Liverpool fan who was seen in photo of the aftermath of Hillsborough disaster dies from coronavirus

Tributes have been paid to a much-loved survivor of the Hillsborough disaster who has died from coronavirus.  

Dave Roland was famously pictured sitting on the Leppings Lane terrace at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield with his head in his hands following the horrific loss of life in 1989. 

The harrowing scene followed his brave efforts to help a boy caught alongside him in the crush that claimed the lives of 96 innocent men, women and children.

The 65-year-old died last week, days before the 31st anniversary of the tragedy.

His family paid a touching tribute to him on Friday, describing him as a ‘proud Scouser’ who gave joy to everyone around him.

His daughter, Michelle Hopwood, said: ‘He was youthful, unique, kind-hearted and fun.

‘He was the ultimate Peter Pan which helped form a joyful bond with his grandchildren, always turning up in daft hats and glasses, playing board games or being competitive telling them he could do anything because he was “the best” at whatever the topic of conversation was.

‘He beamed with pride when he attended events that his grandchildren were participating in and loved to take photographs to show them off.

‘He was known for being kind and generous to a fault.

‘We have received so many messages from people who have explained the impact dad had on their lives, from taking so many to their first Liverpool game standing them on a box in the Kop, to pouring out words of advice which some men are now saying changed their lives, even keeping them out of prison.

‘Carl [Michelle’s brother] says he is the dad he is to his daughter, because of the type of dad my dad was to us.’

Mr Roland, who lived in Woolton, in south-east Liverpool, was 34 when he travelled to Sheffield to watch the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

After escaping the Leppings Lane crush he and friend John Owen attempted to help victim Henry Rogers after finding him battling for life on the Hillsborough pitch.

Sadly, they were unable to save the 17-year-old.

Giving evidence at the inquests into the disaster, which resulted in jurors ruling the victims were unlawfully killed, Mr Roland said: ‘I always remember the blazing sunshine shining down on him, so John had him in his arms and I had hold of his hand… He just went lifeless and we got pulled away.’

After seeing a picture of Henry in the Liverpool ECHO, Mr Roland and Mr Owen traced his parents and visited them.

He said: ‘The exact words I used, because I can remember it to this day: “We have come to explain to you that Henry wasn’t on his own when he died, and we thought it would be comfort for you to know, rather than not know”.

Both brave survivors attended Henry’s funeral.

Ms Hopwood said the tragedy had a significant impact on her father, who separated from wife Christine two years after the disaster, although the pair remained friends up to her death last year.

She told the ECHO: ‘He slowly stopped attending football matches after Hillsborough, we knew it was simply too painful for him.

‘It took a long time for him to fully talk about what he had experienced. When he did finally relay the events he revealed the horrors of being pinned against the crush barrier, seeing the faces of fear around him and trying desperately to help a young boy nearby.

‘Dad did take great comfort from attending the Hillsborough Inquiry to give evidence in the case of Henry Rogers, a sort of closure.

‘Giving evidence didn’t come easy to him and going to the courthouse in support of the truth and for the families involved was so important to him.

‘I’ll never forget how he shook pretty much the whole car journey there.

‘But as soon as we arrived he stepped out knowing the importance of his statement.

‘This was just who he was, putting others first even at the cost of causing himself upset.’

Mr Roland, who was born in Toxteth, often denied the harrowing image of the survivor sitting alone with his head in his hands on the afternoon of April 15, 1989, was him.

His family believe it may have brought up too many painful memories from the day.

When he moved home and found the jacket he was pictured wearing, Ms Hopwood said it opened up old wounds.

Yet, while the disaster changed his life, she said it did not define it.

Despite the impact it had, his love of music, football, his city and his family helped him find fun and joy in the world – and bring it to those who met him.

She said: ‘His love of music and football was prevalent in every conversation.

‘He would never miss a match, no matter what other occasions were on, always to be found at his favourite table in John Brodie’s [pub in the Mossley Hill area of Liverpool].

‘His partner Ann shared his love of football. 

‘It was always entertaining seeing him revert to being like a child whenever he saw one of the team players – once stopping a family meal because he saw Kenny Dalglish in the same restaurant.

‘He was frustrated by the impact that the restrictions, as a result of coronavirus, had on football games and the pending premier league fixtures and he was so excited at the prospect of seeing Liverpool lift another trophy.’

Mr Roland worked as a project manager for Doorset Technology Ltd in Speke and was planning to retire at the end of this year.

Fit and healthy when the pandemic broke, Ms Hopwood believes he had a false sense of ‘invincibility’ – though he wore a mask and gloves as advice hardened.

Believing he caught the condition before society was placed on lockdown, she said he displayed no symptoms beyond tiredness until he collapsed and was taken into the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

There, his situation deteriorated until his death on April 6.

This came despite what Ms Hopwood described as incredible and compassionate care from the NHS staff who fought to save him.

With Mr Roland a huge fan of David Bowie, this even extended to nurses playing his favourite songs to him on their phones while he received treatment. 

‘If I could’ve taken a picture of what the ICU staff are facing on a daily basis I fully believe it would have been enough to shock everyone to stay home,’ she added. 

‘The images in the news do not convey the gravity of the situation.

‘I was shocked at how young the patients in ICU were, fully expecting it to be full of elderly patients, yet there is a huge sense of professionalism and calm.

‘I’m sure the staff are exhausted and doing the best they can but what I witnessed was nothing short of care executed with pride, professionalism, calmness and compassion.

‘It was so touching to see how emotional the staff got when dad finally slipped away, we felt that the staff had been his family that week.’

Ms Hopwood said her father’s last words to her were ‘I Love You’ and the last message he sent was a text to say a hug ‘would be wonderful’.

Since his death, his family has been overwhelmed by the tributes that have poured in for him.

As well as those who knew and loved him getting in touch and sharing fond memories, the poignant image of Mr Roland at Hillsborough has been shared by thousands online.

While most of those who shared it did not know him, their words of support have touched his family and friends.

Reflecting on his life, and the impact of Hillsborough on it, Michelle concluded: ‘People pass comments on how tragic his life was as a result of the disaster, which it was, however dad went on to live a full life and always had a smile on his face, always full of witty one-liners, borderline inappropriate jokes and bad dad jokes.

‘He loved to share a daily meme on Facebook – something so many of us are missing now.

‘Dad was always seeking something after Hillsborough which I believe he only found at the end of his life – peace.

‘But he simply made people feel good about themselves when they were in his company, whether through what he did for them or what he said to them and in this difficult time we hope everyone can do the same to those around them.

‘That should be his legacy.’

Who were the victims of the Hillsborough disaster?

These are the 96 victims who lost their lives as a result of the Hillsborough tragedy on April 15 1989:

Adam Edward Spearritt, 14. A schoolboy from Cheshire, Adam was taken to the game by his father Edward and two friends. 

Alan Johnston, 29. A trainee accountant from Liverpool. Mr Johnston had travelled to Sheffield in a hired minibus with friends and was separated from them at the Leppings Lane turnstile due to the crowd. 

Alan McGlone, 28. A factory worker from Kirkby, who shared a car to Sheffield with friends, including Joseph Clark, a fellow victim. 

Andrew Mark Brookes, 26. A car worker from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. Mr Brookes drove to the game with friends and entered the stadium through the turnstiles with his friend Mark Richards, before he was separated by a crowd surge.

Anthony David Bland, 22. A labourer from Keighley, West Yorkshire, who was 18 when he went to the game with two friends. Mr Bland died in 1993, several years after the disaster, after receiving severe brain injuries on the day which left him in a vegetative state. A landmark legal ruling allowed his family to stop life-support treatment, making him Hillsborough’s 96th and final victim. His death was not included in the David Duckenfield trial because laws at the time meant he died too late to be covered by the indictment.

Anthony Peter Kelly, 29. A married soldier from Birkenhead. He travelled to Sheffield with two friends, who survived. 

Arthur Horrocks, 41. A married insurance agent from the Wirral, Mr Horrocks had travelled to the game with his brother and nephews. One nephew saw him lose consciousness as crowd pressure intensified in one of the enclosures.

Barry Glover, 27. A married greengrocer from Bury, Lancashire. Mr Glover travelled to Sheffield with his father and three friends. 

Barry Sidney Bennett, 26. A seaman from Liverpool. Mr Bell had driven to watch the game with four friends. 

Brian Christopher Matthews, 38. A married financial consultant from Merseyside. He was a season ticket holder and had travelled to the game with friends.

Carl William Rimmer, 21. A video technician from Liverpool who went to see the match with his brother Kevin and two friends, who survived.

Carl Brown, 18. A student from Leigh, Greater Manchester. Mr Brown had travelled to the game with a group of friends by car. 

Carl Darren Hewitt, 17. An apprentice cabinet maker from Leicester. He had gone to the ground with his brother, Nicholas, who was also killed. The pair had travelled up to the fixture on a supporters coach. 

Carl David Lewis, 18. A labourer from Kirkby who went to Hillsborough with his brothers Michael and David. He hitchhiked part of the way so he could buy a ticket outside the ground. 

Christine Anne Jones, 27. A married senior radiographer from Preston. She went to the game with her husband Stephen, but was separated from him after they entered the ground. 

Christopher James Traynor, 26. A married joiner from Birkenhead. He travelled with his brother Martin and friend Dave Thomas, who both also died. 

Christopher Barry Devonside, 18. A college student from Liverpool, Mr Devonside had gone to the game with his father and some friends. His friends lost sight of him one minute before kick off in the swelling crowd. 

Christopher Edwards, 29. A steelworker from South Wirral. He travelled down to Sheffield with two others, but left them before entering the stadium. 

Colin Wafer, 19. A bank clerk from Liverpool who travelled alone to the match on a coach.

Colin Andrew Hugh William Sefton, 23. A security officer from Skelmersdale, West Lancashire, Mr Sefton drove to the match with his friends, who survived. 

Colin Mark Ashcroft, 19. Mr Ashcroft attended the game after travelling down on a coach organised by Liverpool Supporters Travel Club.  

David William Birtle, 22. An HGV driver from Stoke-on-Trent. Mr Birtle had attended the game alone. 

David George Rimmer, 38. A married sales manager from Skelmersdale, West Lancashire. He travelled by car to Sheffield with a friend and was separated after entering the stadium due to a crowd surge. 

David Hawley, 39. A married diesel fitter from St Helens. Mr Hawley drove to the game with family members, including his 17-year-old nephew Stephen O’Neill, who was also killed. 

David John Benson, 22. A sales representative from Warrington. Mr Benson had gone to the game with his friend, but had parted ways with him at the gates as they were in different areas.

David Leonard Thomas, 23. A joiner from Birkenhead. Along with a group of friends, Mr Thomas drove to the game from Liverpool. Two of the friends he was travelling with, Christopher and Martin Traynor, also died that day. 

David William Mather, 19. A post office counter clerk from Liverpool who drove his friends to the fixture. After his death, Mr Mather’s ashes were scattered at The Kop of Anfield football ground. 

Derrick George Godwin, 24. An accounts clerk from Gloucestershire. He went to the match alone, having caught a train from Cheltenham. 

Eric Hankin, 33. A married nurse from Liverpool. Mr Hankin lost his friends in the crowd at the turnstile due to the crowd pressure. 

Eric George Hughes, 42. A married sales executive from Warrington. He attended the game with friends and was seen by one of them being passed from the terraces by two police officers. 

Francis Joseph McAllister, 27. A fireman from Liverpool. Mr McAllister went to the ground with a group of friends, including Nicholas Joynes, who also died in the tragedy.

Gary Christopher Church, 19. A joiner from Liverpool. Mr Church went to the game with several friends on a minibus and met with another group which included Christopher Devonside and Simon Bell, both of whom were also killed.

Gary Collins, 22. A quality controller from Liverpool. He had driven to Sheffield with two friends, who lost him after the crushing began in the West Stand. 

Gary Harrison, 27. A married driver from Liverpool who had travelled to the game with his brother Stephen, also a victim of the disaster.

Gary Philip Jones, 18. A student from Merseyside. Mr Jones joined his cousin and several others on a minibus to the match. It was his first away game. 

Gerard Bernard Patrick Baron, 67. A retired postal worker who died at the ground after driving from Preston to watch the game with his son Gerard Martin Baron Jnr. Mr Baron was the oldest person to die that day.  

Gordon Rodney Horn, 20. A Liverpool fan who travelled to the ground with friends in a minibus from Bootle, Liverpool. He was separated from his friend in a crowd surge shortly before kick-off.

Graham John Roberts, 24. An engineer from Merseyside. He travelled by car with two friends to Hillsborough stadium. 

Graham John Wright, 17. A insurance clerk from Liverpool who went to see the match with his friend James Gary Aspinall, who also died. His brother attended the game separately from Graham and survived. 

Henry Charles Rogers, 17. A student from Chester. He caught a train with his brother Adam, but once they found themselves forced through the gates by the swelling crowds, lost one another. 

Henry Thomas Burke, 47. A married roofing contractor from Liverpool. Mr Burke went to Sheffield with a number of friends, but only entered the stadium with one other, James Swaine, who survived. 

Ian David Whelan, 19. A junior clerk from Warrington, Yorkshire. He travelled alone to the match on a coach from Anfield organised by the Liverpool supporters club. 

Ian Thomas Glover, 20. A street paver from Liverpool, Mr Glover had gone to the game with his brother Joseph, who survived. The pair were separated in the crowd and his brother later saw him being pulled from the enclosure.

Inger Shah, 38. A secretary from London. She attended the match with her son Daniel, before which they met friends including Marian McCabe, who was also killed. 

James Gary Aspinall, 18. A clerk from Liverpool. Mr Aspinall went on a coach from Liverpool to Sheffield with friend Graham Wright, who was also killed.

James Philip Delaney, 19. An assembly worker from South Wirral. Mr Delaney had arrived at the game that day with two friends, one of whom, James Hennessy, also died in the disaster.

James Robert Hennessy, 29. A plasterer from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. He caught a coach with two friends, including fellow victim James Delaney. 

John Alfred Anderson, 62. A married security officer from Liverpool. Mr Anderson travelled to the game in Sheffield by car with his son Brian and two friends. 

John McBrien, 18. A student from Clwyd. Mr McBrien took a supporters bus to Hillsborough and was caught up in a surge near the ground’s perimeter fence.

Jonathon Owens, 18. A clerical officer from Chester. Mr Owens travelled with two friends to the match, including fellow victim Peter Burkett. 

Jon-Paul Gilhooley, 10. The youngest victim of the Hillsborough tragedy. He had gone to the game with his two uncles, who both survived. Footballer Steven Gerrard was his younger cousin.

Joseph Clark, 29. A fork-lift driver from Liverpool. He had travelled to the game with his brother Stephen and two friends, one of whom, Alan McGlone, also died at the ground.

Joseph Daniel McCarthy, 21. A student from London. He met his friends at a pub in Sheffield, including Paul Brady, a fellow victim that day.

Keith McGrath, 17. An apprentice painter from Liverpool. Mr McGrath travelled with friends, after being given a season ticket for Liverpool on his 17th birthday.

Kester Roger Marcus Ball, 16. A student from St Albans, Hertfordshire. Mr Ball had been driven to the game by his father Roger and was joined by two other children, who survived.

Kevin Daniel Williams, 15. A schoolboy from Merseyside who travelled to the game with four friends by train, one of whom, Stuart Thompson, also died. Mr Williams’ mother became a leading Hillsborough campaigner before her death in 2012.

Kevin Tyrell, 15. A schoolboy from Runcorn. He travelled to the game with four friends on a coach from Runcorn who he became separated from just before kick-off.

Lee Nicol, 14. A schoolboy from Bootle, Liverpool. He had travelled to the match with friends. Inside the ground, one friend saw him get knocked to the floor by the force of the crowd.

Marian Hazel McCabe, 21. A factory worker from Basildon, Essex, Miss McCabe took a train from London with several friends, one of whom was Inger Shah, who also died. 

Martin Kevin Traynor, 16. An apprentice joiner from Birkenhead. He travelled with his brother Christopher and friend Dave Thomas, who both also died.

Martin Kenneth Wild, 29. A printing worker from Cheshire. He had travelled to the game from Stockport with a group of friends, who all survived. He became separated from his friends during the game, who then next saw him on the floor.  

Michael David Kelly, 38. A warehouseman from Liverpool. He came down to the game on a supporters’ coach and left his friends to enter the ground alone. 

Nicholas Peter Joynes, 27. A married draughtsman from Liverpool. He took a minibus to the ground with friends, one of whom, Francis McAllister, also died. The remainder of their group had decided not to venture too far into the ground when they saw how crowded the enclosure was. 

Nicholas Michael Hewitt, 16. A student from Leicester. He and his brother Carl died in the tragedy. The pair were last seen exiting a coach they caught to the ground together. 

Patrick John Thompson, 35. A railway guard from Liverpool. Mr Thompson caught a train to the game with his two brothers, Kevin and Joe, with whom he entered the enclosure.

Paula Ann Smith, 26. Miss Smith, an avid Liverpool fan whose bedroom was covered in memorabilia, had travelled to the match alone after taking a coach laid on by Liverpool supporters’ club. 

Paul Anthony Hewitson, 26. A self-employed builder from Liverpool. Mr Hewitson had been given a lift in his friend’s van to Hillsborough stadium.

Paul David Brady, 21. A refrigeration engineer from Liverpool. Mr Brady had gone to the game with three friends, one of whom, Joseph McCarthy, was also killed. 

Paul Brian Murray, 14. A student from Stoke-on-Trent. He had been taken to the fixture by his father and the pair had been knocked over by the force of the crush, which separated them.

Paul Clark, 18. An apprentice electrician from Swanwick, Debyshire, Mr Clark went to Hillsborough with his father Kenneth and a friend. He was separated from his friend after a crowd surge pushed him towards a perimeter fence and out of sight. 

Paul William Carlile, 19. A plasterer from Liverpool. Mr Carlile had travelled to Sheffield with two friends, before leaving the group to try and swap his terrace ticket for a seat ticket at a nearby pub. 

Peter Andrew Harrison, 15. A schoolboy from Liverpool who went to the game with two friends. His friends had tickets for a different part of the ground and survived.

Peter Andrew Burkett, 24. A married insurance clerk from Prenton, Birkenhead. Mr Burkett travelled to Sheffield from Liverpool with friends, including Jonathon Owens, who also died.

Peter Francis Tootle, 21. A labourer from Liverpool. He travelled to Hillsborough by car with his uncle Stephen and a friend, both of whom survived. 

Peter McDonnell, 21. A bricklayer from Liverpool. He went to the game with a group of friends, all of whom survived. 

Peter Reuben Thompson, 30. An engineer from Wigan. Mr Thompson travelled alone to the game in his company car. 

Philip Hammond, 14. A student from Liverpool. He got to the stadium by coach and entered the stadium with friends. He was swept out of sight by the crowd and they did not see him again. 

Philip John Steele, 15. A student from Merseyside. Mr Steele travelled with his parents and brother Brian, with whom he entered the stadium. 

Raymond Thomas Chapman, 50. A married fitter from Birkenhead who drove to the ground with two friends, one of whom, Thomas Fox, was also killed that day.  

Richard Jones, 25. An office worker from Allerton, Liverpool, who had gone to the game with his sister and his girlfriend Tracey, who also died.

Roy Harry Hamilton, 34. A married railway technician from Liverpool. Mr Hamilton had driven to Sheffield with his stepson and brother-in-law, who survived the ordeal.

Sarah Louise Hicks, 19. A student from Pinner, Middlesex. She had gone to the game with her parents and her sister Victoria, who was also killed.

Simon Bell, 17. A YTS trainee from Liverpool. Mr Bell was killed at the stadium after travelling by car with his friend and his friend’s father. Upon arriving at Hillsborough, he had entered the stands with some friends, several of whom also died, before being swept away in the crush.

Stephen Paul Copoc, 20. A landscape gardener from Liverpool. Mr Copoc travelled to the game by coach with two friends, both of whom survived. 

Stephen Francis Harrison, 31. A driver from Liverpool. Mr Harrison had gone to the game with his brother Gary, who also died.

Stephen Francis O’Neill, 17. A student and cable jointer’s mate from Merseyside. Mr O’Neill was taken to the game by his father and shared a car with his uncle David Hawley, who also died. 

Steven Joseph Robinson, 17. An apprentice auto-electrician from Bootle, Liverpool. He travelled to the game with friends and had aspirations of joining Merseyside Police at the time of his death.

David Steven Brown, 25. A machine operator from Wrexham. Mr Brown attended the semi-final fixture with his brother Andrew, who survived. He left behind his wife Sarah, who was six months pregnant with his daughter at the time. 

Stuart Paul William Thompson, 17. An apprentice joiner from Liverpool. He travelled to the game with his brother and some friends by car. 

Thomas Anthony Howard, 14. A schoolboy from Runcorn, Cheshire. Known as Tommy, he travelled to the ground with his father Thomas, who also died.  

Thomas Howard, 39. A chemical process worker from Runcorn, Cheshire who had taken his son to the game, along with a party of friends. His son, also Thomas, was another victim of the tragedy. Mr Howard was last seen saying something about his son repeatedly during the crush, before losing consciousness.

Thomas Steven Fox, 21 A production worker from Birkenhead. He had come to the game with two friends, including fellow victim Raymond Chapman. 

Tracey Elizabeth Cox, 23. A student from Wiltshire who had gone to the stadium with her boyfriend Richard Jones, who also died, and his sister Stephanie Jones, who survived. 

Victoria Jane Hicks, 15. A student from Pinner, Middlesex and the youngest female victim of the Hillsborough disaster. She died standing alongside her sister Sarah, after both were taken to the game by their parents, who survived. 

Vincent Michael Fitzsimmons, 34. A moulding technician from Wigan. Mr Fitzsimmons had got a coach to the game with three friends, who survived the disaster.

William Roy Pemberton, 23. A student from Liverpool. He was accompanied by his father, also William, to Sheffield by coach. His father travelled with him to keep him company, but did not attend the game.