Mowbray: Hillsborough disaster puts West Brom's plight in perspective

Apr 15 2009 by Robert Tanner, Birmingham Post

The Hillsborough disaster of exactly 20 years ago today helps put football into perspective for West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Mowbray.

Albion may be embroiled in a fading fight to secure their Premier League status and while relegation would be a bitter blow for Mowbray’s and the players’ careers, it is only their livelihoods and not their lives that are at stake.

Ninety six Liverpool supporters died following the crush in the Leppings Lane stand at Hillsborough and the 1989 FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest was abandoned after just six minutes when fans starting coming onto the pitch to avoid the crush.

As a result of the disaster and the subsequent enquiry by Lord Taylor of Gosforth, known as the Taylor Report, football changed forever with new safety measures and all-seater stadiums introduced.

However, crowd safety is still an issue elsewhere in the world and Albion centre back Abdoulaye Meite experienced another disaster last month while on international duty in the Ivory Coast when 19 spectators were killed following a stampede of fans during the 5-0 win over Malawi.

Mowbray is no stranger to personal tragedy as his first wife Bernadette died of breast cancer during the 1990s and, as a result, he is able to put the winning of football matches into perspective.

“What happened in the Ivory Coast was hugely sad,” Mowbray said.

“You have to break it down to the human element.