73 dead at a football match

[Einion Yrth]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

it wouldn't have happened if that many people had turned up on that day at Hillsborough for the filming of an episode of Antiques Roadshow!! Or to see a pop concert. Or a rugby match even. It could only have happened at a football fixture.

Really? (and this is not a unique event). Although I'll grant you that antiques roadshow would be unlikely to have the draw.

[ExChrispy Porker]

Only in football ( as far as I am aware) does the fear of violence between rival sections of the crowd, mean that crowd segregation is necessary.
That, in many cases, then becomes part of the problem.

[stuttgartmetal]

Health and Safety gone mad.

[alftupper]

When this story came up on the television news last night I thought the newsreader was going to say 'if you dont want to know the death toll look away now' .

[pacman1]

Hugo a Gogo said:

I heard they were angry about being ripped off in some sort of pyramid scheme

Millwall fans of old must be feeling pretty inadequate at the moment.

[Hugo a Gogo]

ExChrispy Porker said:

Only in football ( as far as I am aware) does the fear of violence between rival sections of the crowd, mean that crowd segregation is necessary.
That, in many cases, then becomes part of the problem.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nika_riots

alftupper said:

When this story came up on the television news last night I thought the newsreader was going to say 'if you dont want to know the death toll look away now' .

[carmonk]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

carmonk said:

It's Hillsborough, you can't even spell it. The conclusion was "...the British Judicial system has consistently found that violence or hooliganism played no part whatsoever in the disaster".

Yes, they did say that. But the fact remains that it wouldn't have happened if that many people had turned up on that day at Hillsborough for the filming of an episode of Antiques Roadshow!! Or to see a pop concert. Or a rugby match even. It could only have happened at a football fixture.

11 dead, the Who concert in Ohio, 1979.

1500 dead, prayers at Mecca, 1990 (not much alcohol evident there, I believe)

60 dead, school festival, Cameroon, 1988

183 dead, Victoria Theatre, 1883

And many others. The fact is the density of crowds at football matches and the heightened emotions (god knows why, I hate football) means that this is more likely. If you have 1200 people turn up to football matches, such as for the Antiques Roadshow, you wouldn't get one death from crushing or stampeding.

My original point, however, that those two incidents have zero to do with hooliganism and violence still stands.

[ExChrispy Porker]

So you are seriously saying that less than 73 people have been killed in the western world as a result of football violence, since the game began ?

[carmonk]

ExChrispy Porker said:

So you are seriously saying that less than 73 people have been killed in the western world as a result of football violence, since the game began ?

Yes, I said I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case.

[Bill]

There's a bizarre lack of humanity shown by many on this thread. 73 people were killed in the rush to avoid a bunch of idiots fighting. Poor fkers.

The only reason IMO we haven't had similar happen in this country is decent crowd control.

[ExChrispy Porker]

carmonk said:

Yes, I said I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case.

You are aware that there have been hundreds of deaths in football riots in Argentina alone?

[TEKNOPUG]

You do realise that it has nothing to do with football and was a pre-planned confrontation between armed political militia and the current incumbent security forces?

Or did you honestly think that it was just a tear up between fans from rival clubs that got out of control?

[carmonk]

ExChrispy Porker said:

carmonk said:

Yes, I said I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case.

You are aware that there have been hundreds of deaths in football riots in Argentina alone?

There were quite a few in Argentina, I guess I should have referred to Europe specifically.

[Jimbeaux]

Hugo a Gogo said:

I heard they were angry about being ripped off in some sort of pyramid scheme

Sorry, but

[hornet]

carmonk said:

It's Hillsborough, you can't even spell it. The conclusion was "...the British Judicial system has consistently found that violence or hooliganism played no part whatsoever in the disaster".

Played a part indirectly however, as had there not been a problem with violence and hooliganism, the grounds wouldn't have needed to be fenced in and segregated in the first place.

[iphonedyou]

I have to say, I'm as tolerant and understanding as they come. But even I'm coming close to agreeing with my dads favourite utterance at the news these days. "They're all mad!"

News reports suggest multiple stabbings.

[Muncher]

It wasn't even about football by the looks of things, it was a pre-arranged political war.

[carmonk]

hornet said:

carmonk said:

It's Hillsborough, you can't even spell it. The conclusion was "...the British Judicial system has consistently found that violence or hooliganism played no part whatsoever in the disaster".

Played a part indirectly however, as had there not been a problem with violence and hooliganism, the grounds wouldn't have needed to be fenced in and segregated in the first place.

'Tenuous' is maybe insufficient to describe that link.

Muncher said:

It wasn't even about football by the looks of things

Neither is most organised football violence.

[Ganglandboss]

Muncher said:

It wasn't even about football by the looks of things, it was a pre-arranged political war.

Yes, but don't let that get in the way of an excuse for a good ol' fashioned PH let's bash football thread.

[ExChrispy Porker]

Ganglandboss said:

Yes, but don't let that get in the way of an excuse for a good ol' fashioned PH let's bash football thread.

I don't think that is what we have here, to be honest.