Dave Roland
Dave Roland (1954/55–6 April 2020) was a survivor of the Hillsborough disaster who appeared in a photo of the aftermath of the disaster.[1][2]
He was born in Toxteth and lived in the Woolton area of Liverpool.[2]
He worked at Doorset Technology in Speke and planned to retire at the end of 2020.[2]
He was a fan of David Bowie.[2]
Hillsborough Disaster
He and his friend John Owen tried to help Henry Rogers, a 17-year-old who died on the pitch.[1][2] He contacted Henry’s parents to let them know his son had not been alone when he died and he attended the funeral.[1][2]
His daughter, Michelle Hopwood, said that it took a long time for him to open up to others about his experiences at the match where he was pinned against a crush barrier, saw fear on those trapped around him and tried to help a young boy nearby.[2] He slowly stopped attending football matches after the Hillsborough disaster, as it had become too painful for him.[2]
He and his wife, Christine, separated two years after the disaster although they remained friendly up to her death in 2019.[2]
He appeared in a photograph of the aftermath of the disaster, sitting with his head in his hands after the disaster.[1] He often denied the photo was of him, though his family believed that he said so because the memories of that day were too painful for him to bear.[2]
He testified at the 2015 enquiry into the Hillsborough disaster.[1][2] According to his daughter, he found a sense of closure in testifying and felt it was important although he was shaking on the car journey to the courthouse.[2]
Death
He was healthy, though his daughter believed he contracted COVID-19 before the lockdown on football.[2] He showed only symptoms of tiredness but he collapsed and was taken into hospital.[2]
His daughter announced that he had died at the Royal Liverpool hospital aged 65 on 6 April 2020 after contracting COVID-19.[1]
References
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