Topic: ANNE - 4pt drama 2nd-5th Jan 2022 ITV // UNFINISHED BUSINESS Documentary 6th Jan

[Barrow Shaun]

Dan's 2016 doc is on BBC iplayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b07bgnkn/hillsborough

This is the one.

In it, it mentions your fight to get access to those boxes and putting the statements together on that big table and it shows the newspaper double-page thing acknowledging what you'd found.

I'm confused now because you mentioned the newspaper hadn't acknowledged it in the doc and that David Conn was credited for the police statement findings. Not from how I saw this.

I must be getting wires crossed.

[BoRed]

This is the one.

In it, it mentions your fight to get access to those boxes and putting the statements together on that big table and it shows the newspaper double-page thing acknowledging what you'd found.

I'm confused now because you mentioned the newspaper hadn't acknowledged it in the doc and that David Conn was credited for the police statement findings. Not from how I saw this.

I must be getting wires crossed.

Phil's talking about not being acknowledged in the Real Anne documentary.

[Barrow Shaun]

Phil's talking about not being acknowledged in the Real Anne documentary.

Yeah, I thought I must've misunderstood. Cheers.

[Thepooloflife]

Thanks for your comment on the police statements. The documentary suggested that David Conn of the Guardian revealed the reviewed and altered statements just ahead of the 20th Anniversary when AB spoke. In fact, I met with a former SYP officer three times in 1996 and 1997. On the third occasion he gave me is reviewed and altered statement. It was in three forms - handwritten, typed and with alterations written in pen and initialed by a senior SYP officer, and a clean copy. He had refused to sign it yet his signature was at the foot of every page: 'Yes, it is my signature, but I didn't put it there'. On 24 October 1997 he accompanied me to an interview with Stuart-Smith who gave him a hard time. I also accompanied a number of families to meet S-S and made three submissions. In his report he dismissed me and the demands I had made for a new inquest.. In July 1998 I managed to gain access to all police statements in their various forms. I was allowed to read them in the House of Lords Reading Room. I took multiple copies. It was then that I decided to write Hillsborough: The Truth and the first edition was published in March 1999 ... the Sunday Mirror ran a centre-page spread 'HOW THE TRUTH WAS CENSORED'. I have no idea why this wasn't acknowledged in the doc nor why, given my central role in researching and writing the HIP Report, I wasn't asked to contribute.

I watched the Real Anne doc last night, which again wasn't easy with the old clips being shown. But, I couldn't believe there was no mention of yourself throughout - and not being asked to contribute just beggars belief !

It's been said before, but I want to personally thank you Phil for your immense contribution and steadfast work you put in to uncovering the truth. In particular I want to say thanks to uncovering all the altered police statements, including my own which I was able to finally retrieve via Operation Resolve and the IPCC. Seeing my own statement, made to the police in my own home, altered with crossings out and written comments in the margins etc  - well, it knocked me sideways. But, it was extremely helpful in coping with it all....so thank you.

[west_london_red]

Spoke to our kid last night, he managed about 20 mins before breaking down and had to stop, the funeral home scene had him in floods. Brought it all back vividly to him being 19, how Kevin nipped in to the kitchen to take the piss that he had a ticket and was going the game, how he was told by the barman that Kev had been killed, asking who, I don't know know the regulars in the bar, no, Annes Kev, who? Kev from the kitchen, fuck off, no way. Then having to tell the kitchen staff Kev was dead and then all going fuck off no way, not being allowed to shut the restaurant, not being allowed time off to go the funeral as the bosses said they would represent and keep the restaurant open, Anne asking him why he wasn't there and him having no answer, wishing he'd had jacked his job and gone and Anne telling him how much Kev looked up to him.

Thank you for posting that Rob, as someone who was only a kid when it happened and coming from so far away I don’t think it’s always easy to feel the impact the tragedy had on so many people in the city, not just the 97 and their families but in a city the size of Liverpool there’s probably not many people who weren’t hit personally one way or another like your son.

[Thepooloflife]

Thank you for posting that Rob, as someone who was only a kid when it happened and coming from so far away I don’t think it’s always easy to feel the impact the tragedy had on so many people in the city, not just the 97 and their families but in a city the size of Liverpool there’s probably not many people who weren’t hit personally one way or another like your son.

That's well said mate - although it was the whole of Merseyside really (and other places besides)....it resonated throughout the whole area, even now. Btw, I think Rob's referring to his brother as 'our kid' - local lingo.....but, he can maybe explain.

[moondog]

It's been said before, but I want to personally thank you Phil for your immense contribution and steadfast work you put in to uncovering the truth. In particular I want to say thanks to uncovering all the altered police statements, including my own which I was able to finally retrieve via Operation Resolve and the IPCC. Seeing my own statement, made to the police in my own home, altered with crossings out and written comments in the margins etc  - well, it knocked me sideways. But, it was extremely helpful in coping with it all....so thank you.

Like many of us this is something I have locked away as best as possible for over 30 years , being there and seeing everything unfold in front of me is something I can never ever forget nor should I. I was heartbroken in the days and weeks (and years) that followed and spent a long time locked away in my room in tears. Unbelievably, Your post reminded me that I had a screaming match with two coppers in my bedroom in the days after Hillsborough when they took my statement and I would very much like to see that paperwork now- I did not realise that I could actually do so and would appreciate pointing in the right direction to find it. I guess it will open old wounds again but maybe now is the time for that.

[rob1966]

That's well said mate - although it was the whole of Merseyside really (and other places besides)....it resonated throughout the whole area, even now. Btw, I think Rob's referring to his brother as 'our kid' - local lingo.....but, he can maybe explain.

Yeah I'm talking about my brother. He was 19, just coming up to 20 and I was 22 in 1989.

[spen71]

Welcome aboard and, yes, do stick around.

It's refreshing to hear from clued-up fans of other clubs. It's also refreshing to know some also put others straight when they trot out the tired, damaging rubbish and lies that were peddled by those who pushed the cover-up.

It was interesting last night. I was pottering about online looking for pictures of our title clincher at Wolves in 1976. Now I don't tend to go on opposition forums, but I ended up on a Wolves one which had a thread about that very game. It wasn't long before someone threw Hillsborough into the conversation. That person was roundly shouted down and some really knowledgeable Wolves fans stood up for the truth. That was really refreshing to see. For all the complete dickheads out there, there are still some good football people about and some quality human beings. 

Funny enough I looked at that too.    I live in the Black Country now,   Know lots of wolves fans.     Most of them are sound and I was telling them about the game in 1976.   Looked for photos and then found the 1981 v Spurs.    Lots of fans need educating

[Thepooloflife]

Like many of us this is something I have locked away as best as possible for over 30 years , being there and seeing everything unfold in front of me is something I can never ever forget nor should I. I was heartbroken in the days and weeks (and years) that followed and spent a long time locked away in my room in tears. Unbelievably, Your post reminded me that I had a screaming match with two coppers in my bedroom in the days after Hillsborough when they took my statement and I would very much like to see that paperwork now- I did not realise that I could actually do so and would appreciate pointing in the right direction to find it. I guess it will open old wounds again but maybe now is the time for that.

I've sent you a PM - any problems, get back to me.

[andy07]

Like many of us this is something I have locked away as best as possible for over 30 years , being there and seeing everything unfold in front of me is something I can never ever forget nor should I. I was heartbroken in the days and weeks (and years) that followed and spent a long time locked away in my room in tears. Unbelievably, Your post reminded me that I had a screaming match with two coppers in my bedroom in the days after Hillsborough when they took my statement and I would very much like to see that paperwork now- I did not realise that I could actually do so and would appreciate pointing in the right direction to find it. I guess it will open old wounds again but maybe now is the time for that.

I gave a statement to West Midlands Police that took a couple of hours to complete.  Unsurprisingly it vanished without trace.

[Red_Mist]

I’ve only just managed to get through episode 1. Took several attempts and I’m sure I’m not alone in that.

Incredibly powerful performances from Maxine Peake and Stephen Walters.

[oojason]

^ https://twitter.com/RTSNW/status/1596632895233445888   

[John C]

^ https://twitter.com/RTSNW/status/1596632895233445888   

Bloody hell, only just seen this. Well deserved. Brilliant.