Liverpool man who was dubbed Hero of Heysel recalls the tragedy

The hero of Heysel recalls the tragedyChief Reporter Luke Traynor speaks to the Liverpool man dubbed the Hero of Heysel.And, 25 years on, he discovers how the tragedy left him a changed man.THE young Italian girl was slowly dying as a frantic John Welsh stared into her blackened eyes.Lying heartbreakingly on top of her already dead father a slight murmur came from Carla Gonelli's lips.The man from Dingle quickly leapt into action, grabbing the helpless 18-year-old and hauling her out of the Heysel chaos.Because of him 18-year-old Carla Gonelli survived the terraces of Zone Z and lived to tell the tale.John's heroic actions were captured on TV and his face beamed onto screens across the world - the instantly recognisable yellow-shirted Liverpool fan who pulled seven Italians out of the crushes.Touchingly, the barman met Carla in the weeks which followed.And after an emotional reunion they began a special friendship.Even today John's voice cracks with emotion when he recalls the mayhem he was caught up in a quarter of a century ago.At home in Liverpool the 52-year-old told the ECHO how the disaster haunts him every day - not just on anniversaries.The bus driver said: 'I went with six mates over on the boat to France and then through to Belgium.'We arrived on the day of the final and I remember having a laugh with the Juve fans in the town centre, going to different bars, singing songs.'Everything seemed fine.'As we got to the ground I saw Liverpool lads being taken out on stretchers with stab wounds in their legs.'Coppers just had their hands in the air. They were letting supporters go wherever they wanted to go.'As we walked in people were saying 'Be careful when you go in'.'We had tickets for Section Z, the neutral zone where a lot of Italian fans were. That was where the chaos happened.'We went to get a match programme and as we were walking on to the terrace I heard a 'bang' - the crack of a wall collapsing.'Almost as I walked in the wall came down. Bricks basically fell on me leaving my arm all cut.'I jumped back and escaped on to the pitch.'Me and my uncle Richard just started trying to help people. There was a picture of a fella lying on a wall. I did get to him. But I couldn't help him as he was too heavy.'People were just falling on top of each other shouting to get back.'These two Italian fellas have since told me I threw my arms into the pile of bodies and pulled them out.'I met them later at Turin cathedral in the summer of '85.'They wanted answers from me - why it happened, where they werebut I just had no idea.'I was around the chaos for several minutes. There were people dragging hold of my legs.'Possibly the most heartbreaking, yet uplifting memory recalled by John is that of Carla, from Pisa, who was on the verge of suffocating when he found her.The south Liverpool man hauled her out of the carnage as she murmured slightly, lying prostrate on top of her dead father Giancarlo, a school caretaker, aged 41.

Source: Liverpool_Echo