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Tree of friendship and respect

Clik The Mouse

Saturday, May 29th, 2010

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 A white beam breaks from the sky
pinpoints the chosen ones
as God picks out some more favourites
and collects the souls from beside a collapsed wall
from whence the Devil’s soldiers
have struck with causative effect
and Heysel turns from Belgian backwater
to emotive memorial

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 25 years on
and the City of Liverpool still lives with its regrets
still proffers an olive branch to the ‘Old Lady’
wishing to conjoin 96 tears
with 39 peers
and so now a Whitebeam in St John’s Gardens
roots itself in friendship
and renews the leaves of respect
with each passing year

© Clik the mouse, May 29th 2010

Notes

From BBC website :

A plaque to remember the 39 killed during the football riots at Heysel will be unveiled at Anfield stadium.

The permanent tribute will be placed on the Centenary Stand to honour the Juventus fans who were crushed to death after a wall collapsed on 29 May 1985.

The Italian supporters were killed trying to run away from Liverpool fans during the European Cup final.

It is the first of several events in the lead up to the 25th anniversary on Saturday.

Former Liverpool captain Phil Neal and former Juventus centre back Sergio Brio, who played in the final, will also attend the ceremony.

Liverpool City Council leader Joe Anderson and honorary Italian consul Nunzia Bertali planted a White Beam tree in St John’s Gardens, behind St George’s Hall, as a mark of friendship and respect.

Mrs Bertali said: “After 25 years people often think we should move on but it is lovely Liverpool has decided to remember and commemorate in this way, in the name of friendship.

“I admire the fact Liverpool, and Britain generally, does not stick its head in the sand when wrongs have been done.
“I am so grateful for that and really respect it.”

The match went ahead, despite objections from both managers, with Juventus winning 1-0 from a second-half penalty.

Those who died included 32 Italians, four Belgians, two French nationals and a man from Northern Ireland.

Mr Anderson said: “I want to extend my sympathies from the whole city of Liverpool.

“It was a part in our history that we regret deeply and I think its right and proper that we should pay our respects in the way that we are doing.”

Civic dignitaries from both clubs and representatives from two Italy-based family support groups will also be present, which will be presided over by Liverpool’s club chaplain Bill Bygroves.

Later this week a delegation from Anfield will visit Turin to attend the commemoration events being organised in the city.

Anfield is already home to a permanent memorial to the 96 fans killed in the Hillsborough disaster in 1989.

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/tree-of-friendship-and-respect/