Luzhniki disaster by "Izvestia" on 20 July. Some controversy in the media coverage of the Luzhniki football disaster is not unique. In 1989, three months before the "dark secret" article in "Sovetsky Sport", "The Sun" newspaper published a sensational article in the UK about the Hillsborough disaster, in which 96 people lost their lives. That article also contained strong allegations and cited unnamed sources. The sensational versions of the Luzhniki disaster proved to be much more popular with the media than the facts provided by the investigation. Despite its refutation in 1989, the figure of 340 fatalities or its variations ("more than
Hillsborough disaster (played by Cliff Parisi) made a reference to the disaster. During the episode car mechanic Minty said: "Five years out of Europe because of Heysel, because they penned you lot in to stop you fighting on the pitch and then what did we end up with? Hillsborough." This prompted 380 complaints and the BBC apologised, saying that the character was simply reminding another character, former football hooligan Jase Dyer, that the actions of hooligans led to the fencing-in of football fans. Ofcom also received 177 complaints. Liverpool goalkeeper Charles Itandje was accused of having shown disrespect towards the Hillsborough victims