The world's unluckiest football club: Liverpool, a history of tragedy
Liverpool were to play Juventus at the Heysel stadium in Brussels, Belgium, but an hour before kick-off, focus shifted from the pitch to a tragedy unfolding in the stands. Following an altercation between Juventus and Liverpool fans, a section of the Heysel Stadium collapsed after Liverpool fans charged at Juventus supporters, killing 39 people and injuring 600 others.
Bizarrely, the match went ahead despite the collapse, with Juventus defeating Liverpool 1-0.
An 18-month investigation would eventually reveal that Liverpool fans were partly culpable for the incident, with 26 arrested, and 14 of them later convicted of involuntary manslaughter. However, it was also ruled that the stadium was in a state of disrepair and had failed inspections before the match.
In 2025, in a ceremony to mark 40 years since Heysel, Liverpool city mayor, Steve Rotheram, who was in the stadium that day, described the situation as 'an indelible stain on our city.'
The Hillsborough disaster, 1989
The most devastating event in Liverpool's history still looms large over the club. On April 15, 1989, during an FA Cup semi-final match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, a fatal crowd crush occurred.
Things began to unravel when more than 2000 Liverpool fans managed to flood into a standing-room section behind one of the goals, despite the stadium already being at near capacity. The victims were crushed against metal anti-riot fences or trampled underfoot. Many suffocated.
Ninety-four people died that day, with 766 others injured. It was the deadliest day in British sporting history.
Three subsequent deaths would follow, bringing the final death toll for Hillsborough to 97. Compounding the grief for a devastated city was a back-and-forth blame game between victims' families and the local authorities, with police blaming the behaviour of fans for the tragedy.
In 2016, a coroner's inquest into Hillsborough ruled that the supporters were unlawfully killed owing to grossly negligent failures by police and ambulance services to fulfil their duty of care.
The Liverpool Parade incident, 2025
After securing a 20th league title, Liverpool fans had plenty to celebrate at the end of this season.
Once it became clear that Liverpool were firm favourites to win this year's Premier League, talk turned to a full-scale parade. Supporters deserved to line the streets and celebrate their team, especially considering their last title came in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic rendered real-life celebrations impossible.
On May 26, 2025, an estimated million Liverpudlians were out in full force. But in a situation that feels all too familiar, celebrations were cut short when tragedy struck.
At 6 pm, a car drove into a crowd on Water Street in Liverpool, resulting in 109 non-fatal injuries, including people being taken to the hospital. A 53-year-old man was arrested and charged with multiple offences, including dangerous driving and causing grievous bodily harm.
While no deaths were reported, the incident served as a painful reminder to Liverpool fans who have endured a history tarred with tragedy and triumph in equal measure.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Age
3 hours ago
- The Age
‘A really sharp pain': Martin Johnson on the eternal regret of losing a Lions series
Martin Johnson captained teams to World Cup victories, Six Nations and Grand Slam titles, European Cup wins and multiple English league championships. The imposing English forward even led the British and Irish Lions to a series win in South Africa in 1997. But when he is walking the dog on a quiet afternoon, the memory that will often pop into his head is the one that got away: the 2001 Lions series in Australia. 'The number one regret in my career,' Johnson says. 'Because I always say in rugby, most of the time when you get beaten, you get beaten right? You come off the field and they've been better than you, and you know. And when you win it's because you've been better. 'In '01 they beat us ... but we had a chance you know? When you've got a chance to win a Lion series, you've got to take it. And we didn't.' Which is to say, Lions tours live long in the memory. Perhaps longest. Johnson will be back in Australia in coming weeks for another Lions tour, his first since retiring in 2005, after signing on as a pundit for Stan Sport. He is confident the Lions can get the job done but is wary of the breezy confidence in the UK and Ireland, where many have believed for a while the Lions will whitewash the Wallabies in the three-Test Test series. As with every Lions tour in Australia since 1989 - when the 12-year cycle began - Johnson believes the series will be a 2-1 result, and the Wallabies shouldn't be written off. 'I've spent a lot of my time in the last few weeks and months telling people in this country (England) do not underestimate playing in the Southern Hemisphere, in places like Australia, against very smart rugby players,' Johnson said. 'That sort of thought (of a whitewash) has been there and people just echo it, people who don't really know the detail; 'Oh we're going to do this and do that', and I'm going 'whoa whoa whoa' this is a Lion's tour.' Pain of 2001 Lions tour After being a shock pick to be a 27-year-old captain of the tour to South Africa in 1997, Johnson earned his spot in the Lions' pantheon by leading the team to a series victory. Four years later the Johnson-led Lions were on the cusp of a second series win, after winning the first Test in Brisbane and leading at halftime in the second Test in Melbourne. 'We're 40 minutes away from winning the series and it turned around, I've never been in a Test match that turned so much from first half to second half as that game,' Johnson said, of the Wallabies' rally from 11-6 down to win 35-14. 'Now you're in a dog fight in the last Test, and that game went to and fro, and we lost it.' The agony was embedded for Johnson, too, after Justin Harrison stole a lineout from his grasp in the dying minutes. 'We should have changed it (the lineout call),' Johnson says. 'I've never really watched that game through. But like any Test match, it's good and bad moments, and taking your opportunities.' Johnson returned to Sydney with England two years later and lifted the Rugby World Cup at the same venue, which helped ease the pain. But not erase it. 'It helps, but '01 still sits there. Your losses, they're more sharp, because it's a really sharp pain when you lose,' Johnson said. 'I was fortunate to win stuff as well. You have both sides and I always say, people say you won this you and won that and I say 'yeah but I lost them all, too'. I lost Lions series, Six Nations Tests, World Cup quarterfinals, European Cup finals … every game imaginable, I've lost. So we've had both sides of it and that's the great thing of sport isn't it. It makes the wins special.' Lessons for the Lions The 2001 tour was also one that helped shape the highly professional Lions machine that motors around the world every four years. After an almost semi-pro trip in 1997, Johnson says the subsequent tour of Australia - led by intense coach Graham Henry - was 'hectic', with barely a minute to spare, on or off the field. It contributed to a divided Lions squad. 'In 97 we were just dipping our toes in professionalism, by 2001 things had changed a heck of a lot, just in everything,' Johnson said. 'I remember 2001 distinctly ... just being there's no there's not a minute to do anything. We were having management meetings in airport departure lounges, because we were training, travelling, so much more than in 1997. We weren't used to handling it … it was all hectic and there was never time to catch your breath. Lots of lessons were learned.' The Wallabies threat Having played, and often beaten, the Wallabies during their 'golden era' at the turn of the century, Johnson has a hardwired respect for Australian rugby. 'People ask you what it's like to play against the All Blacks or the Springboks or the Wallabies, and if I give a national trait that carries through with Australian rugby, I always say they are very smart players,' Johnson says. 'In two ways; they're very, very good with their hands, and can all pass-catch. And with smart coaching, as well, they will negate their weaknesses and try and exploit yours better than any other team. In 2003 that wasn't a great Wallaby scrummage, as we know, and yet they nearly won a World Cup. That takes some smarts.' Johnson coached England for 2008-11 as well, and so can appreciate the Wallabies' upset victory at Twickenham in November last year. It re-affirmed his view of the Wallabies' traits: smart and skilled. 'The win at Twickenham you saw exactly that, didn't you?' Johnson said. 'When they had a chance to score tries, some very, very smart handling and bang they're scoring tries. 'So I've been constantly knocking back people's expectations of a comfortable (Lions) victory in Australia, because Lions tours are tough. They are hard.' Johnson said can see another decider unfolding in Sydney on August 2. 'I have picked 2-1,' Johnson said. 'I was talking with [Wallabies great] Michael Lynagh the other day, about when you're playing you'd take the ugliest Test series in history as long as you win it. But when you get a little bit older you, you're sort of like 'let's have a great series for everyone' you know? 'Something to remember and we can say 'wow we were privileged to be there in '25'.' Is Pollock the new Healey? Johnson laughs when you ask what the 2001 version of Martin Johnson would have made of flashy young English backrower Henry Pollock. The 20-year-old was picked for the Lions after an eye-catching season for Northampton, where he became fodder for countless headlines and social media posts via athletic tries and showmanship. More flowed after Pollock's impressive game against the Western Force, which featured a few try assists and a scuffle. 'It's easy to be a grumpy old man isn't it? He went to school fairly local to me here so my I've known about him coming through his school stuff, I've just been aware of him. No one has ever timed the Lions selection better than him,' Johnson said. 'I was doing an event on Saturday, and he became a big topic of discussion. [Former England forward] Ben Kay was there and he said 'look he's great, because he gets people talking about rugby', which is very true. 'He seems to be polarising but I saw some of the things he did against the Western Force and there was some real savvy rugby there. There's also going to be some mistakes and as he plays at the higher level, the intensity, he's going to find out about that. But I'm sure he's going to be able to adapt to it. It's just how quick.' Johnson said while it's easy to judge someone from afar, the only thing that counted was whether he was earning the respect of the Lions squad. He compared Pollock to his provocative former Leicester, England and Lions teammate Austin Healey, who was always a target of fury for rival fans. 'There's the perception of 'oh he's this and he's that',' Johnson said. 'Most of it, he wasn't really - he wouldn't have lasted as long in the teams he played with if he was not a good guy to play with. Loading 'You know that ACT midweek in '01, when we could have got beaten, who dragged the team back? He was one of the guys who dragged it back to win that game, and that matters. 'Henry Pollock, it'll be interesting because there's an expectation around him, that he might feel he has to live up to. But he's a young guy on a Lions tour, and there's plenty of experience around him.'
Sydney Morning Herald
3 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘A really sharp pain': Martin Johnson on the eternal regret of losing a Lions series
Martin Johnson captained teams to World Cup victories, Six Nations and Grand Slam titles, European Cup wins and multiple English league championships. The imposing English forward even led the British and Irish Lions to a series win in South Africa in 1997. But when he is walking the dog on a quiet afternoon, the memory that will often pop into his head is the one that got away: the 2001 Lions series in Australia. 'The number one regret in my career,' Johnson says. 'Because I always say in rugby, most of the time when you get beaten, you get beaten right? You come off the field and they've been better than you, and you know. And when you win it's because you've been better. 'In '01 they beat us ... but we had a chance you know? When you've got a chance to win a Lion series, you've got to take it. And we didn't.' Which is to say, Lions tours live long in the memory. Perhaps longest. Johnson will be back in Australia in coming weeks for another Lions tour, his first since retiring in 2005, after signing on as a pundit for Stan Sport. He is confident the Lions can get the job done but is wary of the breezy confidence in the UK and Ireland, where many have believed for a while the Lions will whitewash the Wallabies in the three-Test Test series. As with every Lions tour in Australia since 1989 - when the 12-year cycle began - Johnson believes the series will be a 2-1 result, and the Wallabies shouldn't be written off. 'I've spent a lot of my time in the last few weeks and months telling people in this country (England) do not underestimate playing in the Southern Hemisphere, in places like Australia, against very smart rugby players,' Johnson said. 'That sort of thought (of a whitewash) has been there and people just echo it, people who don't really know the detail; 'Oh we're going to do this and do that', and I'm going 'whoa whoa whoa' this is a Lion's tour.' Pain of 2001 Lions tour After being a shock pick to be a 27-year-old captain of the tour to South Africa in 1997, Johnson earned his spot in the Lions' pantheon by leading the team to a series victory. Four years later the Johnson-led Lions were on the cusp of a second series win, after winning the first Test in Brisbane and leading at halftime in the second Test in Melbourne. 'We're 40 minutes away from winning the series and it turned around, I've never been in a Test match that turned so much from first half to second half as that game,' Johnson said, of the Wallabies' rally from 11-6 down to win 35-14. 'Now you're in a dog fight in the last Test, and that game went to and fro, and we lost it.' The agony was embedded for Johnson, too, after Justin Harrison stole a lineout from his grasp in the dying minutes. 'We should have changed it (the lineout call),' Johnson says. 'I've never really watched that game through. But like any Test match, it's good and bad moments, and taking your opportunities.' Johnson returned to Sydney with England two years later and lifted the Rugby World Cup at the same venue, which helped ease the pain. But not erase it. 'It helps, but '01 still sits there. Your losses, they're more sharp, because it's a really sharp pain when you lose,' Johnson said. 'I was fortunate to win stuff as well. You have both sides and I always say, people say you won this you and won that and I say 'yeah but I lost them all, too'. I lost Lions series, Six Nations Tests, World Cup quarterfinals, European Cup finals … every game imaginable, I've lost. So we've had both sides of it and that's the great thing of sport isn't it. It makes the wins special.' Lessons for the Lions The 2001 tour was also one that helped shape the highly professional Lions machine that motors around the world every four years. After an almost semi-pro trip in 1997, Johnson says the subsequent tour of Australia - led by intense coach Graham Henry - was 'hectic', with barely a minute to spare, on or off the field. It contributed to a divided Lions squad. 'In 97 we were just dipping our toes in professionalism, by 2001 things had changed a heck of a lot, just in everything,' Johnson said. 'I remember 2001 distinctly ... just being there's no there's not a minute to do anything. We were having management meetings in airport departure lounges, because we were training, travelling, so much more than in 1997. We weren't used to handling it … it was all hectic and there was never time to catch your breath. Lots of lessons were learned.' The Wallabies threat Having played, and often beaten, the Wallabies during their 'golden era' at the turn of the century, Johnson has a hardwired respect for Australian rugby. 'People ask you what it's like to play against the All Blacks or the Springboks or the Wallabies, and if I give a national trait that carries through with Australian rugby, I always say they are very smart players,' Johnson says. 'In two ways; they're very, very good with their hands, and can all pass-catch. And with smart coaching, as well, they will negate their weaknesses and try and exploit yours better than any other team. In 2003 that wasn't a great Wallaby scrummage, as we know, and yet they nearly won a World Cup. That takes some smarts.' Johnson coached England for 2008-11 as well, and so can appreciate the Wallabies' upset victory at Twickenham in November last year. It re-affirmed his view of the Wallabies' traits: smart and skilled. 'The win at Twickenham you saw exactly that, didn't you?' Johnson said. 'When they had a chance to score tries, some very, very smart handling and bang they're scoring tries. 'So I've been constantly knocking back people's expectations of a comfortable (Lions) victory in Australia, because Lions tours are tough. They are hard.' Johnson said can see another decider unfolding in Sydney on August 2. 'I have picked 2-1,' Johnson said. 'I was talking with [Wallabies great] Michael Lynagh the other day, about when you're playing you'd take the ugliest Test series in history as long as you win it. But when you get a little bit older you, you're sort of like 'let's have a great series for everyone' you know? 'Something to remember and we can say 'wow we were privileged to be there in '25'.' Is Pollock the new Healey? Johnson laughs when you ask what the 2001 version of Martin Johnson would have made of flashy young English backrower Henry Pollock. The 20-year-old was picked for the Lions after an eye-catching season for Northampton, where he became fodder for countless headlines and social media posts via athletic tries and showmanship. More flowed after Pollock's impressive game against the Western Force, which featured a few try assists and a scuffle. 'It's easy to be a grumpy old man isn't it? He went to school fairly local to me here so my I've known about him coming through his school stuff, I've just been aware of him. No one has ever timed the Lions selection better than him,' Johnson said. 'I was doing an event on Saturday, and he became a big topic of discussion. [Former England forward] Ben Kay was there and he said 'look he's great, because he gets people talking about rugby', which is very true. 'He seems to be polarising but I saw some of the things he did against the Western Force and there was some real savvy rugby there. There's also going to be some mistakes and as he plays at the higher level, the intensity, he's going to find out about that. But I'm sure he's going to be able to adapt to it. It's just how quick.' Johnson said while it's easy to judge someone from afar, the only thing that counted was whether he was earning the respect of the Lions squad. He compared Pollock to his provocative former Leicester, England and Lions teammate Austin Healey, who was always a target of fury for rival fans. 'There's the perception of 'oh he's this and he's that',' Johnson said. 'Most of it, he wasn't really - he wouldn't have lasted as long in the teams he played with if he was not a good guy to play with. Loading 'You know that ACT midweek in '01, when we could have got beaten, who dragged the team back? He was one of the guys who dragged it back to win that game, and that matters. 'Henry Pollock, it'll be interesting because there's an expectation around him, that he might feel he has to live up to. But he's a young guy on a Lions tour, and there's plenty of experience around him.'
Sydney Morning Herald
7 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
SBW believes the Wallabies can conquer the Lions, if they do one thing
'They've got world-class players. Anyone can beat anyone on their day.' That was the declaration of dual-code champion Sonny Bill Williams, who believed the Wallabies had the tools to conquer the British and Irish Lions, if they exploited the weapons embedded in their backline. The 39-year-old, speaking in Brisbane ahead of his Stan Sport boxing bout with Paul Gallen on July 16, was adamant Australia had enough firepower to thwart their highly-touted rivals, and should not be overawed by the occasion. Nor should they be shackled by expectations dumped on them in the past, having endured a horror 2023 before showing signs of growth under Test coach Joe Schmidt. Williams – who won two World Cups with the All Blacks and featured in their drawn 2017 series of the Lions – saw huge strides taken among the Super Rugby sides in 2025. Loading But while he believed a greater quality of player depth had been fostered, that is where the Lions may hold the edge. 'They'll be riding on a bit of a high from their Super Rugby series. Some players played really good, the franchises played really good, and they were unlucky to miss out on the final,' Williams told this masthead. 'But I think the test will be in the later stages of each game because the British and Irish Lions are bringing on some world-class players. They've got depth.
