How did The 1989 Hillsborough Stadium Disaster lead to social change? Yasmin Dolman The disaster that took place at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield during a match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest on 15 April 1989 is one which significantly shaped the way society thinks and acts in many ways. 96 Liverpool fans died and 766 injured as a result of a human crush when "one part of the stadium was dangerously over-crowded" (Nauright, J Parrish, C. 2012). Consequently, The Taylor report, written by Lord Taylor in 1990, was devised and includes seventy-six recommendations on how football matches should be run. This essay will look at how the catastrophe resulted in the development of football stadiums across the UK and the measures put in place. …show more content…
Various newspapers made their front pages about the supposed cause. On 19th April 1989, The Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie wrote their headline as 'THE TRUTH' followed by an article claiming that "drunken Liverpool fans viciously attacked rescue workers as they tried to revive victims" (The Sun, 1989). The Daily Express shared a similar headline with "WE EXPOSE THE FATAL BLUNDERS" (The Daily Express, 1989). This way the police attempted to blame the fans for the accident, saying they were drunk and out of control. In July 1991, new evidence was found, showing that "the blame was being shifted onto the fans, with an alleged break in the fencing caused by a surge of ticketless Liverpool supporters cited as the reason" (Ruthven, G. 2016). This was backed up in September 2012 by a report from The Hillsborough Independent panel which found that police had altered over 160 witness statements (House of Commons Home Affairs Committee. 2012.). The new evidence resulted in apologies from newspaper editors who relied on police information to write their stories back in 1989 (Telegraph Reporters.
Over the past years, many will say that football has become America’s new pastime, taking over our weekends for almost half of the year. Fans travel from all over the country to see their favorite college or professional teams play, and once the football season is over, the countdown clock for the first game of fall begins. There are many positive aspects to the sport, and the fans and players love it, but in John McMurtry’s “Kill ‘em, Crush ‘em, Eat ‘em Raw”, the reader is introduced to a side of football that some have not seen, and many choose to ignore. McMurtry believes that the game of football has become one of people just wanting to hurt other people and too many injuries are occurring to justify the fun
Are young children putting their health and even their lives at risk if they partake in the sport of football? Some claim that the American sport is far too dangerous and the risk of concussions and injuries far outway the pros of the physical sport, while others insist that technological improvements and new regulations have made the sport safer. Jonathan Zimmerman, a professor of history and education at New York University, argues in his paper, “We Must Stop Risking the Health of Young Football Players,” that football is a sport that is too dangerous for the youth. He states his belief that technological improvements in helmets and changes in the rules of the sport have had little effect on reducing injuries and that nothing has worked.
In April 1989, ninety-six persons including men, women and children died in a serious crush during an FA cup semi- final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest that was held in Hillsborough stadium, Sheffield. In the instantaneous aftermath there was a quick rush to inquire the circumstances and cause of the crush. Lord Justice Taylor was appointed by the government to carry out a judicial inquest. There were no criminal prosecutions that occurred, so the outcome of the inquest was concluded as an ‘accidental death’ . The authorities in charge immediately declared that the violent, and drunken fans had brought about the crush that occurred. The account by survivors disclosed a different story which blamed the dangerous state of the stadium, careless policing, inadequate protection, wrong process in the inquiry and investigation and the breakdown of the emergency feedback .The deceased families believed that the series of actions to achieve result that led to the law judgment was inadequate and gave decree to further investigation which was only achievab...
Source A is a newspaper report form the Daily Mail in September 1999. It is a report on new evidence released from the second enquiry into Bloody Sunday, led by Lord Saville. The headline reads "PARAS IN BLOODY SUNDAY EVIDENCE STORM". This headline states the situation that the report is based on. The report includes the opinions of different people on the new evidence.
…There was no question of celebration in the minds of the fans who invaded from the West end of the ground. They had violence in mind and no sooner was it offered than it was returned with enthusiasm. The brutal and disgusting scenes which followed as bottles flew and drunken supporters charged and counter-charged from one end of the field to that other, brought disgrace upon the two clubs concerned, upon Scottish football generally, and were an affront to Scotland as a nation (Murray 196).
“The Problem with Football: How to Make It Safer.” New York Times. 28 Jan. 2010. Newsstand, Web. 28 Feb. 2012.
You can't trust eyewitness reports because the human mind can't remember some things. “Every year more than 75,000 eyewitnesses identify criminal suspects in the us and studies suggest that as many as a third of them are wrong.” Thats 25,000 eyewitness reports wrong. All those mistakes caused the victims their lives. in the article by the week staff it says that the...
...tch football. Humans have had a natural interest, and fascination with violence and brutality, all throughout time. Modern censorship, has limited this somewhat morbid fascination, but many new movies, videogames, or television shows, supply the population with this desired entertainment. Scott’s film, Gladiator, reveals that human nature has changed very little, by recreating the bloody and violent Gladiator games, and the Roman Colloseum.
De Varona, D. (2003). ‘M’s’ in football: Myths, management, marketing, media and money. A reprise. Soccer & Society, 4, 7-13.
The Times (2014) Paul Kelso and Martin Beckford. ‘Hillsborough report reveals South Yorkshire Police made 'strenuous efforts' to deflect blame on to Liverpool fans’ [online]. Available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/liverpool/9538079/Hillsborough-report-reveals-South-Yorkshire-Police-made-strenuous-efforts-to-deflect-blame-on-to-Liverpool-fans.html (31st March 2014)
Even though football players are aware of the dangers the game can bring upon them, they take part despite it. The passion, the joy it creates; for professionals it’s also the devoted fans and compensation they receive is what keeps the players motivated. Today players are much bigger, faster, smarter, bigger, better. The game is more physical. The sport has never been so competitive. The popularity has reached new peaks, as much that the NFL has thoughts of moving a team to London, England. Additionally, Super Bowl XLVII (47) was one of the most watched television events of all time; an astonishing 108.4 million viewers (The Associated Press). Fans worship their teams and love to see big hits. Football is a contact sport; injuries are no doubtingly part of it. Concussions are one of the many detriments caused by the ruthlessness, but one of the few with perpetual effects: consequence of the brutality.
McMurtry, a former football paper, utilizes comparison, hyperbole, and juxtaposition to effectively develop the idea that American society accepts violence and brutality within sports, which reveals the sadistic side of the world. To repair this attitude, however, all of the violent aspects of sports cannot simply be removed. For example, if the tackling part of football was eradicated, the sport would change completely and, consequently, lose much of what gives the sport its redeeming qualities and entertainment for the audience. Tackling does not make the sport violent; it is the violent characteristics of the players and the coaches combined with the constant encouragement stemming from the audience. Violence is a terrible thing, and it will never be completely removed unless each person works together to suppress their behaviors.
The roaring of the crowd on November 17 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC finally fell silent late in the fourth quarter after star linebacker Luke Kuechly was slow to get off the field after a huge hit to the head. American’s live to be entertained, and the football field is one of the main sources of enjoyment for many. Immediately after Kuechly’s hit, it was quiet in the stadium for the first time that day. The fans watched in fear, waiting to see if their star player could finish the game and bring out the win. However, they all became disappointed as Kuechly shed tears while being carted off the field, not because they were worried about the player and his head but because they feared about losing the game. Americans want excitement,
One of the biggest controversial topics going on today is should children still be aloud to play football, knowing what we know about serious injuries? The article that I chose ( “Don’t Let Kids play football”) is about the consequences that could occur playing such a contact sport. The debate is that some people believe that football teaches important life lessons and others believe that it can cause serious life changing injuries.
Durham's story had been reported in three different countries and more than once. How could