"[112] Therefore, evidence such as witness statements which had been altered were classed as inadmissible. Such an unrealistic approach gives cause for anxiety as to whether lessons have been learnt".[105]. 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. [95], Taylor found there was "no provision" for controlling the entry of spectators into the turnstile area. Several memorials have been erected in memory of the victims of the Hillsborough disaster. [244], In Liverpool local journalist John Williams of the Liverpool Daily Post wrote in an article titled "I Blame the Yobs"[245] that "The gatecrashers wreaked their fatal havoc Their uncontrolled fanaticism and mass hysteria literally squeezed the life out of men, women and children yobbism at its most base Scouse killed Scouse for no better reason than 22 men were kicking a ball". Match commander Duckenfield decided to open a gate into the stadium to alleviate pressure at the turnstiles . That's why I am so grateful to my city and so proud of my city. calling for his resignation, but he apologised on discovering hooliganism was not the cause. The jury in the Hillsborough inquest were given a detailed questionnaire to answer about the April 1989 disaster. The disaster has been acknowledged on 15April every year by the community in Liverpool and football in general. A police constable radioed control requesting that the game be delayed, as it had been two years before, to ensure the safe passage of supporters into the ground. Time of. "[272] Trevor Kavanagh, the political editor at the time of the Hillsborough disaster, said that he was "not sorry at all" about the reporting and supported his former boss Kelvin MacKenzie, stating that "we were clearly misled about the events and the authorities, including the police, actively concealed the truth". donation was the amount the club would have received (as its share of the match income) had the semi-final gone ahead as planned. During a 2011 debate in the House of Commons, the Labour MP for Liverpool Walton, Steve Rotheram, read out a list of the victims and, as a result, the names were recorded in the Hansard transcripts. The Taylor Inquiry sat for a total of 31 days (between 15May and 29June 1989)[92] and published two reports: an interim report (1August 1989) which laid out the events of the day and immediate conclusions; and a final report (19January 1990) which outlined general recommendations on football ground safety. In a post-match briefing to discuss the incident, Sheffield Wednesday chairman Bert McGee remarked: "Bollocksno one would have been killed". [citation needed], A television drama, based on the disaster and subsequent events, titled simply Hillsborough, was produced by Granada Television in 1996. The less seriously injured survivors who did not live in the Sheffield area were advised to seek treatment for their injuries at hospitals nearer to their homes. With 96 deaths and 766 injuries, it remains the worst such case in British sporting history.. An annual memorial ceremony is held at Anfield and at a church in Liverpool. Published. This is our response", "Hillsborough inquest verdict: the front pages", "As disgusting as it is unsurprising. The Liverpool Legends, comprising ex-Liverpool footballers beat the All Stars, captained by actor Ricky Tomlinson, 31. 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. Gerrard has said the disaster inspired him to lead the team he supported as a boy and become a top professional football player. [26][27] The terrace was divided into five pens when the club was promoted to the First Division in 1984, and a crush barrier near the access tunnel was removed in 1986 to improve the flow of fans entering and exiting the central enclosure. No formal pleas were taken from the other four defendants. MacKenzie maintained for years that his "only mistake was to believe a Tory MP". Anne Williams, who died in 2013, rejected the coroner's decision that the Hillsborough victims, including her son, had died before 3:15pm, citing witness statements that described him showing signs of life at 4:00pm. The Football Spectators Act does not cover Scotland, but the Scottish Premier League chose to make all-seater stadiums a requirement of league membership. It was held that claimants who watched the disaster on television/listened on radio were not 'proximal' and their claims were rejected. South Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service, Alcock v Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police, White v Chief Constable of the South Yorkshire Police, Champions League quarter-finals return leg, Coverage of the Hillsborough disaster by The Sun, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, List of disasters in Great Britain and Ireland by death toll, "Five Hillsborough myths dispelled by inquests jury", "1989: Football fans crushed at Hillsborough", "Liverpool fan's death ruled as 97th of Hillsborough disaster", "Hillsborough Disaster: From tragedy to truth", "The legacy of Hillsborough how football has changed", "Out of the ashes of Hillsborough, modern football was born", "High court quashes Hillsborough inquest verdicts", "Not 'justice' but full truth may finally be possible for Hillsborough victims", "Hillsborough papers: Cameron apology over 'double injustice', "Hillsborough disaster: David Cameron apologises for 'double injustice', "Hillsborough inquests jury rules 96 victims were unlawfully killed", "South Yorkshire police chief suspended after Hillsborough verdict", "The great betrayal: how the Hillsborough families were failed by the justice system", "Five Hillsborough Myths Dispelled by Inquests Jury", "Before Hillsborough fans were seen as terrace fodder. [32] Although Mole could have been assigned the semi-final match's planning despite his transfer, that was not done. [238][239], In December 2021, Liverpool City Council nominated Andrew Devine posthumously for the freedom of the city of Liverpool, a tribute given to the original 96 victims in 2016. [124] Their report was in 395 pages and delivered 153 key findings. Fans' behaviour, to the extent that it was relevant at all, made the job of the police, in the crush outside Leppings Lane turnstiles, harder than it needed to be. By 22 October 2012, the names of at least 1,444 serving and former police officers had been referred to the IPCC investigation. [139], On 23 October 2012, Norman Bettison resigned with immediate effect as Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police, after Maria Eagle MP on the floor of the House and protected by parliamentary privilege, accused him of boasting about concocting a story that all the Liverpool fans were drunk and police were afraid they were going to break down the gates and decided to open them. [69] A total of 766 people were reported to have suffered injuries, among whom 300 were hospitalised. Troubador. "[87], Popper had excluded the witness evidence of two qualified Merseyside doctors (Drs Ashton and Phillips) who had been inside the stadium on the day and who had been critical of the chaotic emergency response. Everything was against us. [17] From 1974, when these security standards were put in place, crushes occurred in several English stadiums. The occasion was the first in which the two teams had met since the 1985 Bradford City stadium fire that had claimed 56 lives at Valley Parade. I think there will be a real boycott." [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'." Their claims were dismissed and the Alcock decision was upheld. Former Chief Superintendent Duckenfield, in charge of the match, faced 95 counts of manslaughter by gross negligence. We have been in contact with the Hillsborough Family Support Group and the Hillsborough Justice Campaign to express our deep regret and sincere apologies. 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. 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]. From 2007, an annual Hillsborough Memorial service was held at Spion Kop, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was a 'classic smear'. [222][223] The Kop, Centenary and Main Stands were opened to the public before part of the Anfield Road End was opened to supporters. [181][182], In April 2016, the Crown Prosecution Service announced that it would consider bringing charges against both individuals and corporate bodies once the criminal investigation by the Independent Police Complaints CommissionOperation Resolvehad been completed. In July 2021, a coroner ruled that Andrew Devine, who died 32 years after suffering severe and irreversible brain damage on the day, was the 97th victim. I have considered the circumstances in which alterations were made to some of the self-written statements of South Yorkshire Police officers, but I do not consider that there is any occasion for any further investigation. It has since fuelled persistent and unsustainable assertions about drunken fan behaviour". Peter Caton 2012. [18], A report by Eastwood & Partners for a safety certificate for the stadium in 1978 concluded that although it failed to meet the recommendations of the Green Guide, a guide to safety at sports grounds, the consequences were minor. [26], Liverpool and Nottingham Forest met in the semi-final at Hillsborough in 1988, and fans reported crushing at the Leppings Lane end. Announcing the report to the House of Commons, Home Secretary Jack Straw backed Stuart-Smith's findings and said that "I do not believe that a further inquiry could or would uncover significant new evidence or provide any relief for the distress of those who have been bereaved. [284][286] Gary Lineker described the incident as "disgusting as it is unsurprising",[287] and David Walsh, chief sports writer at the Sunday Times, said it was a "shocking misjudgment" to not include this story on the front page. The crushing occurred during a match at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, England, on April 15, 1989. [138] The Home Secretary called for investigations into law-breaking and promised resources to investigate individual or systematic issues. A further 20 were from counties adjacent to Merseyside. Hillsborough families called for the payments to be frozen during the IPCC investigation. was played at Celtic Park, Glasgow, between the home club and Liverpool. 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. [199] It was announced on 25June that Duckenfield would face a retrial, which was scheduled to start on 7October at Preston Crown Court. [43] Chief Superintendent John Nesbit of South Yorkshire Police later briefed Michael Shersby MP that leaving the rescue to the fans was a deliberate strategy, and is quoted as saying "We let the fans help so that they would not take out their frustration on the police" at a Police Federation conference. Possibly connected to the excitement, a surge in pen 3 caused one of its metal crush barriers to give way. Two thousand traveling Liverpool away fans entered an already packed terrace via a . [192] On 29June 2018, a ruling was made that Duckenfield would be prosecuted on the manslaughter charges. [41], When the gates were opened, thousands of fans entered a narrow tunnel leading from the rear of the terrace into two overcrowded central pens (pens 3 and 4), creating pressure at the front. His cousin, Steven Gerrard, then aged 8, went on to become Liverpool F.C. [261] The Hillsborough Justice Campaign organised a less successful national boycott that had some impact on the paper's sales nationally. The first reading was read by Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar. [37] At 2:46pm, the BBC's football commentator John Motson had already noticed the uneven distribution of people in the Leppings Lane pens. ", "Hillsborough: Freemason cops banned from working on criminal probe into cover-up", "Freemasons barred from investigation into alleged Hillsborough 'cover-up', "Hillsborough disaster: Why have freemasons been banned from the 1989 tragedy 'cover up' probe? Ruling on Submissions of No Case to Answer", "Lack of Hillsborough accountability is a scandal, says minister", "Hillsborough families attack 'ludicrous' acquittals of police", "Hillsborough families to sue police for 'abuse on industrial scale', "Hillsborough: Police forces agree cover-up compensation for victims", "Hillsborough memorial returns to Anfield", "Anfield memorial updated in honour of 97th victim of Hillsborough", "Hillsborough memorial clock unveiled at Liverpool Town Hall", "Everton FC to unveil tribute to Hillsborough 96 ahead of Merseyside derby", "Uefa to help Liverpool avoid Hillsborough clash", "Anfield's Hillsborough memorial service to be held for last time in April", "Football to remember Hillsborough disaster", "A minute's silence to remember Hillsborough", "Liverpool avoid Hillsborough anniversary clash", "Thousands flock to Anfield as Liverpool marks 20th anniversary of Hillsborough", "Hundreds mark Hillsborough anniversary in city", "Giggs showed that even in a cash-conscious age the game has moments which defy evaluation", "Milan vs Real Madrid Fans Sing You'll Never Walk Alone", "MP's tearful tribute to Hillsborough 96", "Hillsborough debate full transcript: Read everything MPs said in the House of Commons link to full video now added", "Hillsborough: 97th victim's family 'proud' of Freedom of Liverpool award", "Chapter 12: Behind the headlines: the origins, promotion and reproduction of unsubstantiated allegations (Page 3 of 10): 'The Truth', "The Immediate Aftermath The Media Reaction Hillsborough Football Disaster", "Is it time to forgive and forget Kelvin Mackenzie and the Sun over the lies they told about Hillsborough? Liverpool won the match by four goals to nil.[237]. After an initial rush, thousands of supporters entered the stadium "steadily at a fast walk". Hillsborough hosted five FA Cup semi-finals in the 1980s. [62] Other fundraising activities included a Factory Records benefit concert and several fundraising football matches. A memorial at Hillsborough stadium, unveiled on the tenth anniversary of the disaster on 15 April 1999, reads: "In memory of the 96 men, women, and children who tragically died and the countless people whose lives were changed forever. The transfer was to be done with immediate effect on 27 March 1989. They were asked 14 questions in relation to the disaster which killed 96 Liverpool . [180], The IPCC is[needs update] also investigating the actions of West Midlands Police, who in 1989 had been tasked with investigating South Yorkshire Police's conduct for both the original inquests and also the Taylor independent inquiry. [290], The Spectator was criticised for an editorial which appeared in the magazine on 16 October 2004 following the death of British hostage Kenneth John "Ken" Bigley in Iraq, in which it was claimed that the response to Bigley's killing was fuelled by the fact he was from Liverpool, and went on to criticise the "drunken" fans at Hillsborough and call on them to accept responsibility for their "role" in the disaster:[292]. A seven-foot-high circular bronze memorial was unveiled in the Old Haymarket district of Liverpool in April 2013. It's fine to apologise afterwards. [46]:142 [4] Following the Taylor Report, the Director of Public Prosecutions ruled there was no evidence to justify prosecution of any individuals or institutions. This Harrowing report, describes how a beautiful spring day turned into a day of tragedy and disaster. On the day after the verdicts were reached, the Home Secretary, Theresa May, made a statement to Parliament which included the verdicts of the jury to the fourteen questions they had been asked regarding the roles of South Yorkshire police, the South Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service, Sheffield Wednesday football club and Hillsborough stadium's engineers and two specific questions specific relating to the time and cause of death for each of the dead. The only one called was the Sheffield Wednesday club doctor. Other messages came from Pope John Paul II, US President George H. W. Bush, and the chief executive of Juventus (fans of Liverpool and Juventus had been involved in the Heysel Stadium disaster) amongst many others. I too was totally misled. [77] Jon-Paul Gilhooley, aged 10, was the youngest person to die. Dean Davis and David Walters, South African Liverpool supporters, were responsible for the service and the bench was commissioned by Guy Prowse in 2008. [3] The match was abandoned and restaged at Old Trafford in Manchester on 7 May 1989; Liverpool won and went on to win that season's FA Cup. . A total of 42 ambulances arrived at the stadium. Trevor Hicks, whose two daughters had been killed, described the verdicts as 'lawful' but 'immoral'.[83]. On the day of the match, radio and television broadcasters advised fans without tickets not to attend. [307], In June 2014, an unnamed 24-year-old British civil servant was sacked for posting offensive comments about the disaster on Wikipedia. Documents disclosed confirm that repeated attempts were made to find supporting evidence for alcohol being a factor, and that available evidence was significantly misinterpreted. ", "Report summary (Page 14 of 14): Summary of Chapter 12: Behind the headlines: the origins, promotion and reproduction of unsubstantiated allegations", "Hillsborough disaster: new inquest likely after damning report", "Hillsborough files: Report raises spectre of criminal cases and shaming", "Report summary (Page 5 of 14): Summary of Chapter 3: Custom, practice, roles, responsibilities", "Hillsborough Disaster Report Published Wednesday 12 September", "Hillsborough statement: Cameron and Miliband apologise", "Kelvin MacKenzie offers 'profuse apologies' over Hillsborough", "Hillsborough families demand new inquests be held", "New Hillsborough inquest likely after damning report", "Hillsborough families call for FA apology over disaster", "Hillsborough report: FA could face charges, lawyers tell Liverpool fans' families", "Hillsborough: Sheffield Wednesday and police urged to admit blame", "Premier League chairman must resign, says Hillsborough support group", "Hillsborough: home secretary says law-breakers must face investigation", "Hillsborough: Norman Bettison resigns from West Yorkshire police", "Hillsborough: police chief 'boasted' of role in smearing fans", "Hillsborough: Football fans' behaviour made police's job harder, says Sir Norman Bettison", "Bettison due 83k-a-year pension despite Hillsborough probe", "Hillsborough inquests: Jury reaches decision on unlawful killing question", "Hillsborough disaster: Fans unlawfully killed", "Hillsborough inquest verdicts quashed by High Court", "Margaret Aspinall: I am so grateful to the people of Liverpool", "Tears of joy as inquest jury exonerates the 96 Hillsborough victims", "Hillsborough inquests: Reaction to unlawful killing conclusion", "Hillsborough inquest suggests police 'should be prosecuted', "Calls for prosecutions after 'greatest miscarriage of justice of our times', "Labour Party: 'Greatest miscarriage of justice of our times', "Jack Straw expresses regret over failure of Hillsborough review", "Jack Straw on 1997 Hillsborough inquiry: 'I wish I could turn the clock back', "Kelvin MacKenzie is still blaming other people for S*n's shameful front page", "Watch ex-S*n editor Kelvin MacKenzie squirm as he's chased by cameraman", "Freemason police officers tried to 'shift blame' after Hillsborough disaster, inquest told", "Hillsborough: David Duckenfield was in same Masons lodge as officer he replaced", "Hillsborough tragedy: Did the Freemasons influence the Police? "[38], Outside the stadium, a bottleneck developed with more fans arriving than could be safely filtered through the turnstiles before 3:00pm. Kick-off was scheduled for 3:00pm on 15 April, and fans were advised to take up positions 15 minutes beforehand. It was selected by the Football Association (FA) as a neutral venue to host the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest football clubs. It was brought by police officers on duty against the chief constable who was said to have been vicariously liable for the disaster. [5][6], The first coroner's inquests into the Hillsborough disaster, completed in 1991, concluded with verdicts of accidental death in respect of all the deceased. Their views were not "the maverick view from a disaffected minority but the considered opinion of the majority of professionals present from the outset". The police became a convenient scapegoat, and the Sun newspaper a whipping-boy for daring, albeit in a tasteless fashion, to hint at the wider causes of the incident. Rather than establishing crowd safety as their top priority, the clubs, local authorities and police viewed their roles and responsibilities through the 'lens of hooliganism'. An apology appeared on page 10, reiterating previous statements that the 1989 headline had been an error of judgement. [155], Echoing his 2012 expression of regret[158] former Home Secretary Jack Straw apologised to the families for the failures of his 1997 review of the disaster. The crowd numbered more than 60,000, including around 6,000 Liverpool fans, and all the match proceeds went to the Hillsborough appeal fund. ", "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. Other members were:[121]. [85], One of the individual cases where the circumstances of death were not fully resolved was that of Kevin Williams, the fifteen-year-old son of Anne Williams.
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