I did pal! I saw the reaction first hand and remember it well!
I’m originally from the Midlands and have a lot of friends who are Forest Fans (including my best mate) and they were at that match at Hillsborough for the Semi-Final. Some of them went on the pitch as it unfolded to help. All of them saw things that day that they are still massively scarred by.
They saw Liverpool supporters being absolute scum! Pissed up, fighting with the police, who were trying to help and others stealing watches, jewellery and money from unconscious people being treated on the pitch. They stated this to me that very evening when they returned from the game - before any of the media reports filtered through in the following day(s). They were disgusted, traumatised and still hate Liverpool supporters today because of it.
The issues that day were caused by Liverpool supporters (many of whom were drunk) forcing their way into the stadium without tickets! They are renowned for this and always have been!
I’m a retired police officer having served 35 years with the Met Police. I have worked hundreds of games at London grounds during that time, numerous ones involving Liverpool and Everton. I’ve also worked loads of their Wembley games during that time and for 20 odd years of my service I worked them as an FIO (Football Intelligence Officer).
EVERY Wembley game involving either Liverpool or Everton we would have hundreds & hundreds of ejections because of unauthorised entry. Forgeries, duplicate tickets, photocopies, bunking in, forcing open the barriers, bribing stewards & gate staff and mates getting in and opening up fire exits or gates from inside to let their mates in. Any other Wembley game involving ANY other team and we’d have on average 30-50 ejections. Put Liverpool or Everton there and we’d have 400 plus!!!
I also worked a particular match at Chelsea and was situated at the Bovril Gate and witnessed first hand, pissed up, ticketless Liverpool supporters trying to force their way into the Bovril Gate en masse, we’re talking hundreds trying to push through police lines and then those that did get through rushed the turnstiles and gates and forced their way into the ground, this was many years AFTER Hillsborough. It was known beforehand that they were going to do this as we had source intel from within the fanbase attending the game that this was being planned. Liverpool of ALL teams planning to do this!
I have also witnessed first hand this same behaviour at West Ham (Upton Park) and with Everton supporters at Fulham. I’ve only ever seen this large scale, ticketless, forced entry on that scale (with English domestic clubs) with Liverpool or Everton supporters.
I could go on listing several more shocking personal experiences with the supporters of these two teams but a lot of it is just repetition of the same theme; Drunk, ticketless, abusive, violent, indecent and intent on getting in the ground AT ANY COST.
We also had a number of Palace supporters scammed by supposed Liverpool fans with Club Wembley FA Cup Semi Final & Final tickets.
I was 19 at the time of Hillsborough - a complete football fanatic, attending Palace matches every weekend home & away. I was also an adult, working full time as a police officer, having joined the Met and moved down to London at age 18.
I obviously don’t know but you may have only been 11 at the time of Hillsborough??? (Judging by your registered members name on here?). Possibly attending school or maybe stealing hub caps? Either way, if I’m correct about your age & circumstances then there’s absolutely no question who has the clearer ‘experience’ of the day or of the ‘national reaction’ as you put it, or of what happened in the aftermath of the reporting!
EVERYONE bar the ‘never their fault’ brigade know what happened that day and why.
Everyone bar the ‘never their fault’ brigade know that it was the Liverpool supporters who were responsible for the Hesysel Stadium tragedy and deaths in 1985.
Everyone bar the ‘never their fault’ brigade know why it was only the Liverpool ‘fans’ that had issues on the concourse and at the turnstiles of the Stade de France (Champions League Final 2022) when the thousands upon thousands of Real Madrid supporters had NO issues whatsoever 🙄
Let me be clear, I have the utmost sympathy and compassion for the Liverpool supporters who died that day at Hillsborough and with the families who lost loved ones.
They were the innocent victims who had match tickets and who were in the ground early and at the front of the terracing.
They were tragically crushed to death by their own supporters who forced their way in and onto a massively overcrowded Leppings Lane terrace!
I cannot overstate my utter disgust at what I’ve witnessed from Liverpool supporters during my 55 years and from what I have seen reported and heard from others.
My absolute and total contempt and dislike for their fan base as a whole, is as a result of this…and their ‘unfortunate’ habit of always being involved in these events.
Their pathetic and repugnant treatment of our Country’s National Anthem today has just served to affirm everything I’ve ever thought about them.
England