You'll Never Walk Alone will be played before K.O today....

[HoneyRoastHoax]

There is easier threat of punishment now though. The constantly evolving Safety at sports ground act, emergency services legislation, Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and HSE legislation.

Yes, but a founding principle of the British justice system is that "justice is seen to be done". Let it not be done for cost reasons on something that has such precedent and affects so many and you're taking out a fundamental corner-stone of that system.

Good point.

Im actually in shock that this has been my first adult civilised conversation on here.

Do I get a certificate?

[Negative_Jeff]

..... This is a Liverpool thing ......

I've sen where your argument breaks down. This is not a "Liverpool thing" - this is a "football thing". It could have happened to any set of supporters and the ramifications of it affect us all.

Anyone who doesn't appreciate that simple fact either doesn't understand what happened and the issues raised or has decided they don't want to.

But the ramifications have been addressed as far as culpability is concerned. Alright after 23 years the old bill have finally been rumbled, but how on earth they expected to get away with it at the time is beyond me. My point is are we going to mark every stage of this process at Reading FC as we did last saturday? Most other clubs saw it fit not to do so.

[Alexander Litvinenko]

But the ramifications have been addressed as far as culpability is concerned. Alright after 23 years the old bill have finally been rumbled, but how on earth they expected to get away with it at the time is beyond me. My point is are we going to mark every stage of this process at Reading FC as we did last saturday? Most other clubs saw it fit not to do so.

Not every stage, certainly not, but the events of this last week have been the most significant of the past 23 years - the day that the ordinary supporters at the match were exonerated from all the lies and the officially-sanctioned smears directed to them - and, by implication, all other football supporters.

I'm certainly not a fan of over-commemorating, but IMHO this was perfectly judged by the club and I think the the take-up of it in the ground, together with the supportive comments from across the football family prove that. To suggest it shouldn't be commemorated is a bit churlish, I think.

Many other clubs did also support it, as well and at some where there wasn't an "official" commemoration supporters did spontaneous commemorations themselves - Arsenal supporters sang "You'll Never Walk Alone" at 3.06 pm on Saturday, for instance.

[Seal]

Arsenal supporters sang?? etc etc

[3 veesinarow]

Reading FC are rather good at this sort of thing. Witness last year`s minutes silence eight days early at the start of "remembrance week" as introduced by our dotty PA announcer. I am quite capable of walking up to the memorial on the heath on Remembrance Sunday.

That's just being plain stupid in trying to promote your "argument". That game was the home game immediately preceding Armistice Day and the only opportunity to observe it. The next game (home or away) wasn't until two weeks later and how many brickbats would be thrown at a club only "bothering" to observe it a week after everyone else?

I would also suggest it isn't an RFC gimmick to do "this sort of thing" and observe a national recognition of remembrance for the war dead. It's not as if it doesn't happen every single season at every single club.

[John Peel]

Great poll. Interesting insight into how Royals fans think.

Negative responses/voting reflect the unhealthy cynicism that is present in society today. We are talking about fellow football fans - a whopping 96 in total - who died on the terraces. Could have been anyone of us (well, whoever started going when terraces were still around!). So in those respects, I believe that we have a common bond with those that died and their families.

It was a great idea and I think the negative reaction says just as much about those people. I respect fully though that you are entitled to their opinion, negative or not. I just don't agree with you. Although I do agree that there is a fine balance between genuine/meaningful and hackneyed/pointless. It's the former at the moment IMO.

[Man Friday]

I'm being a bit of a twat here but i'm guessing more than 96 people die a day from avoidable accidents

What, football related ones??? This is a football disaster being commemorated by football clubs and football fans.

[Man Friday]

Agreed. The police would cop it big time for their poor planning and execution on the day and SUFC would get done for having an unsafe ground (too few turnstiles, too big a gradient in the steps leading to the stand, gates from the fences at the front which were too small, etc).

What's Sheffield United got to do with it?

[PBR]

I'm being a bit of a twat here but i'm guessing more than 96 people die a day from avoidable accidents

What, football related ones??? This is a football disaster being commemorated by football clubs and football fans.

Should we remember all football disasters or just ones with the most publicity?

[Man Friday]

I'm being a bit of a twat here but i'm guessing more than 96 people die a day from avoidable accidents

What, football related ones??? This is a football disaster being commemorated by football clubs and football fans.

Should we remember all football disasters or just ones with the most publicity?

All over 5 deaths.

[Z175]

Should we remember all football disasters or just ones with the most publicity?

Being beaten by Swansea in the playoff final, now that was a oxf*rd disaster!

Still waiting on the official apology on that one. Loads blamed plastic fans at the time if I remember correctly. As for justice for the 40,000, unlikely now Sinclairs played for teamgb.

[harryroyal]

I agree with respecting the 96 at this game, but i don't agree with "you'll never walk alone" being played and having LFC's badge on the screen. AFter all it was 96 people who died, i don't like how it has become all about liverpool football club.

[biscuitman]

AFter all it was 96 people who died

Yes, 96 Liverpool fans...

[robb the royal]

I really struggle to see what peoples problem with this is....Hillsborough was a MASSIVE part of British Footballing History...96 football fans died, ok, they happened to be Liverpool fans, but as other people have said, it could easily have been any other club, including Reading.
By playing You'll Never Walk Alone, we were not tributing or supporting Liverpool F.C., we were simply showing our support to the families who lost someone on that day...in the same way we don't celebrate that we beat the Germans during the wars on remembrance Sunday, we remember those who were lost.
Besides, no one forced you to be in your seats when it was played: those of you could quite easily have stood on the terraces with a drink and come in when it finished.

[No Fixed Abode]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion on this. Whether you think it's right or wrong. But can we please not go down the route of accusing people of trolling if they didn't think it should be played.

[robb the royal]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion on this. Whether you think it's right or wrong. But can we please not go down the route of accusing people of trolling if they didn't think it should be played.

I wasn't accusing anyone of trolling at all...I was simply giving my opinion

[Caskeys Lovechild]

Worth realising that YNWA was not originally a "Liverpool" anthem - it was an anthem played around the country at football grounds. Only after Hillsborough did it take on a new meaning, and become a Liverpool anthem, as other clubs backed off and let them take it as their own. If you want to go all the way back, it was originally a song from a film - Carousel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7YhWIzd-gc - Skip to about 4mins in to see the original context.

I agree with the points of view pointing towards commemorating the loss of these fellow football supporters at appropriate times. I think post exposé was probably a suitable time, but I wouldn't want to see it as an occurance more than once a season in future.

[3 veesinarow]

Wut? It's been Liverpool's anthem since the 60s. They didn't claim it after Hillsborough, they had already had it for about 25 years at that point.

[creative_username_1]

Wut? It's been Liverpool's anthem since the 60s. They didn't claim it after Hillsborough, they had already had it for about 25 years at that point.

It was generic then used by Utd then popularised by Liverpool and plagarised by Celtic

[3 veesinarow]

Only after Hillsborough did it take on a new meaning, and become a Liverpool anthem, as other clubs backed off and let them take it as their own.

Whilst other clubs around the world have used and adopted the song, this statement is incorrect. Play it to any football fan around the world and ask them what club it reminds them of - the vast majorIty will say LFC. It did not become a Liverpool anthem after Hillsborough, plain and simple, it already was.