I am usually quick to forgive, and tend to see the good in people. But right now I don’t feel so good or forgiving. I want to kick Charles Itandje right in the nutsack. I usually don’t feel this way about anybody. But when Hillsborough is the subject, how can you possibly be laughing and joking and THEN make laughs and jokes about the situation once you’ve been caught? What a *******! I want to hurt him! Seriously!
If you don’t know the situation, let’s do a quickie with it. “Hillsborough” is a stadium in England (Sheffield… home of Sheffield Wednesday), and was being used in 1989 as a site for the FA Cup semifinals. Liverpool were playing Nottingham Forest, and as fans showed up, there were some problems. At that time, people didn’t sit in seats. There were “terraces,” which for the youngins out there, is basically a big slope that people stand on with bars so that you can stand in a match… not sit. The problem was that people were showing up without tickets and the police were not properly prepared to deal with the situation. There was a recent change in the Sheffield security ranks, and long story short, they cocked it up and couldn’t control all of the supporters flowing into the stadium. Because the terraces are a slope that lead right up to the field, there has to be a barrier or people would be pushed into the field. Usually in most stadiums, the barrier is about a couple feet high, and people could easily hop over it in case of over-crowding. But at Hillsborough, the barrier was much higher, and access to the field was much more challenging. People were flowing in such high numbers that people were being crushed to death against the barrier, with police AIDING in the crush telling the “hooligans” (JHL rolling eyes at the moment) to deal with it. 96 people died in the crush, and many others were critically injured… both physically and emotionally. The match went on, ludicrously, and Liverpool went on to win the FA Cup over Everton. This tragedy saw the death of Steven Gerrard’s cousin and many other younger and older supporters. To this day, this tragedy remains a cornerstone of the Liverpool FC supporting experience. So to laugh during the 20th anniversary service, as Itandje did, is unprofessional and… let’s face it… fucking unacceptable.
The accusation was that Itandje was seen laughing and joking during the service at Anfield. He has been our 3rd string goalkeeper (like that should matter) and is on the transfer list. Not that that matters, either. In a sensitive and emotional matter such as this, who cares how good you are or what your status at the club is. You should respect the families of those who died and act appropriately. Itandje did not. He was seen laughing and trying to get Damien Plessis to laugh with him. Plessis looked annoyed and ashamed during that moment, which I greatly appreciated.
Look. Itandje wasn’t standing up and laughing or anything. It wasn’t overt. It wasn’t over the top. But it WAS the Hillsborough Memorial service. And it WAS inappropriate and uncalled for. It pisses me off to think he can just act however the hell he wants. And what he said AFTERWARDS to me is the worst of it all. This excerpt is from the BBC:
“Liverpool reserve goalkeeper Charles Itandje, banned for 14 days for inappropriate behaviour during the Hillsborough memorial service, believes the media has blown the affair out of proportion.
“It is a 30-second video montage that was given senseless proportions. My behaviour should be judged over a one-hour video,” Itandje told Sunday’s French newspaper Aujourd’hui Sport.
“You know the papers here (in Britain), they do a lot with not much. I even heard I was dancing!”
“What happened will not do much to change my situation at the club since I am already on the transfer list.”
His attitude about this is REALLY what irks me. 30 seconds, one hour, WHATEVER. You were laughing about a singer in what is essentially a 20th anniversary funeral of 96 people. Respect? Compassion? I think not. More like an arrogant young man who is full of himself and unaware of the club’s history. And to blame the papers or your status on the transfer list is LUDICROUS. He did apologize, but after reading this I think I know where he really stands on the situation. What a dick.
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You need to calm down a bit.
The press did over react and accuse him of dancing.
He was disrespectful and apologised and, to me, the apology seemed sincere.
Sadly, people continued to overreact and the guy has come out to defend himself against the sillines both you and the press are guilty of.
Hillsborough should not be used as an excuse to demonise the slightest transgressions.
There are more important things that need sorting – a certain editor and former chief constable amongst them.