Copied is a long, detailed and pseudo-intellectual post on RAWK explaining why Heysel was not their fault. That club really is disgusting. Just fucking say sorry.
It beggars belief that it was ever deemed acceptable to hold a European Cup Final, or any major sporting event, in a stadium completely unfit for purpose. Elements from both fanbases were at fault for what unfolded, but pretty much everything seems to have failed on the day. Clearly, planning and preparation were woefully inadequate too. The perfect storm in many respects. Anything that could go wrong, did go wrong. It's easy and extremely lazy to simply blame Liverpool fans for what happened without actually looking deeper. Those who died, and all those who grieve for them to this day, deserve the truth. A minority of fans of both clubs are clearly culpable, but so too are those who were tasked with organising this event in a safe ground which was fit for purpose. Proper, considered preparation should have been in place. As it happened, all concerns about the stadium were wilfully ignored and all the numerous factors that contributed to this horrible disaster were left unaddressed, to run their course. With hindsight, the outcome was almost inevitable.
We all know how it goes when disasters happen. Organisations close ranks. People look for the convenient scapegoat. Fingers get pointed. Heads get placed in the sand. Blind eyes get turned. Of course, no one even tries to deny that a certain section of Liverpool fans directly contributed to the eventual outcome. But, so did the appalling actions of some of Juventus' own fans, the inactions of the police, the criminal neglect of those who 'organised' the Final, those who chose a crumbling relic of a ground to host the match despite fears being voiced about it and those who dismissed all concerns out of hand.
Pointing the finger at just one element/factor helps those who also contributed to squirm off the hook and off into the night. I helps those people to remain unaccountable for their neglect. It also betrays and disrespects every single victim of the dreadful tragedy that was Heysel. It betrays their grieving families too.
In Rome 1984 we saw where things might be heading. In Brussels 1985 we saw what happens when warnings and concerns are wilfully dismissed and people tasked with looking after the safety of thousands of people basically go to sleep on the job. We also saw how those in power wash their hands of responsibility, pick a handy scapegoat then absolve themselves of all responsibility. That, in itself, was also a warning sign of things to come after Hillsborough 1989.
Things of this magnitude don't just simply happen out of nowhere. They happen due to a catalogue of contributing factors all coming together at once. They come from neglect, and the ignoring of warnings and concerns. They come from people not taking responsibility. People not doing their jobs adequately. The actions of some fans from both clubs were the straw that broke the camels back, but make no mistake, there were many, many factors in place that allowed that eventuality to take place.
