Fenomenal Oscar: European Cup 1984 1985 Juventus Turin Liverpool

Thursday, March 31, 2011

European Cup 1984 1985 Juventus Turin Liverpool

Final
Stade du Heysel, Brussells
29 may 1985
It was to be the most distressing night in the history of Liverpool Football Club, although four years later an even more disastrous event would overtake the club. The events in Brussels would bring shame on English football and, most of ail, on Liverpool and ils fans. The Europeen Cup Final everyone wanted to see was to cost the lives of 39 people, mainly Juventus fans. The Heysel Stadium at Brussels should never have been the venue for such a highly charged game. It was dilapidated and ill equipped. Its terraces were crumbling, its walls visibly rotten and its crush barriers were poorly constructed. Even worse, the flimsy fence that had been erected to divide fans on the terrace behind the goal was wholly inadequate for the purpose it was supposed to serve. Instead of giving the entire terrace to Liverpool fans, as they had to Juventus fans at the other end, the Belgian authorities decided to divide it.

Liverpool fans were given sectors X and Y, while the Juventus fans were given sector Z. It was a fatal error. Sectors X and Y were packed far too tightly, especially behind the goal. There was no attempt to persuade fans to move towards the sides where it was less densely packed. Some ticketless fans may have sneaked in, adding to the crush, although the hefty police presence and searching should have deterred this. Besides, tickets had been easily available in Liverpool.
Outside the ground, alcohol was freely available and on a sweltering afternoon it was little wonder people indulged. Yet, for ail the tension and drink, rival fans mingled happily before the game. It was inside, on the terraces, that things went disastrously wrong. Getting into the ground and on to the terrace had been a horrendous experience in itself, as fans pushed and shoved to make their way through just a couple of turnstiles. Inside, the crush was almost as bad, and once trouble started there was nowhere to escape.

Shortly before the scheduled kick-off the fence was rushed, and in the panic that followed, as Juventus fans fled for safety, 39 people died, mainly as a resuit of a wall collapsing in Sector Z. The Belgian police had little direct experience of football hooliganism and had therefore been unprepared for the disturbance. The decision was made by the authorities present to play the game and thousands on the terrace watched with-out knowingthat people had died.

Obviously people ought to be able to go to a football match without fear for their lives. There is no reason why rival fans should not be able to stand next to one another, shout for their team and still remain friendly. But in 1985, the reality was very different. Hooliganism was an endemie problem and the Belgian authorities failed to take heed of warnings and to institute proper controls. In the end, 39 people died unnecessarily, the Belgian government was toppled, police chiefs were dismissed, the wretched Heysel Stadium was eventually torn down and English clubs were banned from play-ing in Europeen competition.

There is little to add about the game. It probably ought never to have been played, although the authorities were fearful of the consequences of callingthe match off. In the event, Liverpool lost to a Michel Platini penalty, awarded in the 56th minute after Gary Gillespie had upended the striker Ziggy Boniek, though well outside the area.
The consequences of the Heysel riot were horrifie for English football. UEFA announced an indefinite ban on English teams playing in Europe, with Liverpool given an extra three-year ban. It would eventually mean six years in the wilderness for Liverpool. If there was any good to corne out of Heysel it was that English football at last realised that it had to put its house in order.