If it was not dead it was like dilapidated stands and more dilapidated meat pies in terminal decline

If it was not dead it was, like dilapidated stands and more dilapidated meat pies, in terminal decline It was unmentioned and probably unmentionable Unfortunately, it was also merely lying doggo. There was evidence of a most snarling kind that despite the glittering heights to which the game had elevated itself it was still accompanied by misbehaviour and insurrection. While the events of February in Dublin were to be the most disturbing and violent, other less spectacular examples of spectator unrest were scattered around the season. If the clashes between old and bitter rivals like Chelsea and Millwall were simply habitual - and ultimately contained - there were other worrying signs. That is a constant theme in the aftermath of any disaster, and for the bereaved of Heysel it will return tomorrow, and for many more days and years to come.. BACK in the bright, sunny uplands of last August hooliganism in football had been left behind in the grimy recesses of the past. Barettini's daughters came to Liverpool to further their studies, and in Turin Robinson was honoured with the role of walking one of them to the church door on her wedding day before her father gave her away.They still talk about Heysel - "about how it could all have been avoided", Robinson says.

There were invitations to Wembley and Anfield and wet days out in the Lake District. "Peter is such a nice, kind person it was practically impossible not to be friends. He was like a brother." In the aftermath of it all, the two men and their families became frequent guests in each other's homes. That doesn't excuse what happened, but the problems would not have occurred if it had been done in a different way."The day itself began with an exchange of gifts between delegations of which Robinson and Barettini were members. Then, the long evening, "the terrible decision about whether to play the match or not" (Barettini) and "the pandemonium of people wanting answers you couldn't give them" (Robinson).At such times, as Barettini says, friendships are made.

"From day one I was concerned about this neutral area," Robinson says. "I argued all along that we should have one end and Juventus the other. There were so many stories emanating about black-market tickets. We suggested there should be a meeting between the two clubs, but the Belgian authorities said no."As late as the Monday of the match I arranged for a fax to be sent to Uefa and the Belgian Football Association, but nothing was ever done It wasn't even acknowledged There were serious planning mistakes. He speaks now of the efforts that were made to clear the Turin airport runway of snow when they flew in to play in the Super Cup - as if this effort might not have been made for other clubs.In the weeks leading up to Heysel there was almost daily contact between the clubs. Franco thought that was extremely funny."Barettini was quickly enamoured of all things Liverpool. "When we decided we could only play one game, we tossed up to decide the venue with an English coin.

In January, 1985, Liverpool and Juventus met in the Super Cup as, respectively, European champions and Cup-winners' Cup holders. The match was supposed to have been played over two legs, but their schedules were crowded and they agreed to make it a one-off affair. "I think the relationship was struck up over a very small thing," Robinson recalls. For Robinson, Barettini combines what he sees as the very Italian traits of excitability and sophistication.The two knew each other a little before Heysel. He still lives in Turin, where he began his career in business.

Tall and paternalistic, he is acknowledged for his courtesy and calmness; indeed, you cannot separate him from the exemplary way the club has conducted itself going back to the Shankly era of which Robinson became a part.Barettini is 65, retired now from his work with Juventus, which, with his skills as a linguist, put him close to the seat of power. Peter Robinson and Franco Barettini, for example, two of those most closely involved with picking up the pieces.Robinson, now aged 59, is one of the most experienced and respected administrators in English football. He became the Liverpool secretary in 1965, having learnt the ropes at Stockport, Crewe and Scunthorpe. Liverpool plan to invite Juventus to its unveiling when the new museum opens next year.But on a personal, individual level, Heysel, like any tragedy of such proportions, shaped and continues to shape the lives of many people.