Finally, after 23 years Liverpool fans have been cleared of all blame in the Hillsborough disaster. The damning report out this week revealed corruption at the top of the police force and highlighted just how despicable the Sun newspaper is and has always been. They printed lie after lie about innocent Liverpool supporters, accusing them of violence, theft, and other obscene behaviour which simply did not happen, on that day.
96 fans died on the 23 April 1989 and it was claimed in this weeks report that some of those may have survived if treated properly on the day. There are calls now for prosecutions.
Sir Irvine Patnick, a high profile Sheffield MP in '89 made comments to the press at the time, claiming that Liverpool fans were behaving badly on the day and that they were urinating on injured fans from above. There are calls now for his knighthood to be removed.
The police officer in charge that day is also now facing the possibility of criminal charges being brought against him.
 It has also been revealed that the safety certificate had expired.
The cover up from police, media and the government in the aftermath of the disaster was appalling. It was absolutely inexcusable and someone must pay for that.

It is important however, to look at the events of that day from the other side. To appreciate the climate at that time, and decide whether the attitude of South Yorkshire Police was appropriate we need to remember what was happening in English football in 1989.
English clubs were serving a ban from European football in 1989.
 We had been banned following a European Cup final between Italian giants Juventus and Liverpool.
On 29th May 1985 39 Juventus fans died and 600 were injured. Before the game Liverpool fans, many of whom allegedly turned up without tickets,smashing there way through a cinder block wall to gain access and rampaged through the Heysel stadium charging opposition fans causing a wall to collapse on them. Fourteen Liverpool fans were found guilty of manslaughter and imprisoned. UEFA banned all English clubs from European competition until 1990-91 season with Liverpool football club serving a further years ban.
Although the ban did not apply to the England national side, there was so much pressure on the government that they considered withdrawing from the world cup of 1990.
In the wake of incidents like this, and increasing hooliganism in domestic football, fences were erected at grounds around the country, to stop violent yobs invading the pitch or trying to reach opposing fans to fight.
While Liverpool fans in this country have campaigned relentlessly for justice, the rest of Europe has been less than sympathetic.
Juventus legend, Alessandro Del Piero chose to play in Australia this season rather than join the Anfield team, a decision his former agent says, is out of respect for the Heysel victims.

With tensions so high even today it is easy to see why Police in 1989, may have thought initially that the disaster was caused by hooligans.
Were it not for the image of the game being so tarnished at that time maybe the attention of clubs like Sheffield Wednesday would have been less focused on preventing violence and improving safety for genuine football supporters.
The very fences erected to prevent deaths were instrumental in the details of that day in 1989.
None of these things excuse the cover up and explain why no one has come forward with truth for 23 years.
 None of these facts excuse the blatant lies published in the Sun newspaper.
There has been disgust at Police officers at the time checking the register to see if the dead had a criminal record. Those actions are more outrageous two decades later but in those dark days for English football it was an avenue that probably had to be investigated. That said, i can find no justification for breath testing the bodies of children to see if they had been drinking.

When looking to crucify someone for the carnage that day, we must take into account events like Heysel that came before.
 
I hope that now Liverpool's supporters have been cleared of any blame on that day at Hillsbrough, that we can draw a line in the sand and they will feel that at last truth prevailed.
I also hope that in the name of justice we don't seek revenge from everyone and anyone who was involved. Some people I'm sure acted with the best of intentions on that day and the days after it. I'm sure that many of the officers that day did save many more lives that could easily have added to the 96 that perished. They should not be tarred with the same brush as the people who deliberately deceived. Journalists who wrote comment at that time may have believed they were writing the genuine truth, They should not be held in the same light as the vile Kelvin Mckenzie who's apology this week was as insincere as they come.
MPs who were briefed by senior ministers but were not there at the ground, probably felt in those days that they were right to criticise fans.
Whoever pays the price ultimately, we need to ensure that this time we don't react to fashion and favour.