Saturday, 12th April 2014
Semi Final
Wigan Athletic v Arsenal
Wembley Stadium
Wembley
HA9 0WS
K.O. 5.07pm
Half time 0-0
Final score 1-1
AET 1-1
Pens 2-4
1-0 Jordi Gomes 63
mins
1-1 Per Mertesacker 82
mins
Attendance 82,185
Miles travelled approximately 60
Guess where I went…
It was never my intention to go to today’s game, but I was always going
to go over to Wembley. I had the bright idea of just going over for the vibe,
get some photos, programmes, badges, memorabilia etc, which would mean I didn’t
have to buy it on Sunday and carry it around all day and if I got offered a
ticket, well I’d play it by ear. You know how it works.
I also wasn’t going to write a blog on this game but then two things
happened.
Firstly, the FA decided to mark the 25th Anniversary of
Hillsborough by having all the games in England kick off at 3.07pm after a one
minute’s silence. Personally I think it was a lovely touch, at least someone
somewhere was thinking, the only problem, is that at least six games in England
didn’t kick off at 3.07pm or in the case of three of them, on a Saturday.
Two of those games included both Semi Finals and two other games
included Liverpool and Nottingham Forest with two of those four kicking off on
the wrong day – including a team from Sheffield.
Even when they try to get it right, they get it so horribly wrong. Is it
me? Am I being a cock? No, really, is it me? Am I being too romantic? Too
sensitive?
Saturday
QPR v Nottingham Forest K.O. 12.22
Luton Town v Braintree K.O. 12.52
Wigan v Arsenal K.O. 17.07
Sunday
LIverpool v Man City K.O. 13.37
Swansea v Chelsea K.O. 16.07
Hull City v Sheffield United K.O.16.07
While I’m the subject of Forest. Is it me, or have they been
completely written out of history? Nottingham Forest, the forgotten club, the
forgotten fans. I do not want to even think about what they must have gone
through that day.
I’m not suggesting for one single second that any grief felt
by the Forest fans comes close to what the Liverpool fans and families went
through, but can you imagine how it must have felt for those fans that had to
watch those scenes unfold in front of them.
So, what happens 25 years later? Forest play away, on the
weekend of the Semi Finals, on the 25th Anniversary, on the weekend
that English football pauses and holds its collective breath and kicks off at
12.22
SHAMEFUL!
For one weekend couldn’t the FA and TV companies stop
thinking about money. Would that really have been so difficult?
As for the Semi Finals kicking off at 17.07 and 16.07 with
one of them being on a Sunday… *SIGH*
Again. Is it me?
Secondly, somewhere close to 16.45 I found myself near to
entrance “E”, where the Wigan fans were quietly and patiently waiting in very
long queues. I wasn’t really taking a blind bit of notice, just wondering
around, when I suddenly became aware of some sort of incident happening at the
front of the queue nearest to me.
A steward and a fan(s) were having a bit of a scuffle. I
just saw it as high spirits, six of one and half a dozen of another. It was
while I was watching this that I suddenly woke up to what was happening. Suddenly
I realised the time. Suddenly I realised that there were close to 500+ Wigan
fans all trying to get into the same entrance. While “D” and “F” were going
un-used.
Now I caught the back end of this. I didn’t see the start or
the middle, just the end. The atmosphere started to change. It wasn’t looking
good. Stewards started to get stressed. More Wigan fans joined the back of the
queues. Where had they come from? Why weren’t they using “D” or “F”?
I spoke to a police officer and said, “Well that’s ironic,
you know, with Hillsborough and all that…” to which the police officer said,
“Yes, I see your point…”
I spoke to a couple of Wigan fans who were there on a
freebie and they said, “Did they learn nothing…”
Unfortunately, the photos that I took don’t really show what
was happening.
For the record and to their credit the Wigan fans continued
to queue with patience.
I think I’ve just blown any chance of getting a ticket for
the Final.
Thanks to Jason on the IMFC for drawing my attention to the
following.
Did you know that Hillsborough nearly happened in 1981 in
the Semi Final between Spurs and Wolves? I didn’t.
This is truly heart breaking stuff.
I was a teenager during the 80’s and going to the football
was much more fun then. I’d have the terraces back tomorrow if I could. But
it’s not until I’m older and wiser that I realised just how badly we were all
treated.
I do not like the new grounds that look like freshly landed
space ships or Do-It- Yourself boxed stadiums that you clip together with the
help of a badly draw instruction booklet with words in a language that I can’t
read or understand, but how can I complain or compare what we have today to what
we had then.
Hillsborough could have happened to anyone of us. It didn’t
have to be at a Semi Final at Hillsborough.
I could, like you, sit here all day and bang on about places
we’ve been to. It’s not until you look back and think… Oops…
You, like me, were lucky.
To the 96 and
their families
John Alfred Anderson
|
62
|
Colin Mark Ashcroft
|
19
|
James Gary Aspinall
|
18
|
Kester Roger Marcus Ball
|
16
|
Gerard Bernard Patrick Baron
|
67
|
Simon Bell
|
17
|
Barry Sidney Bennett
|
26
|
David John Benson
|
22
|
David William Birtle
|
22
|
Tony Bland
|
22
|
Paul David Brady
|
21
|
Andrew Mark Brookes
|
26
|
Carl Brown
|
18
|
David Steven Brown
|
25
|
Henry Thomas Burke
|
47
|
Peter Andrew Burkett
|
24
|
Paul William Carlile
|
19
|
Raymond Thomas Chapman
|
50
|
Gary Christopher Church
|
19
|
Joseph Clark
|
29
|
Paul Clark
|
18
|
Gary Collins
|
22
|
Stephen Paul Copoc
|
20
|
Tracey Elizabeth Cox
|
23
|
James Philip Delaney
|
19
|
Christopher Barry Devonside
|
18
|
Chris Edwards
|
29
|
Vincent Michael Fitzsimmons
|
34
|
Thomas Steven Fox
|
21
|
Jon-Paul Gilhooley
|
10
|
Barry Glover
|
27
|
Ian Thomas Glover
|
20
|
Derrick George Godwin
|
24
|
Roy Harry Hamilton
|
34
|
Philip Hammond
|
14
|
Eric Hankin
|
33
|
Gary Harrison
|
27
|
Stephen Francis Harrison
|
31
|
Peter Andrew Harrison
|
15
|
David Hawley
|
39
|
James Robert Hennessy
|
29
|
Paul Anthony Hewitson
|
26
|
Carl Darren Hewitt
|
17
|
Nicholas Michael Hewitt
|
16
|
Sarah Louise Hicks
|
19
|
Victoria Jane Hicks
|
15
|
Gordon Rodney Horn
|
20
|
Arthur Horrocks
|
41
|
Thomas Howard
|
39
|
Thomas Anthony Howard
|
14
|
Eric George Hughes
|
42
|
Alan Johnston
|
29
|
Christine Anne Jones
|
27
|
Gary Philip Jones
|
18
|
Richard Jones
|
25
|
Nicholas Peter Joynes
|
27
|
Anthony Peter Kelly
|
29
|
Michael David Kelly
|
38
|
Carl David Lewis
|
18
|
David William Mather
|
19
|
Brian Christopher Matthews
|
38
|
Francis Joseph McAllister
|
27
|
John McBrien
|
18
|
Marian Hazel McCabe
|
21
|
Joseph Daniel McCarthy
|
21
|
Peter McDonnell
|
21
|
Alan McGlone
|
28
|
Keith McGrath
|
17
|
Paul Brian Murray
|
14
|
Lee Nicol
|
14
|
Stephen Francis O'Neill
|
17
|
Jonathon Owens
|
18
|
William Roy Pemberton
|
23
|
Carl William Rimmer
|
21
|
Dave George Rimmer
|
38
|
Graham John Roberts
|
24
|
Steven Joseph Robinson
|
17
|
Henry Charles Rogers
|
17
|
Colin Andrew Hugh William Sefton
|
23
|
Inger Shah
|
38
|
Paula Ann Smith
|
26
|
Adam Edward Spearritt
|
14
|
Philip John Steele
|
15
|
David Leonard Thomas
|
23
|
Patrick John Thompson
|
35
|
Peter Reuben Thompson
|
30
|
Stuart Paul William Thompson
|
17
|
Peter Francis Tootle
|
21
|
Christopher James Traynor
|
26
|
Martin Kevin Traynor
|
16
|
Kevin Tyrrell
|
15
|
Colin Wafer
|
19
|
Ian David Whelan
|
19
|
Martin Kenneth Wild
|
29
|
Kevin Daniel Williams
|
15
|
Graham John Wright
|
17
|
Peace and Love…
Noggin xx
Noggin xx
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