H
Twin H bombs
As memorably named by Paul Tomkins, the twin 1980s disasters of Heysel and Hillsborough are beyond doubt the two darkest days in Liverpool’s history, two days when 236 people who only went to watch a football match lost their lives.
Heysel Stadium, Brussels, May 29th 1985. European Cup final, Liverpool v Juventus. You know the rest. 39 people died when a wall collapsed following crowd disturbances before the match. RIP the 39.
I wrote an eyewitness account called From Where I Was Standing.
Hillsborough, Sheffield Wednesday FC, April 15th 1989. FA Cup semi-final, Liverpool v Nottingham Forest.
Again, you know the rest. I don’t think there’s any need for me to go any further.
Just RIP the 97, and may their relatives and friends all find some peace.
April 15th was also my old mum’s birthday, which makes it a doubly poignant date for me. She said the phone call she eventually got from me about 5.30pm, when we finally found a phone box without a queue round the block (no mobiles in those days), was the best birthday prezzie she ever had. She’d been ringing the emergency number since 3.30, but it was permanently engaged.
Houlding, John
When Anfield first becamed a football stadium in use for top-flight football, it was Everton Football Club whose name was on the door. But John Houlding, owner of a local brwery and later Conservative Councillor, was also the owner of Anfield. There came a row between him and the Everton FC over his proposed rent rise. The Football Club voted to up sticks and leave to look for thir owwn ground. They found one just across Stanley Park, which they will be leaving at the end of the 2024/25 season to move to their new- build stadium at Bramley Moore Dock.
This left Houlding with a ground but no team to play on it. He decided to form one, and went north of the border to find some players - no fewer than ten. On March 15th 1892, Liverpool FC was formed, becoming known as the Team of Macs due to the number of ‘Mc’ surnames in the team. The team used to change at the Sandon Hotel, just down the road from the Kop, and walk down the street in their kit and boots to the ground to play. Hence John Houlding can certainly be thought of as the founder of Liverpool FC, and the Sandon as its birthplace, as the plaque on its wall still proudly proclaims.
Houllier, Gerard
The rest of this article is for Subscribers only.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Dynasty – The Tomkins Times to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.