The Liverpool Times

God, give us strength to fight for Justice.

There is no visible memorial for the Hillsborough Football Disaster in Kirkby. We lost a few good people here, yet the community has no real leadership which sees events such as Hillsborough or the murder of James Bulger as issues which deserve to be taken on-board as commitments in recognition of local opinion.

There are a few mosaics commemorating our past in Kirkby, on the path from Centre 63 up to Mill Farm in Towerhill. But the last time I looked, there was some wear and tear and, sadly, the inevitable vandalism.

There were Hillsborough memorials made back in 1989.

The graffiti that went up then and over the years was a memorial of sorts. Various schools and community centres certainly made their own memorials at the time and everyone joined in with collections. I wonder perhaps if some memorials made in 89 are still stored away. Perhaps some paintings, drawings, carvings or embroidery.

You know there were poems, stories, accounts and reflections.

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Official 2008 HJC Cup 5-A-Side-Footy Tournament

A press release…

Date: Saturday 10th May 2008

Time: Registration, 12pm. Kick-Off, 1pm

Venue: PlayFootball, Drummond Road, Crosby, L23 9YP

Entry fee: £100 per squad. Squads can contain a MAXIMUM of 8 players, to include rolling subs.

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The ugly truth of the blame we share

English football fans are being robbed and endangered by the increasingly obvious UEFA incompetence with respects to organising sports events. The tens of thousands of English club football fans travelling to European competitions are heading to another Heysel or Hillsborough.

However, we have to admit that there is a minority of ‘fans’ who also spoil it for the many. When Liverpool FC fans start behaving like ‘Ingerland fans’ abroad, and endanger the lives and liberty (remember Michael Shields?) of Liverpool fans -we have to speak out, not write another hooligan/gangster/scally book bragging about it.

You pays your money….

Some Liverpool fans paid well over £2000 to get to the Champions league final with most fans paying at least £500 to £700 on travel and accommodation if they bought a ticket through normal channels. That is serious money indeed for football fans. Even if you’re well paid, you still take precious holiday days off work to get there.

Under normal circumstances, you’d be expected to be treated like a king or a queen and your children like princes and princesses for spending that sort of top money. Only a football fan could actually spend that amount and get treated like a third rate citizen. Only masochists and football fans might feasibly pay a few hundred quid to beaten by men in uniforms.

The Champions league final has become more expensive than golf, tennis or the Olympics finals. You can see opera and classic music for a lot cheaper. But unlike all these other leisure activities, football still stands out as the spectator sport which can rip off the customers the most and offer a third rate shoddy service to the paying fans.

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Justice for the 96 - Justice for all

“When all beside a vigil keep,
The West’s asleep, the West’s asleep”

A couple of days ago, a man we’ll call ‘John’ was walking along a road somewhere in Liverpool. The weather had just changed with the sun ‘cracking the flags’. I’m not sure whether that old saying refers to the pavement flagstones or the flag on the flagpole.

As John turned a corner, he saw a couple of young lads, maybe aged 3 – 5 yrs of age. He looked over and smiled as you do. Elderly people and the very young, you might keep an eye on.

As John passed by - one of the little lads told him to ‘fu** off’. The little kid was smiling mischievously as he spoke out.

John shouted over to him, in a calm voice “You can’t say words like that that, it’s naughty!”

He replied “I like saying naughty words”.

What’s this got to do with Hillsborough? – We might ask.

For now it has nothing to do with it, because you’ve only heard a brief summery of the opening part of our story.

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5th Annual HJC Cup Five-A-Side Tournament – The Pitz – Saturday 12th May 2007

Yep, it’s that time of year again. Get yer girly shinpads out, dust down those mullets, and get yer tight little shorts out for the girls (especially Redmandave). LFC’s last game of the season is against Charlton on Sunday 13th May @ 3pm (to be confirmed) so, as a fitting finale, the HJC Cup takes to the pitch again.

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