The Hillsborough disaster was the worst tragedy in the history of sport. Any sport. Any country. Any era.
96 people died and 744 were injured at Sheffield Wednesday Stadium on April 15th 1989. The cover-up by the local authorities, the elaborate conspiracy orchestrated by police leadership to blame the victims was almost as horrific as the gruesome deaths by trampling that occurred on the stadium ground. The original fraudulent narrative blamed drunken Liverpool FC fans for being unruly and causing the fatal stampede.
It’s taken 25 years and multiple inquests but there’s justice for the families of the victims. There’s redemption to the reputation of Liverpool FC fans. And of course, the fight for justice, and the search for the truth is still ongoing.
“Hillsborough,” the first documentary in the 30 for 30: Soccer Stories series, explores the worst sporting disaster in history. Directed by Daniel Gordon, the film will premiere on ESPN at 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 15th – the 25th anniversary of the tragedy that occurred during an FA Cup semi-final soccer match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, England.
I just finished watching the advance screener copy for the press and WOW!
HOLY SHIT!
FUCK.
It’s mind-blowing.
Now the version of Hillsborough that I saw is not yet rated, uncensored, contains footage and scenes that may have never be seen by the public and deals with highly sensitive material. And due to the on-going legal process, it remains to be seen how the version airing on ESPN will compare the to version that I just completed.
But I have to swear and curse here. That’s the only way to describe it.
You have to watch it. Have to. SET your DVRs now.
Paul M. Banks owns The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. He’s also a frequent guest on national talk radio. Banks is a former contributor to NBC Chicago and the Washington Times, who’s been featured on the History Channel. President Obama follows him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)