Martin Tyler, a broadcaster for Sky Sports, has come under fire from Liverpool supporters after it appeared that he called the Hillsborough tragedy a “hooligan-related issue.”
On BBC Radio 4’s Today program, the 76-year-old claimed that football “was in a bit of a crisis at that time” when asked about commentating on the first Premier League game thirty years ago.
We weren’t that long after Hillsborough and other hooligan-related events, Tyler continued.
It was really pioneering, he added in a conversation with host Martha Kearney. We had no idea how the league would be restructured.
‘We certainly didn’t know how satellite television, as it was called in those days, would work.
Martin Tyler, a broadcaster for Sky Sports, has come under fire from Liverpool supporters after it appeared that he called the Hillsborough tragedy a “hooligan-related issue.”
The 1989 disaster took place during Liverpool’s FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest. It is still the deadliest sporting tragedy ever in Britain
‘But it was a great adventure. 3,000 live matches later, not all commentated by me, thankfully for the public. But it does seem that it worked.
‘You’ve got to remember that football was in a bit of a crisis at that time. We weren’t that long after Hillsborough and other hooligan related issues as well.
‘So it was very much a difficult time for the game generally. And it was seen as a bit of a privatisation. Sort of taking it away from the public
During Liverpool’s FA Cup semifinal match versus Nottingham Forest in 1989, a catastrophe occurred. It remains the most tragic sporting event to ever occur in Britain.
A total of 95 fans perished that day or in the days that followed the catastrophe; Tony Bland died in 1993, and Andrew Devine died last year.
Because of the wounds they received at Hillsborough, both men ultimately passed away.
Fans criticized the pundit immediately, with one asking how long he would get away with making crude remarks.
One more added: “Connecting Hillsborough to hooliganism. The situation needs to be fixed.
A third remarked, “Did he just compare a failure of the state and convert it into fan hooliganism?” extremely pitiful He ought to apologise and be fired.
One Twitter user advised that Jamie Carragher, a former Liverpool defender, have “a word.”
We regret that we did not vigorously challenge Martin Tyler on a comment that seemed to link Hillsborough to hooliganism, the BBC said in a statement it shared on Twitter.
These were independent situations, and Martin has subsequently apologized and explained that he did not want to combine the two.
Sky Sports and a spokesman have been approached by MailOnline for comment.
Fans were quick to criticise the commentator with one saying: ‘How long is he going to get away with snide comments?’
We regret that we did not vigorously challenge Martin Tyler on a comment that seemed to link Hillsborough to hooliganism, the BBC wrote in a statement that was shared on Twitter.
Prior to last season, Liverpool supporters expressed their annoyance over Tyler’s response to their team’s significant Premier League victory over Southampton.
Fans were incensed with Tyler because they thought his response to the goals sounded like he was “commenting a funeral” and that his “home had just been repossessed.”
Prior to Liverpool’s match against Southampton, Tyler also discussed how he likes to root for “the underdog” in crucial Premier League matches and how the Reds weren’t eligible for a title like that.
After Jamie Carragher praised Jurgen Klopp’s decision to rotate his team and make nine changes after Saturday’s FA Cup victory against Chelsea, the Sky Sports analyst made his position known.