Hillsborough: A survivor's story

Apr 15 2008 By Damian Kavanagh, Liverpool supporter

A fella came out from the house I was outside of and asked if I was OK. I told him I was. I told him that I knew we'd get the blame in the media over this but he mustn't believe that - it was not our fault. He said he knew, he'd spoken to his brother who was a steward at the match who said we weren't to blame and it was the fault of the police. He asked me did I want a cup of tea but I didn't. He asked did I wanna use his phone and insisted that he wouldn't take any money from me (this was typical of the compassion shown by many Sheffield people that day). I took the opportunity to call Bailey's parents personally.

I went back outside and waited for my mates. Everton had won by now. My three mates came around the corner together and rushed to me and hugged me. They had worried that they'd never see me alive again.

We drove home subdued, listening to the news on the radio. Jamie and Scott hadn't been in the crush. Bailey had moved to the side of the pitch when he'd escaped. I told him that I'd contacted his mum and dad. He hadn't heard me shouting after him to just get out. To avoid getting involved with Skem's notorious roundabouts I told Jamie to drop us at the Derby Arms so he could get back home a little more easily. Some fella commented to me and Bailey, "Bad up there eh lads?"... "Yeah mate, terrible."  We walked back towards ours and met Linda and Audrey on the way outside Audrey's. They were worrying and waiting for their husbands Dave and Geoff - long time mates and neighbours.

Audrey had been called and told that Geoff was alright but they hadn't yet heard about Dave. I tried to make them feel better, telling them there were delays coming back and that we'd heard that the demand for the phone lines had brought them down. I left them and as we walked around the corner I commented to Bailey that I didn't like the sound of this. Dave and Geoff would have been together and so why would they know about one and not the other? I had managed to get through by phone maybe coz our code was 0695 not 051. I felt that anybody who survived would be well on the way home, if not already there by now, or in hospital where they would surely make contact with next of kin etc.

I walked the short way remaining to ours and my mum just hugged me and cried. It is only since I have become a dad myself that I can fully understand how my mum and dad must have felt. They said that if they had known what I was going to go through, they don't think they could have brought me into this world.

My mate Terry had heard and came to wait for me worrying. He told my mum he'd take me out tonight. Bailey said he was OK and he didn't need a lift home from my dad. I'd forgotten that my dad had taken him home anyway.

My mate Andy had ran over to ours after getting back from Villa Park with his dad and was relieved when my mum had told him I'd called and I was OK. They hadn't celebrated the Blues' victory on the way home after hearing the news.

Terry left and came back later and took me out for a drink. I suppose I needed it. We went the Toby and I was glad to see Derek in there with his scarf around his neck - he looked to be in a daze. Back then I used to go to the Oakfield before and after the match with Derek and his mates and his two young sons; one of them, Leon, now plays for Everton.