Twenty-nine years ago yesterday, 39 supporters who had set off for a football match in Brussels, Belgium would not return home to their loved ones. I remember it vividly. A Wednesday evening, home in London watching the TV with huge anticipation for the annual showpiece event of the Euro soccer calendar - the 1985 European Cup Final between Liverpool and Juventus. The 1984 Italian Champions team included Paolo Rossi, the striker who singlehandedly slayed the might of Brazil when scoring a hat trick against them in the quarterfinals of the 1982 World Cup. Rossi wasnt even the star player. That was Michel Platini, the current UEFA President. Italys Brazil 2014 manager, Cesare Prandelli was on the bench. The 39 innocent supporters were killed in cold blood as they attempted to flee from the onslaught of hooliganism initiated by so called fans of Liverpool. It occurred on the terrace behind the goal where Juventus supporters were in the majority. A wall which prevented the Juventus supporters from escaping collapsed with devastating consequences an hour before the game had been scheduled to kick off. Thirty-eight died instantly, a 39th victim succumbing in hospital three months later. Thirty-two were Italians, four Belgian and two French nationals, even a supporter from Northern Ireland. Reports at the time stated over 600 fans were treated for injuries they suffered. The victims came from a whole cross section of society. Included a couple of mailmen, a pair of chefs, three doctors, several students and store workers, a car mechanic, a soldier, a school boy, a farmer, a fashion photographer , a construction worker, a taxi driver and a school janitor. The youngest of whom was only 11-years old. The Heysel Tragedy. One of soccers darkest moments. In the aftermath, UEFA deemed it acceptable for the match to go ahead. Their reasoning concluded it was in the public safety to do so. Cancelling the match they believed would have led to further mayhem. For the record, courtesy of a second half Michel Platini penalty, Juventus won its first European title. The subsequent investigation into the Heysel Tragedy brought no comfort to the grieving families. The stadium was ill equipped to deal with such an occasion. In the weeks leading up to the final Juventus and Liverpool complained to UEFA, stating their concerns for the stadium. Crumbling infrastructure, inadequate policing and security were key factors in preventing such a tragedy. All that separated the Liverpool and Juventus supporters on that fateful terrace was a chicken wire. Criminal charges were made. Convictions for involuntary manslaughter were bought against 14 Liverpool fans in a court case that took over four-years to bring. They served very little jail time. Civil charges against those resulted in a scant award of $7 million to the victims families. The Belgian Football Union was put in the dock too. The BFUs most senior official given a suspended prison sentence for "Regrettable Negligence." UEFA itself was not immune - their president and another senior official receiving conditional discharges. Two days after the tragedy and under severe pressure from Margaret Thatchers government, the English Football Association announced it was banning its clubs from playing in Europe. Within a week, UEFA announced that with immediate effect they were banning English clubs indefinitely. It would be five years before they would be permitted to enter European competitions. Additionally Liverpool were banned for a further three-years but 12 months later that ban was lifted. In a highly moving pre-match ceremony on the pitch before their April 27th match against Chelsea, Liverpool recognized the 25th Anniversary of Hillsborough. Brendan Rodgers led the tributes. Yesterday the club placed a floral tribute beneath the Heysel Memorial Plaque which adorns the Centenary Stand at Anfield. Juventus marked the anniversary late last month in a ceremony at their memorial site for the victims. Yesterday a poignant statement was posted on the clubs website - Heysel, the Day of Silence. Hillsborough has always remained in the public consciousness. Heysel however has not. Look at UEFAs website today and you wouldnt even know such an inhumane tragedy occurred at their showpiece club event. If anything positive came out of Heysel, it was that it signified the beginning of the end of wide scale rioting and hooliganism that had wrought havoc across the English game in the preceding decade. That is not to suggest that today the so termed "English Disease" has been completely eradicated. As millions of supporters begin gathering in the 12 host cities staging this summers World Cup, they do so against a backdrop which includes construction worker fatalities and anti-World Cup protests similar to those which occurred at last summers Confederations Cup where an estimated 1,000,000 Brazilians took to the streets. Come July 13th when the world gathers around its TV sets for the World Cup Final let us hope during these upcoming weeks the world doesnt lay witness to 1 more death in the `name of football. Tyler Flowers Jersey ... maybe even more than that. Maybe all season I have to take a few blows. Greg Maddux Jersey . Some teams got significantly better, some teams divested themselves of talent and some teams had quiet afternoons, keeping the status quo. http://www.bravesapparelsshop.com/deion-...-jersey-c-23/.Y. -- A month ago, Syracuse was unbeaten, ranked No. Nick Markakis Jersey . Heather, the first Gaiter to win the award, set a Canadian Inter-university Sport record with 3,132 passing yards in eight league games, an average of 391.5 yards per game. That beat the mark of 3,047 set only one week earlier by Westerns Will Finch, a Hec Crighton finalist. John Smoltz Braves Jersey . Various media outlets, including the Detroit Free Press, indicate a deal is close, while USA Today cited an unidentified person directly involved with the negotiations as saying the pact is for two years.SAN FRANCISCO - A lifelong San Francisco fan had a piece of team history in his hands Thursday night: the home run ball that sent the Giants to the World Series.Then he gave it back.Frank Burke, who owns a transmission repair business in Oakdale, said that he wanted the hitter, Travis Ishikawa, to have the ball.I believe in karma, he told The Associated Press. I didnt hit that ball ....if anybodys going to have that ball in their game room or trophy case, its going to be the guy who hit it.Burke said he hadnt planned on keeping the ball. He keeps home run balls from his high school days in his own trophy case.Theyre still important to me, theyre part of my memories, he said. So why would I think that he (Ishikawa) wouldnt want the same thing?So after having the ball authenticated by a Giants official, and being told that Ishikawa wanted it back, Burke went down to the clubhouse area and handed it over. Ishikawa shook hands, thanked him, and gave him a signed bat in return.Burke said Giants officials asked him what he would like and he suggested World Series tickets but was told that was unlikely.After doing a media interview the next morning, however, he got a call from the Giants. Burke now has four tickets to Game 3 of the World Series at San Franciscos AT&T Park on Fridaay night.ddddddddddddIt will be the Giants first home game against the Kansas City Royals.Burke plans on taking his friend, Greg Leutza, who is battling cancer.The two were at Thursdays game because Burke wanted to do something special for Leutza and went searching for tickets after the Giants won the National League Division Series.Ishikawas drive came their way as they sat above the stadiums right field wall in the ninth inning with two Giants on base.As the ball sped toward him, Burke thought to himself: Soft hands, soft hands. Dont let this thing bounce back on the field.The ball went off his left hand but he was able to grab it with his right.The whole place erupted, Burke said. It was a walkoff home run. We were going to the World Series! Other fans clustered around.I couldnt move from where I was because everyone around me wanted to touch the ball, take pictures with the ball. I must have taken 300 selfies in 15 minutes, he said.After meeting Ishikawa and turning over the ball, Burke and Leutza walked out of the clubhouse like two little kids, hootin and hollerin, he said.But Burke said the ball and the bat werent the things he treasured most.Just the memory for me and my buddy, thats priceless, he said. That meant more to me than anything else will. Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping NFL Jerseys From China China Jerseys Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale Jerseys From China China NFL Gear Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping ' ' '