[82] The inquests returned verdicts of accidental death on 26 March 1991, much to the dismay of the bereaved families, who had been hoping for a verdict of unlawful killing or an open verdict, and for manslaughter charges to be brought against the officers who had been present at the disaster. The Hillsborough inquest jury must answer a detailed questionnaire before delivering their verdicts. [19] Sheffield Wednesday were later criticised for neglecting safety in the stadium, especially after an incident in the semi-final of the 1981 FA Cup. The reason given was that the public inquiry in 1990, to which the altered statements were submitted, was not a statutory inquiry, and therefore not a Court of Law. This Harrowing report, describes how a beautiful spring day turned into a day of tragedy and disaster. [26] Serious overcrowding was observed at the 1987 quarter-final between Sheffield Wednesday and Coventry City[28] and again during the semi-final between Coventry City and Leeds United at Hillsborough. Sheffield Wednesday's primary concern was to limit costs." The issue of congested access to the turnstiles remained unresolved, with over 24,000 fans entering through 23 turnstiles at Leppings. Jury finds 96 Liverpool fans were unlawfully killed in the Hillsborough disaster; . A boycott of advertisers by American Liverpool fans eventually brought about an apology from him. As a result of the stadium layout and segregation policy, turnstiles that would normally have been used to enter the North Stand from the east were off-limits and all Liverpool supporters had to converge on a single entrance at Leppings Lane. [131] MacKenzie said he should have written a headline that read "The Lies", although this apology was rejected by the Hillsborough Family Support Group and Liverpool fans, as it was seen to be "shifting the blame once again. calling for his resignation, but he apologised on discovering hooliganism was not the cause. I published in good faith and I am sorry that it was so wrong. Liverpool players Ronnie Whelan, Steve Nicol, and former manager Joe Fagan carried the communion bread and wine. His remarks led to Liverpool F.C. They will have to answer 14 key questions about the disaster . [45], The agreed upon protocol for the South Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service (SYMAS) was that ambulances were to queue at the entrance to the gymnasium, termed the casualty reception point, or CRP. But it didn't cause the disaster any more than the sunny day that encouraged people to linger outside the stadium as kick off approached. Duckenfield took medical retirement on a full police pension. [193], It was announced in December 2017 that a police officer and a farrier would not be prosecuted over allegations that they fabricated a story about a police horse being burned with cigarettes at Hillsborough. At approximately 3:04pm, a shot from Liverpool's Peter Beardsley hit the bar. Sadly I must report that for the most part the quality of their evidence was in inverse proportion to their rank". 's The Den being the first new stadium to be built that fulfilled the recommendations. Their views were not "the maverick view from a disaffected minority but the considered opinion of the majority of professionals present from the outset". He dismissed the claim by senior police officers that they had no reason to anticipate problems, since congestion had occurred at both the 1987 and 1988 semi-finals. [283], On 27 April 2016, Times staffers in the sports department expressed their outrage over the paper's decision to cover 26 April inquest, which ruled that the 96 dead were unlawfully killed, only on an inside spread and the sports pages, with some in the newspaper claiming there was a "mutiny" in the sports department. The editor at the time, Dominic Mohan, wrote: "We published an inaccurate and offensive story about the events at Hillsborough. Nor do I consider that there is any justification for setting up any further inquiry into the performance of the emergency and hospital services. [198] On 3April, the jury returned with a guilty verdict against Mackrell on a health and safety charge but was unable to reach a verdict on Duckenfield. A case, Alcock v Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police [1992] 1 A.C. 310, was eventually appealed to the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords and was an important milestone in the law of claims of secondary victims for negligently inflicted psychiatric injury. Mackrell pleaded not guilty to the two charges against him. [1] This resulted in overcrowding of those pens and the crush. Chief Superintendent Mole himself was to be transferred to the Barnsley division for "career development reasons". 's captain. [293], In November 2007, the BBC soap opera EastEnders caused controversy when the character Minty Peterson (played by Cliff Parisi) made a reference to the disaster. Ninety-six people died in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster There were not enough turnstiles for fans entering the terraces on the day of the Hillsborough disaster, a stadium safety expert. On 14 May, more than 20,000 people packed Anfield for a match held in memory of the victims. [241] As well as The Sun's 19 April 1989 "The Truth" article (see below) other newspapers published similar allegations; the Daily Star headline on the same day reported "Dead fans robbed by drunk thugs"; the Daily Mail accused the Liverpool fans of being "drunk and violent and their actions were vile", and The Daily Express ran a story alleging that "Police saw 'sick spectacle of pilfering from the dying'." [110] I have come to the clear conclusion that there is no basis upon which there should be a further Judicial Inquiry or a reopening of Lord Taylor's Inquiry. Preview of my documentary about the effects since the hillsborough disaster regarding safety at football matches.Full Documentary at;http://video.google.co.u. Taylor concluded that policing on the day "broke down" and "the main reason for the disaster was the failure of police control". All five were bailed to appear at the Crown Court in September. It has since fuelled persistent and unsustainable assertions about drunken fan behaviour". [183], Commissioned by the Home Secretary Theresa May, a report was published on 1 November 2017 by the Right Reverend James Jones titled The patronising disposition of unaccountable power: A report to ensure that the pain and suffering of the Hillsborough families is not repeated. An eight-foot-high clock, dating from the 1780s, was installed at, A memorial plaque dedicated to the 96 at Goodison Park in Liverpool, home of local rivals. [46]:145 Any individuals within the stadium in need of medical attention were to be delivered expeditiously by police and paramedics to the CRP. This left planning for the semi-final match to Duckenfield, who had never commanded a sell-out football match before, and who had "very little, if any" training or personal experience in how to do so. [52] In the following days more than 200,000 people visited the "shrine" inside the stadium. Between 2:30pm and 2:40pm, there was a build-up of supporters outside the turnstiles facing Leppings Lane, eager to enter the stadium before the game began. The Memorial bench remains at Spion Kop Lodge. Margaret Aspinall, chairperson of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, asked for a face to face meeting with Hunt before deciding if she would[needs update] accept the apology. [174][175][176][177][178] On 16 October 2012, the Attorney General announced in Parliament he had applied to have the original inquests verdicts quashed, arguing it proceeded on a false basis and evidence now to hand required this exceptional step. . Finally, seven turnstiles (lettered A to G) provided access to 10,100 standing places in the lower tier of the West Stand. We have been in contact with the Hillsborough Family Support Group and the Hillsborough Justice Campaign to express our deep regret and sincere apologies. "[318], Further extracts from what Eileen Delaney said can be found on the Hillsborough Justice Campaign website[319] and in Phil Scraton's book Hillsborough: The Truth. [57], UEFA President Jacques Georges caused controversy by describing the Liverpool supporters as "beasts",[58] wrongly suggesting that hooliganism was the cause of the disaster, which had occurred less than four years after the Heysel Stadium disaster. [197], On 13 March 2019, it was reported that Duckenfield would not be called to give evidence in his defence. [62] Other fundraising activities included a Factory Records benefit concert and several fundraising football matches. The record was produced by Stock Aitken Waterman and featured Liverpool musicians Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden (of the Pacemakers), Holly Johnson, and The Christians. [38] "There's gaps, you know, in parts of the ground. [94] Attention was focused on the decision to open the secondary gates; moreover, the kick-off should have been delayed, as had been done at other venues and matches. "[285], The Times was the only major UK newspaper not to give the story front-page coverage other than fellow News UK-owned Sun. It noted "The weight placed on alcohol in the face of objective evidence of a pattern of consumption modest for a leisure event was inappropriate. It was a 'classic smear'. Possibly connected to the excitement, a surge in pen 3 caused one of its metal crush barriers to give way. [246] These media reports and others were examined during the 2012 Hillsborough Independent Panel report. She unsuccessfully appealed to the European Court of Human Rights in 2009. By this time, a small gate in the fence had been forced open and some fans escaped via this route, as others continued to climb over the fencing. [192] On 29June 2018, a ruling was made that Duckenfield would be prosecuted on the manslaughter charges. The 350 passengers arrived at the ground at about 2:20pm. It occurred during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in the two standing-only central pens in the Leppings Lane stand allocated to Liverpool supporters. [264], In 2004, after Wayne Rooney gave exclusive interviews to The Sun, causing backlash in Liverpool, The Sun ran a front page story apologising for "the most terrible mistake in its history", saying "We long ago apologised publicly We gladly say sorry again today: fully, openly, honestly and without reservation". [66][67], By the disaster's 10th anniversary in 1999, at least three people who survived were known to have taken their own lives. Sheffield Wednesday was also criticised for the inadequate number of turnstiles at the Leppings Lane end and the poor quality of the crush barriers on the terraces, "respects in which failure by the Club contributed to this disaster". [103], Regarding the decision to allocate Liverpool spectators to the West and North Ends, Taylor stated "I do not consider choice of ends was causative of the disaster. It was a fundamental mistake. Stephen Whittle is considered by some to be another victim of Hillsborough, as due to work commitments, he had sold his ticket to a friend (whom he and his family chose not to identify), who then died in the disaster; the resulting feeling of survivor guilt is believed to be the main reason he took his own life in February 2011.[79]. Consequently, a course of public justice could not have been perverted. [284], The November 2002 edition of the men's lifestyle magazine FHM in Australia was swiftly withdrawn from sale soon after its publication, and a public apology made in the Australian and British editions, because it contained jokes mocking the disaster. That it might so occur was foreseeable". No, his apology doesn't mean a thing to me. This included the Wolverhampton-based Express & Star, which reported that the match had been cancelled as a result of a "pitch invasion in which many fans were injured". [160][161], During the inquests, Maxwell Groomea police constable at the time of the disastermade allegations of a high-level "conspiracy" by Freemasons to shift blame for the disaster onto Superintendent Roger Marshall, also that junior officers were pressured into changing their statements after the disaster, and told not to write their accounts in their official police pocketbooks. Although the editor Boris Johnson did not write this piece,[293] journalist Simon Heffer said he had written the first draft of the article at Johnson's request. Various negligence cases were brought against the police by spectators who had been at the ground but had not been in the pens, and by people who watched the incident unfolding on television (or heard about it on the radio). [64], In May 1989, a charity version of the Gerry and the Pacemakers song "Ferry Cross the Mersey" was released in aid of those affected. However, MacKenzie did not accept any personal responsibility for the story. On Question Time the next year, MacKenzie publicly repeated the claims he said at the dinner; he said that he believed some of the material they published in The Sun but was not sure about all of it. Former Chief Inspector Sir Norman Bettinson faced four counts of misconduct in public office. Just one person has been convicted for anything related to the Hillsborough disaster: Graham Mackrell, the then Sheffield Wednesday secretary, of a safety offence, for which he was fined. I have never, since hearing the Taylor evidence unfold, offered any other interpretation in public or private. The disaster was a fatal human crush at the match held at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield. [299], Fans of rival clubs[300] have been known to chant about the Hillsborough disaster at football matches, in order to upset Liverpool fans. It became still less likely when those on the track made no move towards the pitch. Holes in the perimeter fencing were made by fans desperately attempting to rescue others. April 15th 1989, Liverpool faced Nottingham Forest away in the semi-final of the FA cup, as kick-off approached a large crowd built up outside the Leppings Lane turnstiles. Liverpool is a handsome city with a tribal sense of community. [43], The crowd in the Leppings Lane Stand spilt onto the pitch, where the many injured and traumatised fans who had climbed to safety congregated. The crowd numbered more than 60,000, including around 6,000 Liverpool fans, and all the match proceeds went to the Hillsborough appeal fund. . The disaster took place on April 15, 1989 - so today marks 33 years since the incident. Sue MacGregor brought together a group of people who were involved in the disaster to talk about the events of that day at a time when they were still in the midst of their fight for justice. [326], Anne is a four-part docudrama about Anne Williams' campaign to reveal the truth about her son's death, which aired on ITV in January 2022. According to the BBC report: "The names of the victims were read from the memorial book and floral tributes were laid at a plaque bearing their names. [39] Those still trapped in the pens were packed so tightly that many victims died of compressive asphyxia while standing. After an initial rush, thousands of supporters entered the stadium "steadily at a fast walk". Stand Up Sit Down A Choice to Watch Football. On the day of the match, radio and television broadcasters advised fans without tickets not to attend. [263] Chris Horrie estimated in 2014 that the tabloid's owners had lost 15million per month since the disaster, in 1989 prices. [9][10][11] The panel's report resulted in the previous findings of accidental death being quashed, and the creation of new coroner's inquests. An annual memorial ceremony is held at Anfield and at a church in Liverpool. By 22 October 2012, the names of at least 1,444 serving and former police officers had been referred to the IPCC investigation. [94], Lord Taylor noted with regard to the performance of the senior police officers in command that "neither their handling of the problems on the day nor their account of it in evidence showed the qualities of leadership to be expected of their rank". The anniversary "comes 12 days after a jury at Preston . They organised a sensible compensation scheme and moved on. The Gymnasium", "Hillsborough Drama Shown Again on ITV Tonight at 10:20pm", "ESPN's Hillsborough documentary can't be aired in the United Kingdom thanks to British laws", "Anne review Maxine Peake exudes raw horror in extraordinary Hillsborough drama", "The investigation of the Hillsborough Disaster by the Health and Safety Executive", The Hillsborough Stadium Disaster, 15 April 1989: Inquiry by the Rt. [199] It was announced on 25June that Duckenfield would face a retrial, which was scheduled to start on 7October at Preston Crown Court. ", "West Yorkshire Chief Constable referred to IPCC", "Hillsborough disaster: Bettison's role revealed", "Hillsborough tragedy: Norman Bettison to retire after controversy over role", "Hillsborough disaster: the new evidence under IPCC investigation", "Hillsborough disaster: watchdog to launch biggest ever inquiry into police", "IPCC Hillsborough inquiry is another vindication for families", "Hillsborough probe 'to be UK's biggest into police conduct', "Hillsborough: 1,444 police names passed to IPCC", "Hillsborough: Application for new inquests", "Hillsborough Investigation Update: Independent Police Complaints Commission", "Hillsborough: 19 people refuse to help IPCC inquiry", "Hillsborough probe finds more police statements changed", "Statements from the CPS, IPCC and Operation Resolve following Hillsborough inquests verdict", "New Hillsborough investigation boss appointed", "David Duckenfield faces Hillsborough charges with five others", "Hillsborough trial: Men acquitted as judge rules no case to answer", "Hillsborough disaster accused appear in court", "Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield can face trial", "Hillsborough officer not charged over horse burn claims", "Hillsborough charges against Sir Norman Bettison dropped", "Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield denies manslaughter", "Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield appears in court at start of manslaughter trial", "Hillsborough trial: David Duckenfield 'will not testify', "Hillsborough trial: No verdict over David Duckenfield", "Hillsborough match commander David Duckenfield retrial", "Hillsborough police chief David Duckenfield cleared of manslaughter", "How David Duckenfield's trial left Hillsborough families distraught again", "In the Crown Court at Manchester Sitting at Salford Quays. [26] This 1981 change and other later changes to the stadium invalidated the stadium's safety certificate. South Yorkshire coroner Dr Stefan Popper limited the main inquests to events up to 3:15pm on the day of the disasternine minutes after the match was halted and the crowd spilt onto the pitch. 'You'll never walk alone.'". Wednesday 6 April 2016, 4:11pm. [46]:138140 Others who did leave their vehicles were then faced with the obstacles inherent in placing distance between themselves and their equipment. Of those statements, 116 were amended to remove or change negative comments about South Yorkshire Police. As the prime minister has made clear, these allegations were wholly untrue and were part of a concerted plot by police officers to discredit the supporters thereby shifting the blame for the tragedy from themselves. In March 1997just before the eighth anniversary of the disasterit was reported he had emerged from the condition and was able to communicate using a touch-sensitive pad, and he had been showing signs of awareness of his surroundings for up to three years before. Troubador. [134][135][136][137] Calls were also made for Sir Dave Richards to resign as chairman of the Premier League and give up his knighthood as a result of his conduct at Sheffield Wednesday at the time of the disaster. . It was also reported that the jury would be directed to find Mackrell not guilty on the charge of contravening the stadium's safety certificate due to a lack of evidence. In a letter addressed to a victim's parent, Ingham wrote that the disaster was caused by "tanked up yobs". His actions were disowned by Chelsea Football Club and he no longer works as a broadcaster. [56], The FA chief executive Graham Kelly, who had attended the match, said the FA would conduct an inquiry into what had happened. Hillsborough families called for the payments to be frozen during the IPCC investigation. . Four officers resigned and seven were disciplined over the incident. The turnstiles didn't seem to be letting people through very quickly, and the crowd was really building up. [39][40], With an estimated 5,000 fans trying to enter through the turnstiles, and increasing safety concerns, the police, to avoid fatalities outside the ground, opened a large exit gate (Gate C) that ordinarily permitted the free flow of supporters departing the stadium. On 8September 2012, just four days before the Hillsborough Independent Panel Report was published, Crompton had emailed the force's assistant chief constable Andy Holt and head of media Mark Thompson. Hillsborough disaster, incident in which a crush of football (soccer) fans ultimately resulted in 97 deaths and hundreds of injuries. [236], On 30 April 1989, a friendly match organised by Celtic F.C. At a meeting in Liverpool with relatives of those involved in Hillsborough in October 1997, he flippantly remarked "Have you got a few of your people or are they like the Liverpool fans, turn up at the last minute? I bent down to kiss and talk to [my son] and as we stood up there was a policeman who came from behind me . Had it been reversed, the disaster could well have occurred in a similar manner but to Nottingham supporters". followed in April 2017 on the eve of the 28th anniversary of the disaster after a column by Kelvin MacKenzie concerning Everton footballer Ross Barkley. Failure to put Hillsborough on front page a shocking misjudgement", "FHM Australia, pulled after Hillsborough comments", "FHM faces a boycott after Hillsborough 'joke', "The truth about that awful Boris Johnson 'quote' on Hillsborough", "Hillsborough: Boris Johnson 'very, very' sorry for blaming Liverpool fans", "Hillsborough: Boris Johnson apologises for slurs in 2004 Spectator article", "Hillsborough papers: Boris Johnson apologises over article", "United fans want to end Hillsborough chants", "Manchester United fan groups want end to sick chants", "Hillsborough disaster: Sir Oliver Popplewell outrages campaigners with comments", "Former judge tells Hillsborough families to drop 'conspiracy theories', "Hillsborough disaster: Probe into South Yorkshire police email", "Hillsborough verdict finds Liverpool fans unlawfully killed, fans blameless and shocking police failures", "South Yorkshire Police chief suspended over Hillsborough", "Civil servant sacked for offensive Wikipedia edits on Hillsborough", "Q&A: Fox's Steven Cohen on the Advertiser Boycott Over His Remarks on Soccer Stadium Deaths", "Steven Cohen Apologizes For Inaccurate Hillsborough Claims", "Steven Cohen Blames Liverpool Fans For Hillsborough Disaster", "Flashback: The Hillsborough Disaster and the Fall of Steven Cohen", "Hillsborough mum tells of Sir Bernard Ingham's "hurtful" letters", "Bernard Ingham, who called Liverpool fans 'tanked up yobs', still refuses to apologise to Hillsborough families despite inquest findings", "Ingham STILL refuses to say sorry for blaming Liverpool fans over Hillsborough", "Petition to strip Bernard Ingham of his knighthood for blaming fans", "Why the people of Liverpool are totally justified in holding Topman to account", "The Immediate Aftermath 4. 'Why us? [148] The jury returned a verdict of unlawful killing in respect of all 96 victims (by majority verdict of 72). Mackrell pleaded not guilty to the charge against him. [163] Coroner Sir John Goldring warned the jury that there was "not a shred of evidence" that any Masonic meeting actually took place, or that those named were all Freemasons,[164] advising the jury to cast aside "gossip and hearsay". [58], At the 1989 FA Cup Final between Liverpool and local rivals Everton, held just five weeks after the Hillsborough disaster, the players from both participating teams wore black armbands as a gesture of respect to the victims. [108] In England and Wales all-seating is a requirement of the Premier League[109] and of the Football League for clubs who have been present in the Championship for more than three seasons. [270] A press conference held by families of the victims also banned all Sun reporters from entering, with a sign on the door reading "NO ENTRY TO SUN JOURNALISTS". Published. [302], In October 2011, Sir Oliver Popplewell, who had chaired the public inquiry into the 1985 Bradford City stadium fire at Valley Parade that killed 56 people, called on the families of the Hillsborough victims to look at the "quiet dignity and great courage relatives in the West Yorkshire city had shown in the years following the tragedy". [266] Following the second inquest in 2016, The Sun's eighth and ninth pages carried images of the 96 victims and an editorial which apologised "unreservedly", saying "the police smeared [supporters] with a pack of lies which in 1989 the Sun and other media swallowed whole". Liverpool supporters were allocated the North and West ends (Leppings Lane), holding 24,256 fans, reached by 23 turnstiles from a narrow concourse. Mackenzie reportedly spent two hours deciding on which headline to run; his original instinct being for "You Scum" before eventually deciding on "The Truth". [147] On 6 April 2016, the nine jurors were sent out to consider their verdicts. A quotation, attributed to an unnamed policeman, claimed a partially unclothed dead girl had been verbally abused, and that Liverpool fans were "openly urinating on us and the bodies of the dead". [156][157] Liberal Democrat MP John Pugh called for David Cameron to make a formal apology in the House of Commons to the families of those killed at Hillsborough and to the city of Liverpool as a whole. The programme was repeated on 1May 2016, at the end of the week in which the Hillsborough inquest ruled that the 96 Liverpool football fans died unlawfully. [53] Standing on terraces and the use of perimeter fencing around the pitch, the use of CCTV, the timing of football matches and policing of sporting events were factors for a subsequent inquiry to consider. What he has got to understand is that we were speaking the truth for 23 years and apologies have only started to come today from them because of yesterday. [96], Taylor concluded that in responding to the disaster there had been no fault on the part of the emergency services (St John Ambulance, South Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service and fire brigade). [159], Kelvin MacKenzie, who wrote the now-infamous "The Truth" front page for the Sun, said that although he was "duped" into publishing his story, that his "heart goes out" to the families of those affected, saying that "It's quite clear today the fans had nothing to do with it". [citation needed], A television drama, based on the disaster and subsequent events, titled simply Hillsborough, was produced by Granada Television in 1996. close panel. Now they are customers to be wooed and cosseted", "Deaths and Injuries at Major Accidents at British Football Stadiums", "Hillsborough families call for Sheffield Wednesday manslaughter inquiry", "How Bradford fire neglect left Hillsborough doomed to disaster", "Safety failings that contributed to death of 96 Liverpool fans were foreseeable", "Sheffield licensing officer from time of Hillsborough disaster still works for council", "Sky Blues fans recall Hillsborough choas", "Hillsborough warning signs were there in 1987", "David Bernstein makes unreserved apology for Hillsborough disaster", "Witness statement of Chief Superintendent Brian Mole, South Yorkshire Police", "Hillsborough inquest hears of police commander's transfer before match", "Hillsborough police officer in command 'had little training' for 1989 FA Cup", "4 Death on the Terraces: The Contexts and Injustices of the 1989 Hillsborough Disaster", "BBC Panorama 2013: Hillsborough Disaster. . On 26April 2016, after the inquest jury delivered a verdict affirming all the charges against the police, Crompton "unequivocally accepted" the verdicts, including unlawful killing, said that the police operation at the stadium on the day of the disaster had been "catastrophically wrong", and apologised unreservedly. On 26July, the judge refused the prosecution's application for a retrial of Duckenfield.