Jeremy Hunt the Culture Secretary....

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"Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has apologised after suggesting that hooliganism played a part in the Hillsborough football disaster. Ninety-six Liverpool fans were crushed to death on 15 April 1989 at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough Stadium. He praised the England fans at the 2010 World Cup saying that the 'terrible problems' of 'Heysel and Hillsborough in the 1980s seem now to be behing us'. Investigations have found that violence played no part in the tragedy."

From BBC Teletext today.

Mr Hunt should remember to engage his brain (if he has one) before opening his mouth....

[LancashireHibby]

Think it's just a general stab at thinking of a football-related disaster from a non-football fan - the lies spouted at the time by the Sun etc means that those who didn't follow the enquiry or haven't kept pace with developments since the disaster will probably mean that many non-football fans will always think Hillsborough was hooligan-related.

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Think it's just a general stab at thinking of a football-related disaster from a non-football fan - the lies spouted at the time by the Sun etc means that those who didn't follow the enquiry or haven't kept pace with developments since the disaster will probably mean that many non-football fans will always think Hillsborough was hooligan-related.

Aye, well - a 'Culture Secretary' should make sure he's properly informed.

[LancashireHibby]

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Aye, well - a 'Culture Secretary' should make sure he's properly informed.

Can't disagree with that. A previous Culture Secretary was my MP (Andy Burnham) and he's a keen sports fan - he even turned out for us at Leigh RMI in a friendly against Everton one year - so it's a shame the Tories can't provide a similar mindset.

Still, apparently there's more to culture than football.

[Scouse Hibee]

Yes made a right Jeremy Hunt of himself!

[HenryMonk]

what a total bell end! this just shows hows dedatched the tories are from the common people and reailty.

has this guy never read any reports in last 20 years!

[Leicester Fan]

Ask the people of Sheffield who they think are responsible.

[bawheid]

It comes as no surprise that this lazy and ill-informed slur has come from the mouth of a Tory cabinet minister. It was, after all, the Thatcher-influenced heavy-handed policing and "**** the working class" Tory policies of the time that were partly to blame for Hillsborough.

[Sylar]

It's a tricky one, as he isn't wrong - granted, violence never played a part in the disaster on the day, but the pens were established as a result of previous violence at matches, so indirectly, violence did lead to the Hillsborough disaster.

I doubt, however, that this was his avenue of thought.

[Borders Hibby]

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"Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has apologised after suggesting that hooliganism played a part in the Hillsborough football disaster. Ninety-six Liverpool fans were crushed to death on 15 April 1989 at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough Stadium. He praised the England fans at the 2010 World Cup saying that the 'terrible problems' of 'Heysel and Hillsborough in the 1980s seem now to be behing us'. Investigations have found that violence played no part in the tragedy."

From BBC Teletext today.

Mr Hunt should remember to engage his brain (if he has one) before opening his mouth....

Never ceases to amaze me how people with power and influence make such fundamental errors that effect so many. The memory of the 96 deserves better.

On another level how can he say hooliganism has disappeared after reports on other threads about violence in England after yesterdays game. Maybe a case of being really ill informed.

[Borders Hibby]

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Ask the people of Sheffield who they think are responsible.

and that is?

[Leicester Fan]

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and that is?

Drunken Liverpool fans.

[HenryMonk]

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Ask the people of Sheffield who they think are responsible.

WHAT THE

and how would they know anymore than the public inqueries?

[HenryMonk]

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Drunken Liverpool fans.

sorry, but your a total never heard so much pish since i read the sun newspaper when they said liverpool fans were p[ishing on the dead!

get a grip!!!!

[JohnScott]

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WHAT THE

and how would they know anymore than the public inqueries?

Eh?? Because THEY were there! More Liverpool fans turned up that day than had tickets. Many turned up late pished. The police were far from blameless that day but don't try telling the people of Sheffield they didn't know what went on before the game you

[Borders Hibby]

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Drunken Liverpool fans.

I am sure that they had had a drink, turned up late and a few will not have had tickets. But is that really the cause of 96 people being dead.

If it is every major football match at the time must have run that risk.

[JimBHibees]

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Eh?? Because THEY were there! More Liverpool fans turned up that day than had tickets. Many turned up late pished. The police were far from blameless that day but don't try telling the people of Sheffield they didn't know what went on before the game you

Maybe there were more fans than they thought would come it wasnt a ticket game from what I remember however to say the police were far from blameless is rewriting history on a grand scale. They criminally lost control of the situation and their criminal negligence by opening the gates and directing fans into already packed pens directly led to the deaths of innocent people. The initial investigation was a complete whitewash and a shocking indictment on the establishment closing ranks.

I went down to Sheffield on a football tour a few months after it and it was very moving to see grown men openly crying in the pub I was in when they played YNWA at the end of the night. I certainly cant remember any local spouting off that it was drunken Liverpool fans that caused it. The next day a guy was at our game who worked for Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough that day and all I can remember him talking about was the deep sadness and the horrible sights he had witnessed on the day of the tragedy.

I think a bit more respect is due to the memories of normal men, women, boys and girls that died that day when it could easliy have been any supporter of any club in the country due to the archaic football grounds of the time.

[JimBHibees]

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I am sure that they had had a drink, turned up late and a few will not have had tickets. But is that really the cause of 96 people being dead.

If it is every major football match at the time must have run that risk.

Spot on.

[Beefster]

Anyone outside the families of the 96 killed who is offended by a simple mistake is either a professional offendee or looking for an excuse, any excuse, to have a pop at some Tories.

I knew before I read this thread that someone would bang on about how out of touch the Tories are and that Hillsborough was Thatcher's fault.

[steviecarnie]

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Anyone outside the families of the 96 killed who is offended by a simple mistake is either a professional offendee or looking for an excuse, any excuse, to have a pop at some Tories.

unfortunately in his line of work simple mistakes arent allowed, especially when its in reference to a historical event where lives were lost,

[Beefster]

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unfortunately in his line of work simple mistakes arent allowed, especially when its in reference to a historical event where lives were lost,

You're looking for a god and not a politician then.

[Leicester Fan]

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I am sure that they had had a drink, turned up late and a few will not have had tickets. But is that really the cause of 96 people being dead.

If it is every major football match at the time must have run that risk.

It was a bit more than a few. I've been to Hillsborough a few times and if the subject ever comes up the locals are quite certain who was to blame. It's not as if the police poured beer down the scousers' throats and forced them into the ground against their will.

[steviecarnie]

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You're looking for a god and not a politician then.

no but a bit brains and tact wouldnt go a miss, having to praise fans for not fighting is bad enough on its own, should go without saying tbh. but to then get your historical facts wrong.....is in itself ridiculous.

[MSK]

Guys, will you cut out the personal abuse please, also the swear filter is there for a reason ..

[magpie1892]

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Anyone outside the families of the 96 killed who is offended by a simple mistake is either a professional offendee or looking for an excuse, any excuse, to have a pop at some Tories.

I knew before I read this thread that someone would bang on about how out of touch the Tories are and that Hillsborough was Thatcher's fault.

Spot on.

[Borders Hibby]

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It was a bit more than a few. I've been to Hillsborough a few times and if the subject ever comes up the locals are quite certain who was to blame. It's not as if the police poured beer down the scousers' throats and forced them into the ground against their will.

Correct, but then I never threw a CS gas cannister into the terracing at Easter Road, but I did get crushed and to begin with the police stopped fans coming on to the pitch. Fortunately no one was badly hurt and the capacity of the crowd was correct for the area. I did however feel real fear. Its the responsibility of the police to keep the crowd safe surely, they never initiated the problem but they could have made it a whole lot worse.

To open a gate to let thousands of football fans into an area already full when other sections were empty, and then to delay letting people onto the pitch was wrong. It was a bad decision, they tried to cover it up and that just made it worse if thats possible.

[Mibbes Aye]

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Anyone outside the families of the 96 killed who is offended by a simple mistake is either a professional offendee or looking for an excuse, any excuse, to have a pop at some Tories.

I knew before I read this thread that someone would bang on about how out of touch the Tories are and that Hillsborough was Thatcher's fault.

So you're only allowed to be offended if you actually lost somebody at Hillsborough?

I'm sure the families of the 96 killed would appreciate your ring-fencing of their grief.

Sometimes people say twattish things. That's what Hunt did here and he should have known a million times better as a professional politician and supposedly one of the most media-savvy of the Tories.

His problem is that as a Conservative Cabinet minister his ignorance about the deaths of football fans is open to far more suspicion than if it were a Labour or LibDem counterpart.

Maybe you should consider why that is?

[NAE NOOKIE]

I hate Tories in all their forms but I honestly dont think this guy intended to cause offense.

He probably aint football minded and so wasnt informed enough to make the destinction between Hysel and Hillsborough.

A bit like most folk think that the numpties who used to like riding round the countryside killing for fun were all chinless wonder hooray Henrys when in fact a lot of working class folk were also into it.

It also cant be denied that there is a bit of a persecution complex which pervades the Scouser mentality which makes them jump to the defensive at the slightest suggestion of a slur, real or not.

Having said that, if you are going to take on a job like the one he has it would be a good idea to look into your subject before going off half cocked.

[Borders Hibby]

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I hate Tories in all their forms but I honestly dont think this guy intended to cause offense.

He probably aint football minded and so wasnt informed enough to make the destinction between Hysel and Hillsborough.

On a lighter note his name must be the best cockney rhyming slang since Colin Nish!

[Beefster]

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His problem is that as a Conservative Cabinet minister his ignorance about the deaths of football fans is open to far more suspicion than if it were a Labour or LibDem counterpart.

Maybe you should consider why that is?

I don't think there is a valid reason why he should be more open to suspicion than a politician of any other persuasion, to be honest, beyond plain old Tory-bashing.