Fanzines - voice of the ordinary supporter

We highlight Liverpool 'zine 'Through The Wind and Rain' - always a staunch supporter of the HJC and a voice that has kept alive and published articles on Hillsborough throuout the last 12 years. You can read all of their back issue articles about Hillsborough here

Contact Us - Contact TTWR

The Hillsborough Justice Campaign
134 Oakfield Road
Anfield
Liverpool
L4 0UG
Tel / fax : 0151 2605262

email:
hjcshop@tiscali.co.uk

Through the Wind and Rain
PO Box 23
Bootle
Liverpool
L30 2SA

email: lol@parrjohnson.freeserve.co.uk

Through the Wind and the Rain Fanzine Archives

Well, it's been another weird couple of months I suppose after nine and a half years we should be accustomed to it by now, but the disaster and it's consequences can still provide one more twist and one more shock.

The trial rumbles on quietly, and information on what is happening is obviously severely restricted. The early signs are hopeful, apparently, but as before it's a question of wait and see. It my look as if nothing is being done, but patience is a virtue - especially after our long wait for Justice.

The real fun and games has surrounded the utterly unbelievable farce over Norman Bettison. Merseyside Police Authority has shown incompetence and insensitivity that beggar's belief- what was or was not in those documents is beside the point; the words "South Yorkshire Police" were in them, and surely that should ring a few alarm bells in itself? The Home Office has shown it's by now customary understanding and tact (1 wouldn't mind Jack Straw being found on some common with some "new friends"). The only people to emerge with any credit are the two support groups, the Echo (and fair play to them, they have taken a strong line on this and the poll was pretty emphatic) and Maria Eagle. At the end of the day, Merseyside is stuck with this bloke and the subsequent humiliation. While he denies any involvement with the cover-up unit, frankly I wouldn't trust anyone from that force to tell me his name or the time. The only good thing is that the story has actually got out of the area, and friends in places like London and Norway know all about it.

We have mentioned in previous issues the problems with Owen (News of the World) and Ince (the Scum). Both agents were contacted, and we must show respect to Owen's. Tony Stephens insisted on his correspond~ being private, but he replied to us not once but twice. He was both open and honest, and he is clearly a pretty sharp operator. He's done his homework m the whole Murdoch issue; he knew about Mc Manaman (the Times) and the Family Support Group involvement with the News of the World (the Justice concert). Why the NOTW issue should he such a grey area is beyond me, but it is and we can't really take Owen or Stephens to task for it. Maybe its time people accepted the idea that the Support Group (or the Survivors and Relatives group for that matter) do not represent everybody and we do have minds of our own?

Still, Michael and his agent are definitely aware of the depth of feeling over the issue, and that is the main point. A small victory, but one we'll accept. As for Ince, I know you'll he utterly gobsmacked to discover that we have had no response from his agent whatsoever, and Ince is obviously intent on keeping his head down on this one. Indeed, the Daily Mail's report on his move to Spurs (as truthful as anything else in that scabrous rag) included the tasty morsel that Ince was not entirely happy with the reaction of "certain Liverpool supporters" towards him- Aaaah, is that so? Tough shit. Guvnor Ince. Ince, Guvnor........no,i'm still trying to work out just how those words ever got put together.

More importantly, the main current campaign focus has not been achieved either - the boycott of Sheffield Wednesday and the Complete involvement of LFC Despite letters and phone calls. Rick Parry has been too busy or in Geneva talking about Super Leagues. NO progress has been made at all, simply bemuse we have hem unable to arrange even one meeting on the issue. Whether we make any progress in the (reduced) amount of time left available to us is up to the club, and maybe the opportunity is slipping away. It may teach us once and for all that LFC will not genuinely talk about L~ like this. Too controversial, too messy to deal with.

All we can do is tell as many Reds as possible that this is the year to tell SWFC where to stick it, and hope that enough of them will see the wider picture. Its just one game, after all, and at least one of the club's worries (ie we would need a win at Hillsborough for our Championship campaign) can be safely put on the back burner. Well, it can -be honest!

Stasis is basically the general situation now, and until the trial moves along or Liverpool FC decide whether they're really interested or not there's very little to do. The Survivors & Relatives group have kept on fund raising and organising petitions, particularly over that arse Bettison, so respect to Gary, Pete and the others for that - but it is still a Wait & See stage. Let's hope that by at the end of the wait there'll be something to see.

Rex

Nothing much to add to Rex's letter. I think Parry's a bit Pre-occupied at the minute he's had a bit of an easy time of it in the fanzine, in comparison to someone like Robinson but I think we have to do that. Not because we especially like the bloke (you obviously don't rise to the positions he's held without seeming to be all things to all men), but the stories on the grapevine suggest he still hasn't rested the sort of control he would like from his predecessors.(s) I've spoken to him on the Phone, and he seemed genuine enough, but I despise this super League shit and would rather we steered well clear of it .On Hillsborough, the consensus seems to be that we'll get more from Parry than anyone else, but until he's sorted out his 'problems' well have to do everything ourselves. The Survivors group wanted to distribute a leaflet, but were knocked back as it would have interfered with a chocolate bar promotion! Honestly the PR at this club really has gone to pot.

The Express pulled a snidey little trick by only touching on the Bettison story when he finally bit back with a thinly veiled legal threat about what Maria Eagle said under parliamentary privilege. No quotes from Eagle, no quotes from Hicks (whose request for a Public meeting with Bettison is curiously being ignored) and a very large photograph of a South Yorkshire cop carrying a fan to safety on the day - didn't you have one of them pushing supporters back into pen 3, then? Bastards.

Which makes it all the more remarkable that the Express employs the writer most sympathetic to our cause. We haven't mentioned him before, but we owe a huge debt to James Lawton who has consistently supported Liverpool fans in general and the Families in particular. Pity there aren't another dozen or so like him - we wouldn't still be waiting for Justice, that's for sure.

SK

Letters

I'm writing to you about Hillsborough and the proposed boycott this season. I think that there are one or two things we should note. Unless the club itself takes part, which considering how much money is involved is not likely, it is going to be very hard to ensure a complete boycott. 1 don't know how many of the regular travelling fans read the fanzines, but I suspect that if all who did refused to go to that hell hole, many others still would.

First, bear in mind the number of day-trippers from Sheffield and the surrounding areas who will go. I'm from Liverpool, but I study here and believe me I usually see more Liverpool shirts out and about than Wednesday or united one's. Also, remember it is the penultimate league game of the season; if there is the slightest chance that the game will be worth anything (Christ, the way things are going, scrapping for a UEFA Cup place is about our limit there will be a great number of Reds who will feel that they just can't miss it. I can't help feeling that an attempted boycott will really just be an empty gesture if we have a half/three quarters' full Leppings Lane, and filled with many of the less-vocal supporters too.

Instead, I think a better course of action might be if the usual fans go to the game and have a giant, loud but very dignified protest. Say everyone brings their own little banners with 'Justice for the 96', or everyone turn up with flowers. Perhaps a chant of 'Justice' for as long as possible - maybe the whole 90 minutes? If we are to protest, everyone must be involved. The fanzines, the Echo, even the nationals (with one obvious exception).

Whatever we do, it must not be halfhearted. I was in the Upper Anny for last season's derby. In my immediate vicinity, the only people who joined in with me and my mate in the 'Justice' chants were a couple of scally blues behind us (credit where due and all that). I myself don't know if I will be going to that terrible place this season after the appalling treatment we have received in the fast 2 visits. Just remember; whatever we do, we must all do it together. ALL boycott, or ALL protest. If we are loud enough, our voice will be heard.

Liam Connolly Sheffield

Flowers and banners have all been either confiscated or barred from entry by you know who. Because of that, because of SYP, because it is ten years, the only real solution is to stay away.

SK

Regarding this awkward question about the News of The World and whether it's on 'the list' or not. I think it is. It is the Sunday Sun, they advertise each other, they share hacks and both have the same rancid gutless prejudiced take on Liverpool. ---The 1996 piece about the Cathay Pacific flight was a classic case. We can't boycott everyone, but these two are not truly separate papers. They and the 'Star' stand out (and what's the story behind Michael Owen's 'exclusive' for them on 2ND October?). In the year that we hopefully finally nail SYP (the signs are very good, apparently) let's not let the other vermin off the hook, Fuck them, and all who sail in their rat-infested ship.

Rex Nash Kirkdale

26TH October: The Echo phone poll tells us what we probably already knew; Norman Bettison is not welcome on Merseyside, and if he had any dignity he would not accept the job. Of Course, if he had any dignity he wouldn't have got involved with that murdering scum in the first place.