Carragher on an emotional day
Following an emotional vigil in Liverpool city centre, Jamie Carragher spoke to Liverpoolfc.com about the release of the Hillsborough Independent Panel's report on Wednesday morning.
It's been an emotional day for everybody connected with Liverpool Football Club. What have your feelings and thoughts been like today?
It has [been emotional]. It's been a big day that everyone was waiting for. We were all talking about it this morning when we got in and waiting for it come on TV to see what the outcome was. It is an emotional day and everyone will have different emotions - some people will be really happy at how it's come out, and some people may still be angry about it and that's understandable as this has been covered up for 23 years. I think there will be a lot of different emotions, but as a football club I think we're all pleased for the families and the people who have been fighting for this for so long. There is a lot of credit due to a lot of different people. Most importantly, it's great for the families and for the 96.
You were at the other semi-final that day in 1989. How much did it hit home that the events of that day could have happened to any set of football supporters?
It could. I was watching one of the shows the other night talking about the disaster and different things...when you're that age as a kid yourself going to games just standing in front of a fence watching a game of football, it's actually unbelievable when you think about it. You see how many young people lost their lives at the game, that's when it hit home - it could have been anywhere else the way football fans were treated then, especially with the standing situation. I think there was always a problem at that stadium, and there had been a couple of problems and different things [there] a few years before. It was a sorry day and it could have happened to any set of supporters. Hopefully we don't think it will ever happen again now.
You've attended many memorials throughout your Liverpool career to commemorate the Hillsborough anniversary. How important was it for you and Liverpool Football Club to be at the vigil tonight?
It was very important. The most important people will always be the 96, the families and the people who have supported them - but obviously we've got a big part to play in that as Liverpool Football Club. As players, managers, staff and as a club, we've always got to be trying to support the families, the 96, and anything they need. I'm sure there have been people at the club in the past - players and ex-managers - who have tried to do as much as they can in terms of giving donations or helping the families in different ways. The club have always got to be something to lean on for the families and the victims of what happened.