Their reaction to the ongoing Hillsborough enquiries over the years tells its own story. Every decision met with more hysterical cries for 'justice'. We all know that there was blame to be heaped at the doors of police, media etc, which it rightly has. But it would have been nice to see a reaction with just a touch of self-awareness, a small caveat by way of 'Though we absolutely do not condone the actions of some supporters'. But no. They all know full well that thousands of ticketless fans descending on the ground and the resulting crush outside the gates left no alternative but to open them. That part of it is on them. They know it but it has remained resolutely unspoken. We have been nothing but respectful over the years about it (despite their claims), whereas they have weaponised their own tragedy.
It is this whitewashing and total absolvement which empowers their more odious element to repeat things all over again, as we are seeing with this Paris ticket business. Remember these were people who invaded the pitch when they went ahead in the FA Cup final against us following Hillsborough. Just because other people are to blame does not ipso facto mean that you have no blame. It is fallacious logic. If that had been accepted at the time we might not be seeing the entitled, never-our-fault, victim mentality which is resting it's head so often now.
Reality is not black and white. But in their heads now, it is. Of course it was not all their fault. The most blinkered of us know that. But to say they played no part at all and that thousands of people behaved impeccably is absurd. I like many arrived 20 minutes late at Villa Park on the same day due to serious traffic delays. We formed orderly queues and eventually got in five to ten minutes later. It is possible to do.
To acknowledge these facts does not denigrate the dead in any way or form. On the contrary, it respects their memory by admitting the truth. The victims, already at the front, were truly blameless. And that is the real tragedy.
