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It Didn't Have To Happen. But We Knew That 27 Years Ago
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It took 27 years, but, finally, a jury has ruled that the Hillsborough disaster was the result of police incompetence, thus confirming what everyone else knew that horrible day in 1989 when 96 Liverpool fans died in a crush that did not need to happen. From opening a gate to let a flood of people into an area where there already wasn't any room to the simple fact that the cops and officials knew those fans were coming yet did nothing to prepare for it to the decrepit state of the stands and turnstiles at that end of the stadium, the reasons for what happened were apparent even then. And the fact that the head cop in charge lied and blamed the fans was egregious. If you're unfamiliar with the incident, which changed how soccer stadia worldwide are constructed and which stands among the very worst, most horrific incidents in sports history, this is a good primer. Basically, more Liverpool fans showed up for an FA Cup match at a neutral site than cops could handle, and the cops basically made every wrong decision possible, resulting in people being crushed to death in the stands. It took this long to start to see justice being served. (BBC)
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