Shortly before kick-off, in an attempt to ease overcrowding outside the entrance turnstiles, the police match commander, David Duckenfield, ordered exit gate C to be opened, leading to an influx of supporters entering the pens. [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. [226] The ceremony was attended by survivors of the disaster, families of victims and the Liverpool team, with goalkeeper Pepe Reina leading the team and management staff onto the pitch. Devine died in 2021, as a consequence of the injuries sustained at Hillsborough, with his death being ruled by the coroner to have been an unlawful killing, raising the total death toll of the disaster to 97.[73][74][75]. At least 96 current and former Liverpool footballers are being[needs update] lined up to raise 96,000 by auctioning a limited edition (of 96) signed photographs. Mole. I have never, since hearing the Taylor evidence unfold, offered any other interpretation in public or private. In addition to the "unlawful killing" verdict, the jury concluded that "errors or omissions" by police commanding officers, Sheffield Wednesday, the ambulance service and the design and certification of the stadium had all "caused or contributed" to the deaths, but that the behaviour of football supporters had not. [43], The match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest began as scheduled at 3:00pm. [43] Football players from both teams were ushered to their respective dressing rooms, and told that there would be a 30-minute postponement. [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. I had absolutely no reason to believe that these authority figures would lie and deceive over such a disaster. [284], The November 2002 edition of the men's lifestyle magazine FHM in Australia was swiftly withdrawn from sale soon after its publication, and a public apology made in the Australian and British editions, because it contained jokes mocking the disaster. His actions were disowned by Chelsea Football Club and he no longer works as a broadcaster. A police officer ordinarily made a visual assessment before guiding fans to other pens. When was the Hillsborough Disaster and how many people died? 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. There were cases of alcoholism, drug abuse, and collapsed marriages involving people who had witnessed the events. [191], On 9 August 2017, all except Duckenfield appeared at Warrington Magistrates Court. [228], A song was released to mark the 20th anniversary, entitled "Fields of Anfield Road" which peaked at No. The deaths of more than 50 Liverpool football supporters at Hillsborough in 1989 was undeniably a greater tragedy than the single death, however horrible, of Mr Bigley; but that is no excuse for Liverpool's failure to acknowledge, even to this day, the part played in the disaster by drunken fans at the back of the crowd who mindlessly tried to fight their way into the ground that Saturday afternoon. 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. [4][8] Reporting in 2012, it confirmed Taylor's 1990 criticisms and revealed details about the extent of police efforts to shift blame onto fans, the role of other emergency services and the error of the first coroner's inquests. Police 'got away with' Hillsborough safety before disaster, inquest [271], In February 2017, Liverpool F.C. [118], In the years after the disaster, the Hillsborough Family Support Group had campaigned for the release of all relevant documents into the public domain. Let's be honest about thispeople were against us. In the email, which came to light as the result of a Freedom of Information request, Crompton had said that the families' "version of certain events has become 'the truth' even though it isn't". A total of 42 ambulances arrived at the stadium. . Share page. Match commander Duckenfield decided to open a gate into the stadium to alleviate pressure at the turnstiles . [201][202], On 26 May 2021, Denton, Foster and Metcalfe were all found not guilty of perverting the course of justice by altering 68 police officers' statements, when Mr Justice William Davis found that they had no case to answer. Two thousand traveling Liverpool away fans entered an already packed terrace via a . An annual memorial ceremony is held at Anfield and at a church in Liverpool. ", "Did Freemasons influence police over Hillsborough? [192] On 29June 2018, a ruling was made that Duckenfield would be prosecuted on the manslaughter charges. Hillsborough inquests: Sarah Hicks 'tried in vain' to save sister [63] Much of the money went to victims and relatives of those involved in the disaster and provided funds for a college course to improve the hospital phase of emergency care. ", "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? Peter McKay in the Evening Standard wrote that the "catastrophe was caused first and foremost by violent enthusiasm for soccer and in this case the tribal passions of Liverpool supporters [who] literally killed themselves and others to be at the game"[242][243] and published a front-page headline "Police attack 'vile' fans" on 18 April 1989, in which police sources blamed the behaviour of a section of Liverpool fans for the disaster. We had the media against us, as well as the establishment. "Munich" is a reference to the deaths of eight Manchester United players in the Munich air disaster of 1958. [4] Private prosecutions brought by the Hillsborough Families Support Group against Duckenfield and his deputy Bernard Murray failed in 2000. "[112] Therefore, evidence such as witness statements which had been altered were classed as inadmissible. 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. How the Hillsborough disaster unfolded - BBC News Bibliography of over 150 books, journal articles, TV programmes and websites relating to the Disaster and its aftermath produced by Sheffield City Council's Archives Service. Perimeter and lateral fencing was removed and many top stadiums were converted to all-seated. [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. In all but one case, the jury recorded the time of death as later than the 3:15pm cut-off point adopted by the coroner at the original inquests. After an initial rush, thousands of supporters entered the stadium "steadily at a fast walk". Such an unrealistic approach gives cause for anxiety as to whether lessons have been learnt".[105]. Wright said: "The request has been submitted by a firm of solicitors in Liverpool acting on behalf of a number of individuals affected by the event. [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". The event also raised cash for the Marina Dalglish Appeal which was contributed towards a radiotherapy centre at University Hospital in Aintree.[230][231]. 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. [33], Opposing supporters were segregated, as is common at domestic matches in England. 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". The decision angered the families, many of whom felt the inquests were unable to consider the response of the police and other emergency services after that time. [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. Directed by Daniel Gordon and co-produced with the BBC, the two-hour film chronicles the disaster, the investigations, and their lingering effects; it also includes interviews with survivors, victims' relatives, police officers and investigators. [245], Many of the more serious allegationssuch as stealing from the dead and assault of police officers and rescue workersappeared on 18 April,[241] although several evening newspapers published on 15 April 1989 also gave inaccurate reporting of the disaster, as these newspapers went to press before the full extent or circumstances of the disaster had been confirmed or even reported. [146] Sir John Goldring was appointed as Assistant Coroner for South Yorkshire (East) and West Yorkshire (West) to conduct those inquests. 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. Candles were lit for each of the 96 people who died. The Crown Prosecution Service subsequently dropped all charges against one of the defendants. The majority of victims who died were from Liverpool (37) and Greater Merseyside (20). Following the finding that they did not have a case to answer, the restrictions were lifted.[207]. On Wednesday 19 April 1989, four days after the disaster, the second leg of the European Cup semi-final tie between A.C. Milan and Real Madrid was played. [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". [65] Despite having stronger ties to Liverpool F.C., Gerry and the Pacemakers' earlier hit "You'll Never Walk Alone" was not used because it had recently been re-recorded for the Bradford City stadium fire appeal. Two British stage plays also dealt with the disaster with different view points: On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Two sisters, three pairs of brothers, and a father and son were among those who died,[69] as were two men about to become fathers for the first time: 25-year-old Steven Brown of Wrexham[76] and 30-year-old Peter Thompson of Widnes. and 25,000 each from the cities of Liverpool, Sheffield, and Nottingham. Hillsborough disaster | Details, Deaths, 1989, Facts, & Aftermath Their views were not "the maverick view from a disaffected minority but the considered opinion of the majority of professionals present from the outset". Topman stated that the T-shirt was in reference to a Bob Marley song re-released in 1996 and apologised and withdrew the item. There was insufficient evidence against the police officer to charge him with the offence. "[303], Popplewell was criticised for the comments, including a rebuke from a survivor of the Bradford fire. [233] Halfway through the minute's silence, the A.C. Milan fans sang Liverpool's "You'll Never Walk Alone" as a sign of respect. [188], On 28 June 2017, it was announced that six people were to be charged with offences in relation to the disaster. Of those who died, 79 were aged under 30, 38 of whom were under 20, and all but three of the victims were aged under 50. Hillsborough first aired in the US on 15April 2014, the 25th anniversary of the disaster. [241] The Sheffield Star published similar allegations to The Sun, running the headline "Fans in Drunken Attacks on Police". [94] Further stating: "South Yorkshire Police were not prepared to concede they were in any respect at fault in what occurred. [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. [325] After the inquest verdict, the BBC aired the documentary on 8May 2016, with additional footage from the inquest, as well as its final verdict. 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. [100], The report noted that the official capacity of the central pens was 2,200, that the Health and Safety Executive found this should have been reduced to 1,693 due to crush barriers and perimeter gates,[101] but actually an estimated 3,000 people were in the pens around 3:00pm. The jury in the Hillsborough inquest were given a detailed questionnaire to answer about the April 1989 disaster. The anniversary "comes 12 days after a jury at Preston . They were asked 14 questions in relation to the disaster which killed 96 Liverpool . They did not seek endless further inquiries. Turnstiles numbered 1 to 10, ten in all, provided access to 9,700 seats in the North Stand; a further six turnstiles (numbered 11 to 16) provided access to 4,456 seats in the upper tier of the West Stand. His column in The Sunday Times on 23 April 1989, included the text:[280]. [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. On 26July, the judge refused the prosecution's application for a retrial of Duckenfield. Burnham, by then the Sports Minister, addressed the crowd but was heckled by supporters chanting "Justice for the 96". [32] Although Mole could have been assigned the semi-final match's planning despite his transfer, that was not done. Hon. [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 entered the UK Singles Chart at number 1 on 20May, and remained at the top of the chart for three weeks. Although there was enough evidence to charge the farrier with perverting the course of justice, it was felt not to be in the public interest to charge him. "[289] The British edition disassociated itself from the controversy, stating: "FHM Australia has its own editorial team and these captions were written and published without consultation with the UK edition, or any other edition of FHM. [4] The disaster led to a number of safety improvements in the largest English football grounds, notably the elimination of fenced standing terraces in favour of all-seater stadiums in the top two tiers of English football. [128], The evidence it released online included altered police reports. [88] The views of both were dismissed by the Taylor report. [1] This resulted in overcrowding of those pens and the crush. [309][310] Despite this he was replaced as presenter of Fox Football Fone-in. The findings concluded that 164 witness statements had been altered. [106] Purpose-built stadiums for Premier League and most Football League teams since the report are all-seater. [16], At the time of the disaster most English football stadiums had high steel fencing between the spectators and the playing field in response to pitch invasions. MacKenzie maintained for years that his "only mistake was to believe a Tory MP". Hillsborough remains the worst disaster in British sporting history On a sunny spring afternoon in 1989, a crush developed at the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield resulting in the deaths of. [314][315] On the day of the inquest verdict, Ingham refused to apologise or respond to the previous comments he made, telling a reporter, "I have nothing to say. 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. Thousands of fans visited and the stadium filled with flowers, scarves and other tributes. With 97 deaths and 766 injuries, it has the highest death toll in British sporting history. They will have to answer 14 key questions about the disaster . A headstone at the junction of Middlewood Road, Leppings Lane and Wadsley Lane, near the ground and by the. [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. In October 1988 a probationary PC in Mole's F division, South Yorkshire was handcuffed, photographed, and stripped by fellow officers in a fake robbery, as a hazing prank. A former South Yorkshire police inspector who was on duty at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough when 96 people were crushed to death has said he believed before the match that the. [31] The first planning meeting for the semi-final took place on 22 March and was attended by newly promoted Chief Superintendent David Duckenfield, not by Mole. The intensity of the crush broke more crush barriers on the terraces. [4] In 2009 a Hillsborough Independent Panel was formed to review the evidence. A service led by the Right Reverend James Jones, the Bishop of Liverpool, was attended by past and present Liverpool players, including Robbie Fowler, Steve McManaman and Alan Hansen. Deborah Glass, deputy chair of the IPCC said, "We know the people who have contacted us are the tip of the iceberg." [298], On 28 June 2010, following England's departure from the 2010 FIFA World Cup competition in South Africa, the UK's Culture and Sport Secretary Jeremy Hunt praised the England fans for their behaviour during the competition, saying "I mean, not a single arrest for a football-related offence, and the terrible problems that we had in Heysel and Hillsborough in the 1980s seem now to be behind us." Most significantly, it would find unlawful killing. 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). Hillsborough disaster - YouTube [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.