I don't really like calling them "victims" because it sounds like a dig over Hillsborough.
Yes. A taboo subject.
Victimpool does in part relate to Hillsborough. It underpins the entire culture of their fan base.
LIverpool fans have used the death of 96 innocent people (including one of our own) to promote their narrative. The narrative of the victim. It is their symbol of persecution. Proof that everyone is against them; the Police, politicians, the FA, UEFA, FIFA, the newspapers, television, the authorities, other fans. Everyone. The whole system is stacked against them.
But most important of all, it allows them to airbrush Heysel out of history. Heysel isn't relevant because Liverpool were the victims of a worse tragedy. Every young Liverpool fan knows about Hillsborough, few know or understand Heysel and the 39 victims of Liverpool fan violence. And the victim narrative continues even when they do (very rarely) acknowledge Heysel happened. They are the victims, not the 39 people who died. It was the Belgian authorities fault for not segregating fans and expecting Liverpool fans to behave, it was the Police's fault, it was not Liverpool but Chelsea fans who committed this atrocity. And so on.
It is the forgotten tragedy because Liverpool fans work very hard to bury it under Hillsborough.
Let me be clear, I despise Arsenal football club and their fans, but whether I like it or not, we share values, location and a culture with them. They are the same as us, they just made an awful choice in their football club. And that is all that separates us. But there is something fundamentally different about the Liverpool fan culture. It is deeply unpleasant with its need for that cult-like control of the messaging to cover up those dark secrets, the group action to snuff out any dissent, the reporting of any dissent by other fans. It is controlling, sinister even.
They have a culture of never admitting a mistake. It is always someone elses fault. They are alway the victims. But people died. And this is why their victim culture is not acceptable.
I will never forget watching Heysel unfold on television. Nor will I ever forgive Liverpool Football Club and their fans for minimising it and airbrushing it from history.