Hillsborough: A survivor's story

Apr 15 2008 By Damian Kavanagh, Liverpool supporter

The delay in traffic seemed like no big deal. Thousands on the way to the match was gonna slow things up a bit but we'd left in plenty of time. We eventually got to the Horse & Jockey for a bevvy... Happy Days! Like the previous season the pub was chocker with Reds giving it loads with all the songs. A Liver Bird upon my chest...

I'd been up to the league match against Sheffield Wednesday earlier that season but this was a world away from that previous winter's cold draw. Today we had beautiful sunshine.

For the previous season's Semi-Final I'd gone with my mates to Hillsborough for the first time. We popped into the first ale house we came across but it was at the Forest end of things. We had a bevvy there, kept a low profile and there were no problems but you can't beat being with your own - especially our own - so we got off and found this Horse & Jockey which was sound.

There had been no noticeable police presence in the Forest pub in 1988 so it had stuck out to me big time when they were showing up and were almost antagonistic when talking to the Reds' fans. They were bit like them night-club bully type bouncers in the days before the registration cards; you know, "We're big and we've got this uniform so we'll look at you and talk to you like you're something we shouldn't have trodden in and if you look the wrong way we'll stop you enjoying your day sunshine."

I'd told my mum and dad in 1988 about the difference in police attitude between us and Forest not knowing that this same blinkered behaviour would contribute to horrific suffering and loss of life just a year later.

It was easy to be split up coming out of a match and being a stranger in town I made a mental note of the street to which I had to return so I could at least ask my way for directions back to the car if I got lost; no mobile phones in those days to contact your mates with. Jamie parked up in Don Avenue; it was a little way from the ground but not too far to walk and off we went.

There was a great atmosphere and no hassle at the Horse & Jockey, the singing was as loud and proud as you'd expect. There could surely be no other team in the world like ours. I'm so lucky to have been born in Liverpool and so lucky to have been born Red! We did an hour or so in the pub where there was no sign of the mass drunkeness that was spitefully lied about to the media to make excuses for the failure of crowd control. For those who have lied about and attempted to slur the name of victims who they never even knew to cover their own backs I have nothing but contempt. It would take a big man to stand up and be counted and nationally put the record straight by publicly retracting the lies that have caused so much hurt. All I can say is that we all have to answer to our maker one day.

I'm not sure why but we left for the ground just a little earlier than we might have expected (I think by the time we'd got another bevvy we'd have been pushing it to get into the specs we wanted). I wanted the boss spec right in the middle behind the goal. I always stood in the middle of the Kop where all the singing started, so at away grounds I'd be looking for the same type of spec. The atmosphere at a Semi-Final was always brilliant wherever you were in the ground but I still wanted that spec so we strolled up and without queuing for long went in through Gate C.