Broadcaster Eamonn Holmes has moved to clarify comments in which he appeared to make a comparison to the attack by West Ham fans on the Manchester United team bus and the Hillsborough disaster.
Commenting on Sky News on Wednesday morning on events before Manchester United’s defeat to West Ham at the Boleyn Ground on Tuesday night, Holmes said: “This is going back to the ’70s and to the ’80s, the type of thing you were seeing that was bad about Hillsborough, for instance.”
Holmes’ comments provoked an angry reaction in some quarters, but he moved to defuse the situation with a series of posts on his Twitter account.
Holmes pointed the finger at those trying to stir up trouble before stating that there was no comparison to be made between the two events and apologising unreservedly if anyone thought he was making the connection.
Just being made aware of someone trying to use me to stir up trouble re The Hillsborough disaster . How low , how disgusting.
— Eamonn Holmes OBE (@EamonnHolmes) May 11, 2016
The Hillsborough famalies have suffered enough without distasteful sniping like this. For the record there is no comparison between …..
— Eamonn Holmes OBE (@EamonnHolmes) May 11, 2016
…..events last night at West Ham and Hillsborough. On the programme I was trying to talk about images we never ever want to see again.
— Eamonn Holmes OBE (@EamonnHolmes) May 11, 2016
If anyone concluded anything different my humblest & most honest apologies. I am a huge supporter of The Hillsborough struggle for justice
— Eamonn Holmes OBE (@EamonnHolmes) May 11, 2016
Last night's events do not remotely register in comparison.
— Eamonn Holmes OBE (@EamonnHolmes) May 11, 2016
I am an honest & decent football supporter &man & would never seek to create such an offence. Those who are trying to do so r very wrong.
— Eamonn Holmes OBE (@EamonnHolmes) May 11, 2016
Obviously there is no comparison between Hillsborough & the scenes at W Ham last night……
— Eamonn Holmes OBE (@EamonnHolmes) May 11, 2016
I apologise unreservedly if anyone thought I was making that connection.
— Eamonn Holmes OBE (@EamonnHolmes) May 11, 2016
