldn’t have happened to anyone else), it bought sharply into focus the desire for an inquiry that his Government doesn’t want to hold.
He opened his mouth, the jeers started and the next days’ headlines were written.
As own goals go, it was a mighty fine effort.

Still standing: 20 years after Hillsborough the debate rages on

WITH the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster fast approaching, standing in making a comeback to an English football league ground for the first time since that horrendous day on April 15th 1989.
The news that Morecambe football club is to incorporate safe standing areas into their new stadium, ready for the 2010/11 season, will delight campaigners across the country fighting for the re-introduction of standing areas at all grounds.
The danger is that it will encourage more people to stand as a way of making their point to their own club’s owners.
Currently the law states that football grounds in the top two flights must be all seater but some supporters, particularly when travelling but increasingly at home too, are happy to ignore that despite the cost to fellow fans.
Those who want to sit often have no choice but to spend 90 minutes on their feet because everyone in front of them is standing. Views are ruined and tempers frayed because people cannot be considerate or bothered to observe the rules.
Clubs are either unable or unwilling to do anything about it. Stewards are outnumbered and powerless in the face of selectively deaf and often aggressive spectators and promises by clubs to crack down by penalising fellow clubs or indeed their own supporters are rarely, if ever, kept.
It seems that if people are determined to stand, there is nothing to stop them.



Groups such as the Football Supporters' Federation feel that there is a growing momentum to their campaign for standing areas to be re-introduced.
An early may motion introduced into Parliament in 2007 to bring back standing areas currently has the support of 107 MPs yet there seems little appetite from the regulatory authorities, the police or the clubs themselves to move the issue forward or even address it decisively.
The Independent Football Commission (before it changed its name last year) said it could find nothing to suggest that standing areas were inherently unsafe and with modern monitoring techniques and modern stadia, there seems little reason not to allow a section of supporters to stand if they so wish.
Greater safety at grounds and better crowd control would ensure there could never be a repeat of Hillsborough. Fences have gone and even if standing were brought back there would never be enough people allowed in to re-create the crushes experienced at grounds across the country in years gone by.
However, until that happens, the law says supports have to sit.
And for the good of everyone involved, that’s exactly what they should do.