Sick chants mar Hillsborough tribute: Group of Chelsea fans shout 'murderers' during silence to mark 23rd anniversary of tragedy
Football fans chanted ‘murderers’ at Wembley stadium yesterday during a tribute to the victims of the Hillsborough disaster.Before kick-off in the weekend’s second FA Cup semi-final, the 90,000 supporters inside the stadium were asked to mark the 23rd anniversary of the tragedy in silence.
Normally these tributes last a minute but yesterday’s was described by the stadium announcer as a ‘moment’s’ silence, giving the referee the option to cut it short.
Chelsea players honour the minute's silence. Not all the team's fans showed the same respect
Twenty three years on: Fans leave floral
tributes outside Liverpool's Anfield stadium yesterday, ahead of a
memorial service there
Mourners attend a memorial service in Liverpool to mark the 23rd anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster
Millions of TV viewers and radio listeners heard the tasteless chants of ‘murderers’.
Many fans thought the sound was turned down by ITV producers during the chants. But a spokesman said: ‘We conducted our broadcast as planned.’
Producers avoided showing pictures of abusive fans. Instead ITV filled half the screen with sombre images from Anfield stadium, where an annual memorial service was held earlier in the day to remember the Liverpool Football Club fans who lost their lives.
The disgraceful scenes took place moments before the match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.
Football fans and pundits were last night united in condemnation of the abuse.
One viewer wrote: ‘I hope the filth that ruined the minute’s silence never experience a family member leaving to go and watch a match and dying at the game.’
Following the chants, fans who had stayed silent booed.
Commentator Clive Tyldesley said: ‘Is it really asking too much to observe a few moments of silence once a year for the victims of Hillsborough? The reflections of the many spoilt by the thoughtlessness of the few here at Wembley.’
Tragedy: 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to
death in an overcrowded enclosure during the team's 1989 FA Cup semi
final against Nottingham Forest
Last
night a Chelsea FC club spokesman said: ‘Chelsea Football Club is
extremely disappointed a very small minority of fans embarrassed the
club today by not honouring the moment’s silence.‘Chelsea FC believes all moments of respect should be honoured and today we pay our full respects to all those that suffered as a result of the Hillsborough disaster 23 years ago.’
Earlier in the day families of the victims and thousands of fans were joined by Liverpool FC manager Kenny Dalglish and his players for a memorial service at the club’s Anfield ground.
They paid tribute to those who died in the crush at the Leppings Lane end of Sheffield Wednesday’s ground at the beginning of an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest on April 15, 1989.
A minute’s silence was impeccably observed at 3.06pm – the exact moment the referee blew his whistle to abandon the game as the disaster unfolded.
Last week comedian Alan Davies received death threats after mocking Liverpool FC’s refusal to play on the anniversary.
On Saturday Liverpool and Everton fans stood in silence to pay respect to the victims before the first FA Cup semi-final.
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