An Open Letter to the supporters of Liverpool Football Club

[John_mac]

Twelve Simple Questions

 

An open letter to the supporters of Liverpool Football Club:

 

1. Why are Liverpool Football Club playing a football match on 15th April 2006, the seventeenth anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster?

 

2. Why did Liverpool FC not inform the Premier League that they would be unwilling to play on this date prior to the fixture program being released?

 

 

3. Why did Liverpool FC not apply to the Premier League and ask them for permission to rearrange the fixture?

 

4. Why did Blackburn not receive any correspondence from Liverpool about rearranging the fixture until very recently? It was farcical to see that Blackburn were willing to rearrange but had not received a request from Liverpool. Had Sky television chosen to screen the fixture live on good Friday would the club have then accepted a rearranged date?

 

 

5. Is Sky Television?s money more important to hierarchy at Liverpool Football Club than Hillsborough?

 

6. Why has the Chief Executive of Liverpool Football Club not responded to the numerous letters he has received on this issue?

 

 

7. Bradford City Football Club have come out and publicly announced that they will never play on the 11th May, the date that marks the anniversary of the Bradford Fire. Why have Liverpool FCN never shown the same respect for the memory of the victims of Hillsborough that Bradford have?

 

8. Neither Blackburn nor the Premier League have any objections the game being rearranged to Good Friday, why do Liverpool?

 

 

9. Why has the club chosen a half-hearted compromise to a situation which requires a clear and concise statement from the club a statement that requires no further clarification: ?Out of respect for the victims of the Hillsborough Disaster Liverpool Football Club will never again play on 15th April, the date that marks the anniversary of the disaster.?

 

10. Why did it take the football club seven months to make a decision to even query the time and date of the fixture?

 

 

11. Have the club even written to Sheffield Wednesday FC to question the wisdom of playing a football match at the Hillsborough stadium at 3pm on 15th April 2006?

 

12. The 15th April is a day that many Liverpool fans will never ever forget and they should be allowed to pay their respects to the victims of Hillsborough on this date. Many, many Liverpool fans feel that this date is sacrosanct in the calendar, why do the hierarchy of Liverpool Football Club not appreciate this and why have they chosen to play a fixture which could easily have been accommodated elsewhere in the calendar on 15th April 2006?

[Guest Kev]

All perfectly reasonable questions, do you think you'll get any reasonable answers ?

[Guest Red Mist]

Re: Question 11. I doubt Sheff Wed care too much about playing on April 15th, considering how long it took them just to build a memorial to the victims of the disaster.

[John_mac]

All perfectly reasonable questions, do you think you'll get any reasonable answers ?

 

Kev, I know that I won't get any answers because unfortunately, they don't care.

 

I have thought fora long time that allthat interests the club is money and this whole 'dirty' episode has done nothing but confirm this, I can't help but wonder how long the sky thing has been in the background and what is really going on?

 

I was speaking to a Radio City reporter a couple of weeks ago who told me that he had spoken to Blackburn, who confirmed that they had no objection to plaing in Good Friday but that Liverpool had not approached them, the Premier League said they would only make a comment if a request was received to home club but Liverpool refused to even speak to him, it f%%%en stinks, truly does.

 

I really hate the way the club get Phil Hammond to make a statement as though that speaks for every supporter. Yes, the man's opinions should be taken into consideration given his position but it is not a voice in isolation.

 

The club appear more and more willing to run roughshod over fans, why did they not make any sort of stand over the kick off time at Portsmouth? Why have they refused to consider Good Friday?

 

Have they objected to playing Newcastle Sunday and Birmingham Tuesday? No because it is money, simple as, it is ruling everything.

 

The club cannot make commercial enterprise out of Hillsborough so the past five years has seen a concerted attempt to consign it to a box in the corner marked 'the past'.

 

They love Rome 77 and Paris 81 because they can market it, market that part of our history. Well f*** them, Hillsborough is as an important part of our history as any European Cup, more important.

 

The anniversary should be a day that means something, I know it does to me, it should not be a day which is overshadowed for most fans by a game of football, it is, to quote, it is far more important than that. It should be what stands Liverpool Football Club away from the rest, the unique bond between the club, the city and the people of the city, unfortunately the powers that be at the club, will never be able to understand that there are some things more important than competing financially with the superstore at the othr end of teh Lancs.

 

Re: Question 11. I doubt Sheff Wed care too much about playing on April 15th, considering how long it took them just to build a memorial to the victims of the disaster.

 

That may very well be the case, but Liverpool Football Club still have a responsbility to act in a befitting manner.

 

There has never been a game played at Hillsborough on the anniversary and each year since the disaster grops have fans have travelled to Sheffield to lay flowers before returning to Anfield for the service.

 

Would there be a game at Hillsborough had it been Sheffield Wednesday fans who had lost their lives? I doubt it.

 

Do our club accept us as second class citizens? That is the question

[SkippyjonJones]

 

 

Do our club accept us as second class citizens? That is the question

 

I don;t think that they view us like that.

Their view of us (IMO) is as customers and consumers. Their obligation starts when they can get money from our wallet and closes when that wallet shuts. LFC are just another big club in the world of football that is fueled by sponsership, TV money and a distant 3rd is the paying football fan. Those that are making demands without contributing any more than they already do towards the club don't even register as being significant - and thats where those who care about Hillsborough are right now.

 

depressing isn;t it.

[Falconhoof]

I thought the club had been forced into a situation where they had no choice and their appeals and correspondance had fallen on deaf ears. The points raised in that letter suggest that the board of LFC are the main obstacle to getting the fixture rearranged. What kind of f***ing madness is that ?

 

If the money angle is what they are looking at then they haven't thought through the potential impact of losing the respect of some supporters.

I'll be less inclined to put my hand in my pocket in future if they go ahead with the game on that date. Am I alone in thinking like that ?

[Guest ojdk]

8. Neither Blackburn nor the Premier League have any objections the game being rearranged to Good Friday, why do Liverpool?

 

Possible FA Cup replay on 12 April could be an explanation.

[John_mac]

Possible FA Cup replay on 12 April could be an explanation.

 

Except that the club are playing Newcastle on Sunday then an FACup game on Tuesday, yrt would not be able to play a replay Tuesday and Blackburn Friday. Even stranger when you consider that they are currently scheduled to play Blackburn Saturday and Fulham Monday.................. nah, it just does not add up!

[Guest ojdk]

Fulham at home was rescheduled for 15 March because of a possible CL quarter final on 18/19 April. I am sure they would also have preferred to play Birmingham on the Wednesday, but Sky/BBC/the FA decided those dates.

[Guz]

We should bombard the club with letters about the issue, surely there's still time to get it changed properly. Maybe try and get a few calls on 606 or something like that as well? Dunno. A time change is hardly good enough, almost a "right, got that out of the way, now lets go to the footy and forget it for another year" situation.

 

Liverpool Football Club

Anfield Road

Liverpool

L4 0TH

 

I think?

[Knox_Harrington]

Kev, I know that I won't get any answers because unfortunately, they don't care.

 

I have thought fora long time that allthat interests the club is money and this whole 'dirty' episode has done nothing but confirm this, I can't help but wonder how long the sky thing has been in the background and what is really going on?

 

I was speaking to a Radio City reporter a couple of weeks ago who told me that he had spoken to Blackburn, who confirmed that they had no objection to plaing in Good Friday but that Liverpool had not approached them, the Premier League said they would only make a comment if a request was received to home club but Liverpool refused to even speak to him, it f%%%en stinks, truly does.

 

I really hate the way the club get Phil Hammond to make a statement as though that speaks for every supporter. Yes, the man's opinions should be taken into consideration given his position but it is not a voice in isolation.

 

The club appear more and more willing to run roughshod over fans, why did they not make any sort of stand over the kick off time at Portsmouth? Why have they refused to consider Good Friday?

 

Have they objected to playing Newcastle Sunday and Birmingham Tuesday? No because it is money, simple as, it is ruling everything.

 

The club cannot make commercial enterprise out of Hillsborough so the past five years has seen a concerted attempt to consign it to a box in the corner marked 'the past'.

 

They love Rome 77 and Paris 81 because they can market it, market that part of our history. Well f*** them, Hillsborough is as an important part of our history as any European Cup, more important.

 

The anniversary should be a day that means something, I know it does to me, it should not be a day which is overshadowed for most fans by a game of football, it is, to quote, it is far more important than that. It should be what stands Liverpool Football Club away from the rest, the unique bond between the club, the city and the people of the city, unfortunately the powers that be at the club, will never be able to understand that there are some things more important than competing financially with the superstore at the othr end of teh Lancs.

That may very well be the case, but Liverpool Football Club still have a responsbility to act in a befitting manner.

 

There has never been a game played at Hillsborough on the anniversary and each year since the disaster grops have fans have travelled to Sheffield to lay flowers before returning to Anfield for the service.

 

Would there be a game at Hillsborough had it been Sheffield Wednesday fans who had lost their lives? I doubt it.

 

Do our club accept us as second class citizens? That is the question

Agree with everything you've put there John apart from two things:

 

- Birmingham almost certainly isn't down to the club.

 

- Be very sure about the Radio City reporter because, to be honest, if he is sure that that is true then it begs the question why he/they aren't running that very story and why The Echo etc. hasn't picked up on it. It would be a big story.

 

But the spirit of everything you've put is pretty much spot on and shows up "retiring" the no. 12 shirt for the load of total b******s it is.

Edited February 25, 2006 by Knox_Harrington

[John_mac]

- Be very sure about the Radio City reporter because, to be honest, if he is sure that that is true then it begs the question why he/they aren't running that very story and why The Echo etc. hasn't picked up on it. It would be a big story.

 

I am, very sure. This was prior to the kick off time change.

 

You have to remember that the Echo/ City are very much at the mercy of the football Club, it's how they sell their product. Without the support ofthe club they will struggle, you will rarely, if ever, see/ hear negative coverage of the football club in the local media.

[Knox_Harrington]

I am, very sure. This was prior to the kick off time change.

 

You have to remember that the Echo/ City are very much at the mercy of the football Club, it's how they sell their product. Without the support ofthe club they will struggle, you will rarely, if ever, see/ hear negative coverage of the football club in the local media.

I know that's the case but I think they would take the hit for a story like this. Well, The Echo probably would anyway because it is too significant a story and if they ran it and the club were obstructive then they could hit the club again. The Echo has made no bones about it's groundshare stance (for example).

 

I've got onto my Merseyside contact anyway (though he's away for a bit) and going to get him to chase it up.

[boohog]

None of my family or friends died in Hillsborough, so please forgive me if this sounds insensitive, but why not play on the anniversary? It seems as good a way as any to get people together in remembrance.

 

Do you think that the people who died there would have wanted us not to play on the anniversary?

[SkippyjonJones]

why not play - beacause that day is the memorial service for the victims each year.

 

as others have pointed out how can you get from the service to the game in blackburn - it can't be done.

 

why not play on the friday instead

[fyds]

None of my family or friends died in Hillsborough, so please forgive me if this sounds insensitive, but why not play on the anniversary? It seems as good a way as any to get people together in remembrance.

 

Do you think that the people who died there would have wanted us not to play on the anniversary?

Well, I did know people who died at Hillsborough - but I still think it's a valid question which I can see the positive side of. I don't know exactly what I feel about it myself. I don't just want to mourn those friends that died, I want to celebrate their lives too and I'm split in my own mind and feelings about the best way to do this.

[SkippyjonJones]

surey the best way to celebrate would be to do a home game if anything and do it at night - after the service,

 

if we HAVE to play that day

[fyds]

surey the best way to celebrate would be to do a home game if anything and do it at night - after the service,

 

if we HAVE to play that day

I was thinking along thoise lines myself Milke - in a way, I would like a game on that day as cathartis to what goes before - but as you say, it should be at home and probably at night.

[Romario]

So what were the answers to questions originally distributed to shareholders at the AGM?

Edited February 26, 2006 by Romario

[anny road]

we should NEVER play on 15th April

 

I didnt lose relatives but I did lose freinds and I dont want to be thinking about football on that day.........I am half contemplating not going to the match......

 

Somethings are more imprtant than football....

[John_mac]

Personally, i do not think that it is appropriate to play a game on the date of the anniversary.

 

I travel to as many games as I possibly can but cannot see myself travelling to Ewood Park. The anniversary is a day of remembrance and a day to think about the injustices that have occured.

 

I have attended all the services to date, each time I have attended with the friends that I went to Hillsborough with, and on each and every occassion it has been impossible not to be moved, a day when life is more important than football, more important than Liverpool Football Club.

 

An Evertonian friend lost his cousin and his uncle on opposite sides of his family, I'll spend a bit of time talking to his mum.

 

It really is as simple as that, to the Liverpool fans that I know, the 15th April is more important than football. A day that is more important than switching on Sky Sports news to see if there is any team news, jumping the train to find a pub and sing your nuts off, before going the game and singing about 'five times', all things that simply pale intoinsignificance.

 

I don' think that a home game would be more appropriate, Anfield on the 15th April is not about football, Liverpool FC should not be. Anybody who remembers the lone voice at the service five or six years ago, spliff in hand, singing "You'll never walk alone", bearing his soul to those gathered around him, will know exactly what I am talking about.

[boohog]

Fair enough gents.

 

I can see that an away game on the day is totally inappropriate, but the idea of an evening game seems to me to be not entirely without merit. But then my life wasn't affected in the same way as many other people's lives were, so it is not for me to make that decision.