Supporters reacted with fury after a minority of Manchester City fans carried on singing chants during a minute’s silence held in memory of the Hillsborough disaster before City and Liverpool’s FA Cup semi-final.
The teams gathered around the centre circle of the Wembley pitch for the silence observed impeccably by most spectators.
In 1989, 96 Liverpool supporters lost their lives in a crush at an FA Cup semi-final, with Andrew Devine’s death last year as a result of irreversible brain damage sustained in the disaster making him the 97th victim.
Liverpool reaching the same stage of the historic competition 33 years and one day on from that tragic day made for a poignant opportunity of solemn remembrance.
More from Football
'Sloppy' Spurs drop points in top four race with flat Brighton defeat - ratings and reaction16 April, 2022
Should Kulusevski have been sent off? Spurs star escapes '100 per cent red' for Cucurella elbow16 April, 2022
The 4 leading candidates to replace Dyche at Burnley, from Rooney to Benitez16 April, 2022It was no wonder, then, that frustration gradually built as the chants continued, boos in response growing louder as supporters’ rage intensified.
Pep Guardiola and the rest of the City bench appeared sullen once the period of intended silence was brought to an early end by referee Michael Oliver because of the chanting, with a chorus of boos from City and Liverpool fans alike reaching a deafening crescendo.
“With the passing of the years, there is a feeling that some fans have forgotten just what a privilege it is to sit in comfort and safety,” BBC commentator Steve Wilson said.
“That came at a high price 33 years ago.”
Wilson had earlier prefaced the silence by saying: “97 Liverpool fans were to perish, victims of a disaster, unlawfully killed by failure for which nobody has ever been convicted.
“Their families were then subjected to a decades-long cover-up. Those families will never forget, and nor should we.”
from Football | News and analysis from the Premier League and beyond | iNews https://ift.tt/QdLt6JD
Post a Comment