Hardy(T)'s World Soccer Diary

26/7/96, Brussels, Belgium

The events of 29th May 1985 will remain forever in the minds of football fans the world over. On that night, thirty-nine innocent football fans lost their lives when mindless thugs went on the rampage in the dilapidated old Heysel Stadium.

Eleven years later the stadium had been rebuilt and renamed, now known as the King Baudouin Stadium, after Belgium's long-reigning monarch. This photo of the new stadium was taken shortly before sunset from the top of the nearby Atomium. It's shining roof and all-round newness provide stark contrast to the images from the tragic night that irrevocably changed the face of football.

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