Forty years on from Heysel: The lessons football still needs to learn
The Heysel disaster embodied what were the darkest days of football. Four decades on, there are still lessons to be learned.
The catastrophe took place on the game's biggest stage: the 1985 European Cup final, contested between Liverpool and Juventus. On that tragic day in Brussels, 39 fans lost their lives while 600 were left injured after fans were crushed against a wall that collapsed. Abject failures in crowd management and poor stadium design were at the heart of the disaster, as they were for the calamities of Hillsborough and the Valley Parade fire that same decade.
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The Irish Sun
10 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
‘People don't know this' – Michael Owen breaks silence on ‘well done he's 13' meme 26 years on from humiliating teenager
IT IS probably the cringiest moment from Michael Owen's long list. But now he has broken his silence on the infamous "well done, he's 13" gag from Neville Southall. 6 Michael Owen showed his ruthless finishing in the 1999 video Credit: YouTube 6 He famously celebrated the goals Credit: YouTube 6 Neville Southall quipped the famous phrase 'well done, he's 13' Credit: YouTube Owen featured in a Michael Owen Soccer Skills video in 1999 where he faced a young goalkeeper at an empty Stoke City stadium. The former England striker did his best to humiliate the To his credit, Hutchinson did make some saves. But the video is remembered for Owen chipping, rounding and firing past the helpless child between the sticks - before shamelessly celebrating each finish. READ MORE ON FOOTBALL The laughing ex-Liverpool man clenched his fists, ran away with his arms aloft, mocked the goalkeeper for nutmegging him and pointed to his name on the back of his shirt. But it was his embarrassing shout of "get in there - game, set and match, Owen" that triggered Southall's brilliant quip. Southall said: "Well done, he's 13," a comment which remains a viral sensation and etched into British football heritage. But now, 26 years on, Owen has opened up on the clip - and revealed not all was quite as it seemed because he was told to play up for the cameras. Most read in Football CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS He told 'I got back from the World Cup in 98 and there were loads of commercial opportunities, things like that. Virgil van Dijk 'destroys' Michael Owen with brutal 13-word put-down on live TV after Liverpool beat Everton 'I was asked to do a soccer skills video and a soccer skills book. So I had to explain, talk through finishing, volleying, heading, whatever the skill was. Inevitably, you need a goalkeeper there. 'I never picked them and so I turned up to do the show and to talk through how I see scoring a goal and what I think in certain scenarios and whatever. 'There was a kid in goal that I had to score past and when I scored they're like, 'Come on, no, you need to show a bit more animation. Like celebrate when you score, this is going on a video.'" talkSPORT host Andy Goldstein clarified: "So people don't know this, right?" And Owen continued: "People just laugh at you no matter what. Then they take a little extract of anything. 'There's loads of things like that on the internet on me.' 'NOT EXACTLY IDEAL' Hutchinson spoke about the viral video in 2016 and admitted he knew it would not come out too well for him. He said: 'Being the goalkeeper on a programme headlined by a striker wasn't exactly ideal for me. 'It was made clear that it wouldn't make good filming if the goalkeeper was saving all the shots taken by the other kids after they had been coached by Michael.' And even Southall himself did defend Owen's actions earlier this year. The 92-cap Wales goalkeeper - who reunited with Hutchinson a few years ago - added: "I think he was being ironic to be fair, but I think he was enjoying himself and being ironic. 'But the poor kid, he scored a squillion goals past him and I was thinking 'give him a break'. 'On the day, Michael was okay and he's always okay. 'People judge him on that and that's not him." 6 Owen pointed to the name on his shirt Credit: YouTube 6 The ex-striker revealed he was told to give it big Credit: talkSPORT 6 Southall and Hutchinson were reunited a few years ago Credit: X
The 42
14 hours ago
- The 42
Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrímsson has already delivered on his earliest promise
IRELAND BOSS Heimir Hallgrímsson has already delivered on his earliest promise. In August last year, at a fans' forum event before his reign officially got underway, he said: 'It's going to be down to the squad to win the games, not the individuals. 'I think the first impression of the players is really good team players, really good characters, maybe a little bit too nice. 'Sometimes you need a bastard in your team. I am looking for him.' Essentially, Hallgrímsson was saying that he would add steel to the team. And already, the difference is palpable. The Icelandic coach's tenure began in disappointing fashion, with back-to-back Nations League losses against England and Greece. But Ireland have not been beaten at the Aviva Stadium since that opening window. Hallgrímsson has also picked up four wins from nine games. By contrast, it took Stephen Kenny 12 matches to secure his first victory. Now, there is a sense of confidence and momentum within the squad. Advertisement There was frustration last night at the Aviva that the winning run did not continue. But the hosts can take positives from the fact as late as the 81st minute, Ireland were beating an opposition 41 places above them in the world rankings, and who went into the fixture 20 games unbeaten. The caveat is the strength, or lack thereof, of the side Senegal put out. They were missing players such as the ex-Liverpool attacker Sadio Mane and Tottenham's Pape Matar Sarr. Other high-profile performers like current and former Chelsea stars Nicolas Jackson and Kalidou Koulibaly were kept on the bench. But the visitors still had plenty of talent within their ranks – Ismaïla Sarr, who scored the equaliser, featured in all 38 of Crystal Palace's Premier League games this season. So Hallgrímsson was positive in his post-match press conference, and that reaction is justifiable when all the circumstances are considered. Nearly a year into his reign, it's clear that Ireland are developing a distinctive style under the manager. While they weren't always effective last night, it is clear that being strong on set pieces, particularly in an attacking sense, is an integral aspect of Hallgrímsson's philosophy. Under Stephen Kenny, there was an attempt to distance the team from what some observers would regard as Ireland's traditional strengths — physicality and route one football, which virtually every manager before him, going back to Jack Charlton, embraced to a certain extent. Hallgrímsson is more in the Martin O'Neill/Giovanni Trapattoni mode than Kenny. The latter had great faith in his players, which some would argue was misplaced, whereas the former duo didn't put the same trust in Ireland's footballers but did each qualify for a major tournament. There were plenty of instances last night of long throws, hopeful balls forward or defenders booting it away to safety rather than trying to play out from the back — tactics that were less conspicuous in the Kenny era. Ireland's squad largely comprises players who operate at either bottom-half Premier League clubs and Championship sides — you could argue that it is only since Hallgrímsson took charge that they are beginning to play like a lower-level Premier League or Championship team. The Icelander, of course, has also benefited from his predecessor's willingness to blood young players. The trio of Adam Idah, Troy Parrott and Jason Knight now have 97 caps between them. That is also a sometimes underestimated but significant factor in the team's improvement of late. But it seems as if Hallgrímsson has persuaded the players to accept their limitations rather than reaching for the stars. Southampton's Will Smallbone hinted as much in his post-match interview, acknowledging it had been 'different' under Kenny. 'If you look at Irish teams in the past, they've always been built very big on set-pieces and making the Aviva a really tough place to come to, so I think that's what we've got to get back to.' At times, especially in the first half, it felt like Ireland were controlling the game without the ball. There were long stretches where Senegal dominated possession without really looking capable of scoring or even threatening the opposition defence. This new approach is also a recognition of where Irish football is, in the broader sense, in 2025. The problematic lack of resources, the absence of top-class academies and the inability to rely on English clubs to develop 16-year-olds anymore means the likelihood of producing world-class stars on these shores will decrease in the short term. Within that context, it is easy to see why any manager would consider it unwise to embrace any policy other than staunch conservatism when it comes to the men's senior team. Hallgrímsson may not have unearthed the definitive 'bastard' yet; rather, he has produced a team full of them. Ireland have become horrible to play against once more, meaning top countries will no longer relish coming to the Aviva. However, if this pragmatic approach falls flat and the Irish side fail to qualify for the World Cup, of course, Hallgrímsson won't have the same credit in the bank as Kenny's youth-oriented, expansive style afforded him. And in that hypothetical scenario, it's easy to envisage the 18-month contract the coach signed last year not being extended. But if the Boys in Green ultimately book their tickets to the USA, as they did in '94, there won't be too many people complaining.
The 42
16 hours ago
- The 42
Leinster want excitement but Glasgow can make it a nervy day at the Aviva
IT'S STRANGE TO watch a team come through a high-stakes knock-out game where much of the post-match focuses on the perceived sense of apathy around it all. This was the experience of covering Leinster's URC quarter-final defeat of Scarlets seven days ago. The sticking point was the attendance figure of 12,879 – by no means a miserable crowd, but certainly one which feels miserable when housed inside a near-52,000 capacity stadium. Leo Cullen's post-match pleas for the club to collectively feel 'excitement' about reaching another semi-final today [v Glasgow, KO 2.45pm, RTÉ 2/Premier Sports/URC TV] and for fans to 'please turn out in force' at the Aviva Stadium brought a somewhat bizarre end to the occasion. It's an unusual place for a club to find themselves when two games out from potentially lifting a trophy. But how excited should those Leinster fans actually feel? On the face of it this should be sizing up as a massive few weeks. Leinster have not won the URC since the competition was rebranded and their last trophy came four years ago – a Pro14 final win over Munster, played behind closed doors at the RDS due to the pandemic. The opportunity to see this group of players lift silverware should be all the excitement needed, with the bonus of potentially watching them do that on home soil in Dublin an added incentive. Yet there is no escaping the feeling the URC is very much a secondary prize to the Champions Cup, a competition Leinster have become increasingly obsessed with capturing again since last doing so in 2018. Advertisement Less than 13,000 were in attendance for last week's quarter-final. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO The province themselves have played a central part in this. Players have spoken about the Champions Cup being the competition they judge themselves off. It's also been illustrated in how Leinster have managed their seasons. Think back to the 2023 URC semi-final, where a Munster side desperate for a trophy capitalised as Leinster kept a host of frontliners on ice, given the game fell a week before their Champions Cup final date with La Rochelle. Even this season, where there has appeared to be a greater desire to get over the line in the URC, the big hitters have been largely held back for European Cup action. The real prize. Captain Caelan Doris featured in four URC games before injury ended his season last month. Before last weekend, Jamison Gibson-Park had started four URC games across the campaign, the most recent of which came back in October. Sam Prendergast started five of the 18 regular-season URC games. Andrew Porter had featured in eight, starting three. Hugo Keenan played in five (all starts), Josh van der Flier six (five starts). The list goes on. Leinster are right to be aiming high and being clear in their desire to win the Champions Cup, but perhaps a better balance could be struck. The timing of the two competitions' run-ins is also damaging, with the Champions Cup semi-final loss to Northampton Saints always going to take the enthusiasm out of the URC knock-outs. Leinster will have an improved crowd at the Aviva today, hoping to hit the 15,000 mark, but the upper tier will remain closed (as was always the plan). It should also be noted this is not too far off what Leinster typically attract for these games: 9,346 for a 2022 quarter-final v Glasgow at the RDS, 11,565 for the resulting semi-final v the Bulls, 14,642 for the May 2023 quarter against the Sharks at the Aviva, over 26,000 for the Aviva semi-final loss to Munster, and 18,000 for a June 2024 quarter-final against Ulster at the Aviva. Yet it all comes in the context of the massive crowds Leinster have been able to attract over recent seasons. The province have typically been excellent at generating interest in their big home games – selling out Croke Park twice over the last year, bringing 55,000 fans there for the Champions Cup clash with Harlequins and regularly drawing large crowds to the Aviva for European games. Tommy O'Brien returns to the Leinster team today. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO The elongated rugby season doesn't help, but it will be interesting to see what type of numbers Leinster could attract should they reach the URC final, which would be held in Croke Park against South African opposition (either the Bulls or Sharks) this day next week. Not that their passage to that final is by any means a given. Leinster cannot expect to face the Glasgow team so comprehensively dismissed in their Champions Cup meeting earlier this year, nor the one that came up short at the Aviva just a few weeks ago. The defending URC champions will come to Dublin sensing opportunity and carrying the momentum of their impressive last-eight win against the Stormers. With only 34% of the territory, Glasgow hit for five tries and a total of 36 points, clocking up 17 clean breaks and 40 defenders beaten. They are punchy, incisive and inventive in attack. This is best epitomised in their brilliant centre Sione Tuipulotu, who shifts to the 13 jersey today, and is hitting form right in time for the Lions tour after an injury-disrupted season. And Leinster are clearly not firing on all cylinders. Their defence was sloppy against Scarlets and their attack struggled for cohesion, while still piecing together some wonderfully-worked tries. Garry Ringrose remains absent, Josh van der Flier misses out with injury while Hugo Keenan also drops out of the 23. The knock-on effect is three changes to the starting XV: Tommy O'Brien on the wing as Jimmy O'Brien moves to fullback, Dan Sheehan coming in at hooker following his game-changing impact off the bench, and Scott Penny replacing Van der Flier at openside. Throw in the absences of Caelan Doris, Tadhg Furlong and Robbie Henshaw, and there's a core of senior players watching this one from the sidelines. Leinster should still have enough to book their place in next week's final, but the margin for error has narrowed again. LEINSTER: Jimmy O'Brien; Tommy O'Brien, Jamie Osborne, Jordie Barrett, James Lowe; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Thomas Clarkson; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan; Ryan Baird, Scott Penny, Jack Conan (capt). Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Jack Boyle, Rabah Slimani, RG Snyman, Max Deegan, Luke McGrath, Ross Byrne, Ciarán Frawley. GLASGOW: Josh McKay; Kyle Steyn (capt), Sione Tuipulotu, Tom Jordan, Kyle Rowe, Adam Hastings, George Horne; Jamie Bhatti, Gregor Hiddleston, Fin Richardson; Alex Samuel, Scott Cummings; Euan Ferrie, Rory Darge, Henco Venter. Replacements: Johnny Matthews, Rory Sutherland, Sam Talakai, Max Williamson, Jack Mann, Macenzzie Duncan, Stafford McDowall, Jamie Dobie. Referee: Andrea Piardi [FIR]
