Chapter 744 Liverpool Spirit

Every year on April 15, Anfield Stadium will hold a commemoration of the Hillsborough tragedy.

It's not even a club in Liverpool, it's a tribute to the entire city of Liverpool.

But this year is a little different because it is the twentieth anniversary.

The whole city of Liverpool attaches great importance to this, and a series of preparation activities have been organized as early as a few days ago.

After shocking the world by reversing Chelsea in London last night, Liverpool returned overnight before celebrating for two or three hours at the St Thomas Hotel.

In order to reward the players, the morning training on the 15th was canceled, but in order to participate in the afternoon memorial activities, the afternoon training session was arranged to be held in the afternoon, just some simple recovery and adjustment training.

At fourteen o'clock, the team got on the bus and came all the way to Anfield Stadium with the support of hundreds of fans.

...

When the team arrived at Anfield, the 'You Never Walk Alone' anthem was being played over and over on the stadium radio, which according to Gerrard was a Liverpool tradition, and the song would repeat itself over and over again. all day.

When he heard this song in the past, Yang Yang still felt more blood, but today, when he heard it, he felt some pathetic tune, as if the song was also paying homage.

Many people participated in the commemoration of the Hillsborough Massacre. In addition to Liverpool's first-team players, coaching staff, and the club's administrative staff and staff, there were also Liverpool's legends and celebrities, and even Liverpool's political and business celebrities.

For example, the mayor of Liverpool, Rotheram, came to Anfield with all the important members of the city government. Trevor Hicks, the chairman of the Hillsborough Victims Family Support Association, also brought the victims' families and core members of the support association. came to the scene.

Unlike in the past, today's Anfield stadium is full of tragic and solemn.

The ceremony started promptly at 14:30.

Mayor Rotheram and support club chairman Trevor Hicks and others came to the stage to deliver speeches, mainly to remind everyone to never forget the tragedy 20 years ago.

"It's often said that time heals everything, but it's not like that. Time just helps us learn to deal with pain. We go from naked pain to healing to being able to resist the attack of pain, but the pain is still in our hearts forever. An indelible scar." The white-haired Hicks said excitedly.

He was at the Sheffield United stadium when the Hillsborough tragedy happened and he just turned around to get a coffee and lost his two daughters who were in bloom.

Not long after the tragedy, he and his wife divorced because of this tragedy.

Hicks tearfully described his life in the past 20 years. He said that he roared at God countless times and asked him why he took both his daughters away? Why can't I keep one?

He said that he had lost his faith, but he still hoped for heaven, because he hoped that one day after he died, he could go to heaven and be able to see his two daughters.

After the divorce, he and his wife would sit at their graves every Christmas, every year on their children's birthdays, and talk to them about what happened during the year.

"April thirteenth is Sarah's thirty-ninth birthday, if she's still alive."

Hicks said he and his ex-wife would often talk on the phone, they would fantasize about their daughter graduating from university, about them getting a boyfriend, about getting married and having children, and even about taking his grandson to Anfield. Watch the ball on the field.

"We will think about many, many beautiful things, but when we wake up, it's another tragedy."

"The trauma caused by the tragedy cannot be erased in 20 years. All Liverpool people will always remember this special day!"

...

Yang Yang has never been a weak person, but at this moment, standing in the Anfield stadium, listening to the client's appearance, watching a 63-year-old man crying and telling his past tragedy in front of him, he really was moved.

So much so that later, when he was selected as the representative of Liverpool, along with captain Gerrard and vice-captain Carragher, to present the certificate of [Honorary Citizenship] issued by the Liverpool City Government to the families of the 96 victims, He comforted them from the bottom of his heart.

Hicks reluctantly cheered up and thanked Yang Yang for his comfort, saying that he was strong, because he had more meaningful things to do, that is, to find justice for the Hillsborough massacre that year.

There has been more and more evidence that the police were indeed suspected of covering up the truth back then, and they were also guilty of ineffective rescue.

What the families of the victims headed by Hicks wanted most was to get an open investigation so that the ninety-six victims would not go alone!

"According to British statistics, the average time it takes for an unjust case to clear is twenty-six years. This is a protracted battle."

Hicks' tone was so firm that Yang Yang felt that this might be the meaning of his active life.

...

At 15:06, the time of the tragedy, Liverpool, Sheffield and Nottingham, the three cities directly related to the Hillsborough tragedy, were silent for two minutes at the same time, in silence for the tragedy 20 years ago .

The whole Anfield stadium was silent, as if even the air had frozen.

Two minutes later, the cathedrals of the three cities will ring ninety-six bells at the same time to commemorate the ninety-six fans who died that year.

Subsequently, Liverpool Mayor Rotheram greeted 96 families on behalf of the government and read out letters of condolences from the Queen and Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

"We will never forget those ninety-six people who tragically lost their lives, those families who lost loved ones in the disaster, who had the support of all decent people across the country."

"I think that's the most important thing, it shows people that Liverpool fans are helping each other and their actions are noble."

"We all know Liverpool people, they help each other in difficult times, that's the spirit of Liverpool!"

...

At the scene, Yang Yang was deeply touched.

From the Queen of England to the Prime Minister to the Liverpool City Government, almost everyone is supporting Liverpool and the families of the victims, believing that justice should come soon.

But his mood was always unhappy and a little heavy.

He had never experienced something like this before, and now he feels why Liverpool is so different, because it is not just a football team, not just a club, but a kind of Spiritual symbol.

Gerrard also had relatives who died in the Hillsborough tragedy. He was said to be the youngest of the ninety-six victims. That was his cousin and his best friend, so much so that when he played football now, he always It was especially hard, because he was not just playing for himself, but also for his dead cousin.

The reason why he rejected Chelsea back then was because he, like Trevor Hicks and others, was holding on and waiting for that belated justice.

...

"This event brought back some really bad memories."

After the 20th anniversary celebration, the famous Liverpool legends and players gathered at Anfield. The legendary striker Ian Rush looked a little lonely, shook his head and sighed.

He was a witness to the disaster that year, and for the past 20 years, almost every year on the anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy, he will come to Anfield Stadium to commemorate the tragedy of that year.

"It made me believe that the fight for justice must go on and that families who are suffering deserve justice."

Speaking of this, Ian Rush looked up at Liverpool players such as Yang Yang, Gerrard, Carragher and Xavi Alonso, and the former legend forced a smile.

"I believe that today's commemorative event will give you encouragement and strength. It has been too long for us to forget that we were once the top team in European football. The regret that can be realized is likely to be realized in your hands this year.”

Even in the most tyrannical period, when Liverpool swept European football, they were not able to go hand in hand on four fronts at the same time like the current Liverpool. This is an unprecedented feat in Liverpool's history.

The league is basically in the bag, only the Champions League and the FA Cup are left.

At the commemorative event just now, Dalglish was a little excited and said a lot, because when the tragedy happened, his two children were also in the stadium, but fortunately, they both escaped, but The King of Liverpool was the head coach of Liverpool when the tragedy happened, and he was a witness to the tragedy.

After his emotions calmed down, he also raised expectations for Yang Yang, Gerrard and others, hoping that they could gain strength from the commemorative activities, continue to work hard, and show better and better performances to comfort those who died. persons, and their families.

"This is the spirit of our Liverpool!" Dalglish looked at Yang Yang and said.

Yang Yang nodded heavily, he felt it.

This is a great spirit, not only in memory of the deceased, but also in mourning for the tragedy, as well as the struggle against the government at that time, and the unyielding under the false reports of the Sun, and the 20-year-old persistence...

This kind of complex emotion is really impossible to understand without experiencing it personally.

And Yang Yang finally felt a little bit now. Although it was only a fur, he was deeply infected and was willing to fight for it!

It was also at this moment that he really felt why Liverpool was so different from the team to the players to the fans.

Perhaps, just like Liverpool's team song, this team will never walk alone, because on its shoulders, there will always be too much history on its shoulders. This is a burden and pressure, but it is also a driving force.

"Don't worry, I will do my best!" Yang Yang solemnly assured.

He can't guarantee that the team will win, and he can't guarantee that the team will meet the expectations of fans and celebrities, because the football field is always full of unpredictable changes.

But he can promise one thing, that as long as he is there, he will do his best to get better results for the team.

He believes that not only himself, but also everyone else in the team, including Xavi Alonso, Kuyt, must have the same determination as him.