Burnley full-back Michael Duff’s ‘disgust’ over Hillsborough report

9:51am Thursday 13th September 2012 in Football Photograph of the Author By Tyrone Marshall, Reporter

Michael Duff Michael Duff

ONE of Burnley’s longest serving players, who was present at the Hillsborough disaster, has spoken of his ‘disgust’ at the length of time it has taken for information about the tragedy to be released.

Full-back Michael Duff, who at the time was an 11-year-old schoolboy player for Nottingham Forest, was in the crowd in Sheffield in April 1989.

The Northern Ireland international, who has played 233 times for the Clarets, grew up in Bedale, North Yorks. He was taken to the game in Sheffield to see Forest play Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final as a treat by his dad John.

Michael, 33, said: “It was the first big game I’d ever attended so I was excited. But then we noticed Liverpool fans climbing over the fence and the situation just grew out of control.

“Shortly after the game was stopped there was a Liverpool fan right in front of us trying to rip away an advertising board to use as a makeshift stretcher.

"He was crying and screaming to us that he had five brothers with him and that he couldn’t find any of them. It was then we started to see lifeless bodies being carried across the pitch.”

Michael and his dad left the ground at around 3.30pm. “It was miles away before we could find a phone box without massive queues to tell my mum we were safe,” he said.

As a result of the crush that day, 96 Liverpool fans died.

Michael added that he was relieved that yesterday saw the disclosure of information about the disaster and attempts to deflect the blame on to fans.

He said: “It’s disgusting it’s taken this long for the families of those innocent people who lost their lives to get this information.

Comments (8)

12:12pm Thu 13 Sep 12

no ney never says...

This whole so called democracy is corrupt.
Cameras everywhere.
Can't park anywhere without paying.
Politicians theiving our taxes.
Media phone hacking.
Media making stories up.
Police accepting bribes and bungs.
Citizens being extradited on weak and biased evidence.
Guilford four.
Birmingham six
Hillsborough.

Never is this a free country. Its a police state and is corrupt.and is run by a bunch of crooks who are only in it for their own personal gain.
No usual sign off with this post as I don't want his god name associating with any of the above.
This whole so called democracy is corrupt. Cameras everywhere. Can't park anywhere without paying. Politicians theiving our taxes. Media phone hacking. Media making stories up. Police accepting bribes and bungs. Citizens being extradited on weak and biased evidence. Guilford four. Birmingham six Hillsborough. Never is this a free country. Its a police state and is corrupt.and is run by a bunch of crooks who are only in it for their own personal gain. No usual sign off with this post as I don't want his god name associating with any of the above. no ney never

1:58pm Thu 13 Sep 12

nonsence says...

i could not agree more,with the comments above,the problem is no one will hold there hand up,and be accountable,bring them all to book.and lets not wait years!
i could not agree more,with the comments above,the problem is no one will hold there hand up,and be accountable,bring them all to book.and lets not wait years! nonsence

5:07pm Thu 13 Sep 12

jellybiff says...

feel sorry for Sheffield over a 100 bent and corrupt plod serving all this time.How may people have these filth stitched up in this time thee must be loads of innocent people in jail because of them.Also when are the FA going to make a speech .They should be held accountable for staging this game at a ground without a safety certificate .
feel sorry for Sheffield over a 100 bent and corrupt plod serving all this time.How may people have these filth stitched up in this time thee must be loads of innocent people in jail because of them.Also when are the FA going to make a speech .They should be held accountable for staging this game at a ground without a safety certificate . jellybiff

6:16pm Thu 13 Sep 12

Chris P Bacon says...

jellybiff wrote:
feel sorry for Sheffield over a 100 bent and corrupt plod serving all this time.How may people have these filth stitched up in this time thee must be loads of innocent people in jail because of them.Also when are the FA going to make a speech .They should be held accountable for staging this game at a ground without a safety certificate .
Bent and corrupt after getting away with murder and serious injuries dished out to the poor miners at Orgreave. With the complicity of a bent government, they were encouraged to fabricate the 'truth' to be what the govern...regime of the time demanded of them and knew they had the most powerful ally in the nation.

Well now we're going to see some heads roll and they will bleat like trapped rats.
[quote][p][bold]jellybiff[/bold] wrote: feel sorry for Sheffield over a 100 bent and corrupt plod serving all this time.How may people have these filth stitched up in this time thee must be loads of innocent people in jail because of them.Also when are the FA going to make a speech .They should be held accountable for staging this game at a ground without a safety certificate .[/p][/quote]Bent and corrupt after getting away with murder and serious injuries dished out to the poor miners at Orgreave. With the complicity of a bent government, they were encouraged to fabricate the 'truth' to be what the govern...regime of the time demanded of them and knew they had the most powerful ally in the nation. Well now we're going to see some heads roll and they will bleat like trapped rats. Chris P Bacon

6:35pm Thu 13 Sep 12

bobinspain says...

no ney never wrote:
This whole so called democracy is corrupt.
Cameras everywhere.
Can't park anywhere without paying.
Politicians theiving our taxes.
Media phone hacking.
Media making stories up.
Police accepting bribes and bungs.
Citizens being extradited on weak and biased evidence.
Guilford four.
Birmingham six
Hillsborough.

Never is this a free country. Its a police state and is corrupt.and is run by a bunch of crooks who are only in it for their own personal gain.
No usual sign off with this post as I don't want his god name associating with any of the above.
You forgot the "Renault 5."
[quote][p][bold]no ney never[/bold] wrote: This whole so called democracy is corrupt. Cameras everywhere. Can't park anywhere without paying. Politicians theiving our taxes. Media phone hacking. Media making stories up. Police accepting bribes and bungs. Citizens being extradited on weak and biased evidence. Guilford four. Birmingham six Hillsborough. Never is this a free country. Its a police state and is corrupt.and is run by a bunch of crooks who are only in it for their own personal gain. No usual sign off with this post as I don't want his god name associating with any of the above.[/p][/quote]You forgot the "Renault 5." bobinspain

7:40pm Thu 13 Sep 12

FCBurnley says...

no ney never wrote:
This whole so called democracy is corrupt.
Cameras everywhere.
Can't park anywhere without paying.
Politicians theiving our taxes.
Media phone hacking.
Media making stories up.
Police accepting bribes and bungs.
Citizens being extradited on weak and biased evidence.
Guilford four.
Birmingham six
Hillsborough.

Never is this a free country. Its a police state and is corrupt.and is run by a bunch of crooks who are only in it for their own personal gain.
No usual sign off with this post as I don't want his god name associating with any of the above.
Exactly why I chose to emigrate. Anyone noticed that the Government never publish figures on how many people are choosing to live in other countries. Most of the people who leave tend to be financially sound and take their wealth and spending power with them. I left 4 years ago, I have never been back for 1 day and I have never been happier.
[quote][p][bold]no ney never[/bold] wrote: This whole so called democracy is corrupt. Cameras everywhere. Can't park anywhere without paying. Politicians theiving our taxes. Media phone hacking. Media making stories up. Police accepting bribes and bungs. Citizens being extradited on weak and biased evidence. Guilford four. Birmingham six Hillsborough. Never is this a free country. Its a police state and is corrupt.and is run by a bunch of crooks who are only in it for their own personal gain. No usual sign off with this post as I don't want his god name associating with any of the above.[/p][/quote]Exactly why I chose to emigrate. Anyone noticed that the Government never publish figures on how many people are choosing to live in other countries. Most of the people who leave tend to be financially sound and take their wealth and spending power with them. I left 4 years ago, I have never been back for 1 day and I have never been happier. FCBurnley

9:21pm Thu 13 Sep 12

Jack Herer says...

FCBurnley wrote:
no ney never wrote:
This whole so called democracy is corrupt.
Cameras everywhere.
Can't park anywhere without paying.
Politicians theiving our taxes.
Media phone hacking.
Media making stories up.
Police accepting bribes and bungs.
Citizens being extradited on weak and biased evidence.
Guilford four.
Birmingham six
Hillsborough.

Never is this a free country. Its a police state and is corrupt.and is run by a bunch of crooks who are only in it for their own personal gain.
No usual sign off with this post as I don't want his god name associating with any of the above.
Exactly why I chose to emigrate. Anyone noticed that the Government never publish figures on how many people are choosing to live in other countries. Most of the people who leave tend to be financially sound and take their wealth and spending power with them. I left 4 years ago, I have never been back for 1 day and I have never been happier.
Shame you didn't like it in Lancashire. I love it where I live, proper full on love it. The rain, which I suspect we might be stuck with for a good few years (fifth year of relative monsoon now), will probably make me want to retire to Spain, but apart from that I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

You are right about corrupt politics though. I don't think it's any coincidence that it was the Sun who acted unbelievably disgracefully printing exactly the type of thing the police would have paid them to. Exactly the type of thing the police were trying to implicate the innocent fans with we know now. Strange that the Sun would do that eh - do exactly what a corrupt police force would want?

Just like the current scandals which have caused this recent Leveson inquiry. Serious, serious despicable actions from major newspapers. They think they are the law, because the law are in their pocket. If there aren't serious wholesale changes following Leveson then it will be a disgrace.

Politicians crave favour from the press, that's the problem. We need leaders that don't give a sh*t what they think, not least because the public don't.

I don't think the leaders and their minions are corrupt beyond just that though, a greed for power where they don't care if their own beliefs go out of the window; they didn't really have any anyway, they are career politicians - for them it's a job not a calling.

That and being weak - seriously weak. Ed Miliband, wow he's weak. Cameron, not far behind. Poor Nick Clegg just seems to be the whipping boy for the same corrupt press.

Osbourne and his ilk are obviously the most corrupt. Tax breaks for the rich while everyone else is suffering. You couldn't make it up. The Tory's have the most remarkable set of greedy pigs, who genuinely believe they are just better than the man in the street and that's just that.

The Education secretary Michael Groves; full on Murdoch whore. He's Murdoch's apologist for whenever he comes to town. He was laughable at the Leveson inquiry.

We need a revolution of some sort. Not Russian stylee, but a more gentle one. Something needs to happen, the public are just totally sick of this greedy politics, in bed with this corrupt press, who in turn are in bed with police corruption.

Rotten, rotten, rotten. The problem is it's pretty much everywhere though, all countries to a greater or lesser degree, some places much worse. Unless you've moved to Germany or somewhere similar, there's no getting away from it.
[quote][p][bold]FCBurnley[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]no ney never[/bold] wrote: This whole so called democracy is corrupt. Cameras everywhere. Can't park anywhere without paying. Politicians theiving our taxes. Media phone hacking. Media making stories up. Police accepting bribes and bungs. Citizens being extradited on weak and biased evidence. Guilford four. Birmingham six Hillsborough. Never is this a free country. Its a police state and is corrupt.and is run by a bunch of crooks who are only in it for their own personal gain. No usual sign off with this post as I don't want his god name associating with any of the above.[/p][/quote]Exactly why I chose to emigrate. Anyone noticed that the Government never publish figures on how many people are choosing to live in other countries. Most of the people who leave tend to be financially sound and take their wealth and spending power with them. I left 4 years ago, I have never been back for 1 day and I have never been happier.[/p][/quote]Shame you didn't like it in Lancashire. I love it where I live, proper full on love it. The rain, which I suspect we might be stuck with for a good few years (fifth year of relative monsoon now), will probably make me want to retire to Spain, but apart from that I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. You are right about corrupt politics though. I don't think it's any coincidence that it was the Sun who acted unbelievably disgracefully printing exactly the type of thing the police would have paid them to. Exactly the type of thing the police were trying to implicate the innocent fans with we know now. Strange that the Sun would do that eh - do exactly what a corrupt police force would want? Just like the current scandals which have caused this recent Leveson inquiry. Serious, serious despicable actions from major newspapers. They think they are the law, because the law are in their pocket. If there aren't serious wholesale changes following Leveson then it will be a disgrace. Politicians crave favour from the press, that's the problem. We need leaders that don't give a sh*t what they think, not least because the public don't. I don't think the leaders and their minions are corrupt beyond just that though, a greed for power where they don't care if their own beliefs go out of the window; they didn't really have any anyway, they are career politicians - for them it's a job not a calling. That and being weak - seriously weak. Ed Miliband, wow he's weak. Cameron, not far behind. Poor Nick Clegg just seems to be the whipping boy for the same corrupt press. Osbourne and his ilk are obviously the most corrupt. Tax breaks for the rich while everyone else is suffering. You couldn't make it up. The Tory's have the most remarkable set of greedy pigs, who genuinely believe they are just better than the man in the street and that's just that. The Education secretary Michael Groves; full on Murdoch whore. He's Murdoch's apologist for whenever he comes to town. He was laughable at the Leveson inquiry. We need a revolution of some sort. Not Russian stylee, but a more gentle one. Something needs to happen, the public are just totally sick of this greedy politics, in bed with this corrupt press, who in turn are in bed with police corruption. Rotten, rotten, rotten. The problem is it's pretty much everywhere though, all countries to a greater or lesser degree, some places much worse. Unless you've moved to Germany or somewhere similar, there's no getting away from it. Jack Herer

9:46pm Thu 13 Sep 12

Jack Herer says...

Here's a true story. A mate of mine was at Hillsborough, got seriously injured, and was in Sheffield hospital for months after.

They had a load of celebrity visitors over that time. Prince Charles for instance came (apparently he was genuinely sound - I've always had a lot of time for him since I heard that anecdote - should he bob round anytime!). Anyway, when Maggie Thatcher came round, she got to the foot of my mate's bed and he stuck two fingers up and shouted "F*CK OFF!", and the bloke in the bed across shouted "go 'ed lad!"

And you know what; he was right when it came to old Maggie and Hillsborough in the end. She did deserve to be told where to go.
Here's a true story. A mate of mine was at Hillsborough, got seriously injured, and was in Sheffield hospital for months after. They had a load of celebrity visitors over that time. Prince Charles for instance came (apparently he was genuinely sound - I've always had a lot of time for him since I heard that anecdote - should he bob round anytime!). Anyway, when Maggie Thatcher came round, she got to the foot of my mate's bed and he stuck two fingers up and shouted "F*CK OFF!", and the bloke in the bed across shouted "go 'ed lad!" And you know what; he was right when it came to old Maggie and Hillsborough in the end. She did deserve to be told where to go. Jack Herer

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