Do we have a problem with Sheffield Wednesday fans and their club?

[Morse]

A neighbour is a Wednesday fan and is going to the promotion final at Wembley this weekend.

He is very sympathetic to what happened and is very glad that at long last, justice has prevailed for some.

 

He did say something odd though...he thinks that Liverpool fans have a massive problem with SW fans and their club.  He suggests that there will be bad blood (coming from our side) next year if they come up.

I was surprised at this and we discussed this over a pint last night.

(I believe that there was an issue with an out of date safety certificate etc...perhaps this is what he means).

 

He says that there are 96 white seats at the front of the Leppings Lane stand that never get used but he is sad that the stand hasn't been knocked down...no money.

 

He also says that their decline was pretty much soon after the disaster and it is an indication of their grief/guilt over the whole day.

 

We agreed that the fault lies squarely on the police and politicians of the time...but he still has a worry that we take issue with them.

 

Thoughts please?

 

[Jarg Armani]

It was partly SWFC's fault, so he's right, there is bad blood.

 

They knew better than anyone that the Leppings Lane was an accident waiting to happen, an accident that had already happened several times in fact, there were crushes in 81 and 88.

 

They, along with the police, ambulance service & FA found that it was more convenient to blame Liverpool fans for 27 years than to accept their part in it.

 

I would imagine if they came up there would be a chance of some sort of boycott. There's going to be some things said to the SYP next time we play in any ground that comes under their remit.

[Maldini]

There was a boycott of Hillsborough games at one point wasn't there?

[sutty]

I don't remember there being a boycott.

 

IMO there's nothing material in it. I think that there are some people who understandably are reluctant to go to that ground, but I don't think their supporters are a big issue.

 

I used to f***ing hate Kevin Pressman like

[Earl Hafler]

It was partly SWFC's fault, so he's right, there is bad blood.

 

They knew better than anyone that the Leppings Lane was an accident waiting to happen, an accident that had already happened several times in fact, there were crushes in 81 and 88.

 

They, along with the police, ambulance service & FA found that it was more convenient to blame Liverpool fans for 27 years than to accept their part in it.

 

I would imagine if they came up there would be a chance of some sort of boycott. There's going to be some things said to the SYP next time we play in any ground that comes under their remit.

 

My point here would be that it's a different club now. I don't hate Sheffield Wednesday ( although most of their fans i know appear to be closet Mancs )

 

The FA , Government and SYP are the institutions mostly to blame, perpetuating lies and failing to accept responsibility for 27 years ( even longer when you consider the injuries sustained at Hillsborough the previous season )

[Leo No.8]

It was partly SWFC's fault, so he's right, there is bad blood.

 

They knew better than anyone that the Leppings Lane was an accident waiting to happen, an accident that had already happened several times in fact, there were crushes in 81 and 88.

 

They, along with the police, ambulance service & FA found that it was more convenient to blame Liverpool fans for 27 years than to accept their part in it.

 

I would imagine if they came up there would be a chance of some sort of boycott. There's going to be some things said to the SYP next time we play in any ground that comes under their remit.

Not their fans fault that though is it?

 

They could have been victims of that themselves given different circumstances. I've nothing against them - just whoever the officials were who made those decisions.

[oakie bob]

I was glad when they went down, not a ground I would ever go back to, if they dont come up, I will be happy.  Too many bad memories from a personal point of view to see our fans in that end.

[honourablegeorge]

Think you can rightly have a problem with Wednesday's board/management, although they're run by very different people nowadays.

 

Can understand people wanting to avoid the ground, but I cant understand why anyone would feel any negativity towards their fans - they were in that same stadium once/twice a fortnight, with the same s***ty safety and policing - could very easily have been 96 of them dead instead of ours. 

[Maldini]

Yeah, thought I remembered one alright. Out of 7,500 tickets for the May '98 game only 1,000 were taken up while 5,000 turned up to a rally at St. George's Hall http://www.contrast.org/hillsborough/boycott.shtm

[Hassony]

The 96 white seats are covered by an advert for Pukka pies

[John am Rhein]

It might be partly SWFC's fault but it certainly isn't SWFC fans' fault

[downunder]

going back there a few times whilst the terraces still had the scars of April '89 was very chilling. I don't remember any bad feelings toward their fans though.

[muleskinner]

The disaster wasn't responsible for their demise on the pitch, it was Danny Wilson and David Pleat who did that.

[Begbie]

I don't like anything to do with them, I hope Hull beat them (and I don't like Hull and can't stand Bruce). This isn't particularly rational and I agree there's no blame on their fans....nevertheless, that's how it is

[smithdown]

I looked on a Swfc fan website after the inquest verdict and was surprised that they have an embargo on posting about it. I couldn't see any obvious explanation for why and assume it is a longstanding thing, the only mention was a sort of "the issue that we will not discuss here" which suggests there have been opinions that make some uncomfortable.

[dorgie]

It was partly SWFC's fault, so he's right, there is bad blood.

 

They knew better than anyone that the Leppings Lane was an accident waiting to happen, an accident that had already happened several times in fact, there were crushes in 81 and 88.

 

They, along with the police, ambulance service & FA found that it was more convenient to blame Liverpool fans for 27 years than to accept their part in it.

 

I would imagine if they came up there would be a chance of some sort of boycott. There's going to be some things said to the SYP next time we play in any ground that comes under their remit.

 

Blame does lie with SW officials of the time, however, in my opinion, the FA are exponentially more to blame for continuing to give them FA Cup Semi Finals after the 1981 semi final. The FA not to be arsed about safety certificates and crush precedences and go ahead and award the semi finals to them in '88 and '89 is negligence of the highest order and they still seem to be getting off lightly in that regard.

 

Why Old Trafford wasn't the venue for '88 and '89 is baffling. Sheffield is as close to Nottingham as Manchester is to Liverpool, so it really beggars belief.

[Lou]

I looked on a Swfc fan website after the inquest verdict and was surprised that they have an embargo on posting about it. I couldn't see any obvious explanation for why and assume it is a longstanding thing, the only mention was a sort of "the issue that we will not discuss here" which suggests there have been opinions that make some uncomfortable.

I did the same with The Sheffield Star (the Echo equivalent). The reaction in the public comments section of the inquest reports was mixed. Sadly there were a significant number still sticking to the lies.

 

Having said that,  the quality in the comments sections in The Echo doesn't always point to an intelligent bunch of subscribers.

[NeilJ]

The fact that your club's ground was where something so horrific happened, and that your club contributed to it happening, must make them feel uneasy, at least. To that extent I feel a bit sorry for them.

 

Obviously though, they're quite a way down the list of people to feel sorry for.

[Jarg Armani]

I don't like anything to do with them, I hope Hull beat them (and I don't like Hull and can't stand Bruce). This isn't particularly rational and I agree there's no blame on their fans....nevertheless, that's how it is

 

I think this pretty much sums it up for a lot of people.

[rednotdead]

My mate is a Wednesday and while I really hope they win tomorrow for him, I'm not that enthused about the prospect of Liverpool fans having to start going there again. How that stand is still there beggars belief. Should have been bulldozed straight away out of respect for the dead. 

[Guy_Incognito]

I have only met one Wednesday fan and she was a f***ing dick about Hillsborough. From foolishly reading replies to certain tweets, she wasn't the only one either.

[JRC]

There was something posted a few days ago about a memorial that has been set up and (still) paid for by local residents and businesses in the Hillsborough area - partly because they felt the club/council/SYP hadn't done enough by way of recognition. Think it was attached to a very good blog post by a Wednesday fan; comments were all spot on as well, iirc.

[Gunga Din]

i hope Hull beat them. its not a ground i'll ever go to

[Red Yoda]

SW as a club are partly to blame without a doubt but I have no problems with the fans of that club.

[Molby]

Unnecessary hassle

 

Come on Hull!