# Stuff and Things > Sports >  April Fool's Day: 1985 - in England

## Authentic

On April 1, 1985, Prime Minister of Great Britain Margaret Thatcher responded to the Luton Riot a couple of weeks earlier by imposing restrictions on football (soccer) supporters - requiring ID cards and fencing that boxed people in to pens like sardines.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1985_Luton_riot.

Soccer was no joke in 1985.

In May, a tragic fire at Bradford's Valley Parade killed 56 people.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradfo...y_stadium_fire

Also in May of that year, 39 people were killed at the Euros final in Belgium.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heysel_Stadium_disaster

Was soccer cursed by the 4/1 actions of the "Iron Lady"?

https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/featu...atalities-1985

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## Authentic

That fencing was a major factor in the 1989 tragedy in Sheffield.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillsborough_disaster

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## Big Wheeler

Public disorder at UK football matches has been a problem for around 50 years to some degree or other and continues to this day.Personally,i dislike the game and detest the wall to wall coverage it gets in the press and media.The sport has been corrupted by the huge amount of money invested and is diminished by its top players cheating and diving to gain an advantage.The bane of my life in Spain is the amount of football broadcast in the local bars.I concede my dislike of the sport puts me in an extremely small minority.
What I do find confusing is that the social difficulties manifested at football matches do not happen at rugby matches.Both codes of rugby are played by men much tougher and fitter than footballers,who respect officials' decisions and don't cheat or chuck themselves about.Spectators are not penned in.They tend to change ends at half time and frequently tend to drink in the same bars before games.

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Authentic (04-02-2022),Mr. Claws (04-02-2022)

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