A Wider View - Part 2

7/28/2019 A Wider View - Part 2

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Hillsborough, A Wider View - Part 2The English Football Association

In this part of the Hillsborough Wider View series, well be taking a look at the governing body of football in thUK. So here we ask:-

Who are the English Football Association?

FA original laws of the gameThis piece remains only as a reference to the greatest sporting disaster this country has ever seen; as well as a

light beacon to the establishment corruption which followed, added to the fact that we still dont have JusticThis should be sharply brought to mind when we consider the FAs actions in recent months. That famous phrasregarding UK Law, attributed to William Gladstone states: Justice delayed is justice denied - Gladstone diein 1898, when the English FA was 35 years old, and still significantly more mature than the majority of thevictims of the Hillsborough Disaster.We must start with the the decisions made prior to April 15th 1989, which the public were unaware of, meaninthat Nottingham Forest would be playing Liverpool at the Hillsborough Stadium that day. Who made thosedecisions and why? Perhaps the most important question in of all is this: Why did the FA not make certain thatthe stadiums safety certificate was recently updated, and even more critical, valid? This question needs animmediate robust reply, as this reflects responsibility. The certificate was first issued in 1979, yet noadjustments had been made to it ten years later in 1989; even though there were at least three more seriousincidents in 1981, 1987 and 1988. Of the ten years from 1980 to 1989, only one semi-final took place withoutincident, the 0-0 game between Arsenal and Liverpool in 1980.There are plenty more questions like this, which someone knows the answers to - we simply want the explicit,definitive answers, especially when we consider the FAs recent silence, which grows more and more deafeningas the months tick by.We will come back to this in a few moments.InPart 1 of Wider View, we made passing mention of The FAs activity; that among other things, they deniedpeople their basic human rights... What was meant by that exactly? Not all will understand the legalimplications of Lord Justice Goldrings reference in Wednesdays Inquest hearing (5th June), to Article 2 of theEuropean Convention of Human Rights, but we do know that evidence will be presented to a jury at that
http://www.empireofthekop.com/anfield/2013/05/14/hillsborough-1989-a-wider-view-part-one/http://www.empireofthekop.com/anfield/2013/05/14/hillsborough-1989-a-wider-view-part-one/http://www.empireofthekop.com/anfield/2013/05/14/hillsborough-1989-a-wider-view-part-one/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_2_of_the_European_Convention_on_Human_Rightshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_2_of_the_European_Convention_on_Human_Rightshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_2_of_the_European_Convention_on_Human_Rightshttp://www.empireofthekop.com/anfield/2013/05/14/hillsborough-1989-a-wider-view-part-one/


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forthcoming Inquest, to the effect that UK agencies may be implicated in the deprivation of life. We cannot sawhich legal questions the FA will have to face, but one should be would those ninety-six people still be alive the FA had chosen not to use the Hillsborough stadium that day? The above link is to the Wikipedia entry forthe European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR). At the bottom, you will find a link to the pdfIt is essential to examine the actual response to the Hillsborough Disaster by the FA as well, something whichraises many more questions than answers presently. Why essential?Its because of the perception that The FA seeks to establish during our modern era. When I read modern, Ioften take that as a euphemism describing the rewriting of history.

Is that something that the FA are guilty of? I dont know, but when David Bernstein said: As our landscapecontinues to evolve, we all have a duty to protect and treasure the unique traditions and heritage that the FACup provides.. its surely certain that he wasnt referring to the tradition of innocent victims being killed at aFA approved stadium; abandoning the families of those ninety-six men, women and children, as well of course,to the thousands of survivors traumatised by Hillsborough. In August 1981, South Yorkshire Police (SYP) convento discuss the organisation of football matches with a number of relevant authorities at their headquarters.There was no mention of the serious incident that occurred at that year's FA Cup semi-final between Tottenhamand Wolves at Hillsborough Stadium. The FA also chose not to respond when they received a letter from theSecretary of the Sheffield branch of the Spurs Supporters Club, seeking an explanation for that incident thatcaused thirty-eight injuries. Why is it that the FA seemingly have a culture of ignoring legitimate scrutiny oftheir privileges and responsibilities? I must ask dear reader, would you have any recommendations for such anorganisation, who surely have a duty of care to the millions of football fans in this country?So what do we know exactly about that particular semi-final, in 1989? We will here name individuals as isrelevant to the FAs response at Hillsborough, as certain facts have been established..Peter Robinson, Liverpool Football Clubs (LFC) Secretary in 1989, is on record as having a telephoneconversation with Steve Clark, the FAs Competitions Secretary, prior to Hillsborough being selected as thematch venue. Mr Robinson requested that Liverpool be given the Spion Kop end of the stadium, the opposite ento the Leppings Lane stand. What follows that conversation looks at the very least to be highly unprofessional, LFCs request is to be denied, but only after what appears to be the most evasive handling of the FAsresponsibilities. If what Graham Kelly (Chief Executive of the FA at the time) said is true, that on matters likethis (ticket allocation) the staging club and the FA are really bound to accept the view of the Police, thencouldnt Steve Clark have told Peter Robinson exactly that at the time of LFCs request? Or did Mr Clark not ha

that authority? If so, why approach a Sheffield Wednesday official, Mr Mackrell, to see if that arrangement coube made? Mr Clark clearly believed that it could have been. We could discuss the organisation, or even the lathereof, regarding the FA throughout their history, but I really hope this to be sufficient to show how utterlyunfit for purpose the FA really are, and I havent even started on the things theyve done since the HillsborougIndependent Panel (HIP) published their report last September!Below are three hyperlinks to the FAs website, which for me are hugely relevant, as they are the only articlesyou can find there which directly mention the Hillsborough Disaster since the HIP published its report. They alsrecord every statement of the outgoing Chairman of the FA, David Bernstein, who has said nothing substantiveabout the horrors of Hillsborough, even after that report was published :-

i. Bernstein hails grassroots heroes,ii. Chairman's Soccerex speech,iii.Hillsborough remembered

When reading all of those, you will find that they contain only the very briefest mentions of the worst sportingdisaster this country has ever seen, which was then followed by the most extraordinary establishment cover-upin living memory. We have seen apologies in the Houses of Parliament, from Government Ministers no less; theHigh Court striking out HMs Coroner Dr Stefan Poppers verdict of Accidental Death; and now Lord JusticeGoldring invoking Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights. We absolutely have to ask, will the FAremain silent to all of these events?
http://www.thefa.com/News/2013/jan/fa150-david-bernstein-messagehttp://www.thefa.com/News/2013/apr/chairman-speech-soccerex-110413.aspxhttp://www.thefa.com/News/2013/apr/hillsborough-remembered.aspxhttp://www.thefa.com/News/2013/apr/hillsborough-remembered.aspxhttp://www.thefa.com/News/2013/apr/hillsborough-remembered.aspxhttp://www.thefa.com/News/2013/apr/hillsborough-remembered.aspxhttp://www.thefa.com/News/2013/apr/chairman-speech-soccerex-110413.aspxhttp://www.thefa.com/News/2013/jan/fa150-david-bernstein-message


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It can only be described as astonishing, that this governing body have had so little to say to all those sohorrifically affected by Hillsborough: The 96, the family members, and let us remember the thousandstraumatised by what they witnessed that shameful day, full of sorrow and reproach, professionals from manywalks of life who did everything they could to save life, whilst not even contemplating the lies and smears thatwere being born behind them.

Surely we are now way past the point of those responsible for the Hillsborough Disaster to stand up and becounted for what theyve done? Tell the whole country how sorry you really are and why you couldnt conceiveof such inhuman behaviour ever again. To look into those heros eyes and just for a moment even, to feelcompassion and love of conscience, so then wed know at least you can learn from what youve done.

A family member of one those who died at Hillsborough, at just 21 years of age, reflected on those famouswords of Bill Shankly: Football is a not a matter of life and death, its much more important than that. Ofcourse he didnt intend for his words to be taken literally, it was one of those razor-sharp observations of his,but how we could wish someone had taken those words much more seriously. The same family member alsocommented on how cheaply human life was valued, as long as a football match could just take place. Perhapsthat is something we might choose to reflect upon, as bigger and bigger corporations take a hold of our nationasport, engulfing and pervading everything from one corner of the globe to the other.

I wholeheartedly believe though, that football is not that way at all, but it is the humble, minute detail thatmakes it so special, from the little girls (and boys) cry to her teammates exquisite finish for the goal, to thespellbinding speed of thought and technique that the team ethic achieves (not individuals), to the echoes ofchildren playing on the streets, from the sound of their feet, the joy in their voices and the sound of leather

being sweetly struck - thats football the beautiful game, please, lets keep it that way.

JUSTICE FOR THE 96NEVER FORGOTTEN

For those interested in learning more about the ECHR, click hereEuropean Convention on Human Rights
http://www.echr.coe.int/Documents/Convention_ENG.pdfhttp://www.echr.coe.int/Documents/Convention_ENG.pdfhttp://www.echr.coe.int/Documents/Convention_ENG.pdfhttp://www.echr.coe.int/Documents/Convention_ENG.pdf