More important than life or death? Absolutely NOT
CandH’s Allen Cummings on the shocking Leicester City tragedy
I was at the King Power Stadium on Saturday night with my two sons, doing what we have done for more years than I care to remember – supporting West Ham. In many ways it was a typical Irons performance, a slow start where it looked as if we could be in for a tough night.
Then came a goal to give us all hope and the team visible confidence, needless sending off followed to bring us back down to earth followed by a gritty, battling response to take us to the 89th minute, when a cruel defection robbed us of all three points.
It brought to an end, or so we thought, an evening of real highs and lows, an emotional roller coaster of emotions that I personally have experienced for the past 60 years or more.
As we left the ground and made our way back to our car, our eyes turned skyward as first the sound and then the sight of a helicopter came to our notice. We knew from previous experience at the King Power the helicopter belonged to the Leicester City Chairman Vichai Srivaddhnaprabha, which routinely landed on the centre circle after the game to collect the Chairman and whisk him away.
Saturday was different though. As we travelled home, still discussing the game and bemoaning our misfortune and bad luck , news began to unfold of the drama and ultimate tragedy back at the stadium.
Hard news remained sketchy as we motored back down the A14 and M11 – although from videos then emerging on social media it didn’t look good! This morning, what we feared was inevitable from the evidence, there were fatalities – and the Leicester City Chairman was amongst them.
Suddenly, the two points we were devastated at the time to lose pales into insignificance as we contemplate the loss of lives in this tragedy. Bill Shankly’s famous quote that football is more important than life or death looks what it is – a throw-away line that’s nowhere near the truth.
When you go to a football match you expect drama. Football stadiums and football fans are no strangers to agony and tears. It’s part of the deal. It comes with the territory. But you have the right to expect to walk away, carry on with your life and live to fight another day.
Tragically, that right has been snatched away from those who perished on Saturday.