July 15, 2001

My page about the British soccer disaster of 1989, after residing on my site for six months without significant comment, suddenly has come to the attention of a number of people who have sent me critical e-mail, which I shall post on my site alongside this statement. Most of the objections that went beyond mere bluster have to do with my introductory remarks that the incident was "the result of a riot". It doesn't matter to me whether it was or not, but I'll re-read the news coverage published at the time of the incident, with special attention to the British press. If it turns out that I need to be more precise, I'll change my remarks accordingly.

My only interest is in the circumstances of the photograph. I think it's safe to say that I've examined the picture more carefully than 99.9 percent of the people who have ever seen it. My conclusion that it shows something different from what most news consumers would assume is based only on what's in the picture. I would welcome substantive information that would shed more light on it.

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