"[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. [253] In fact many Liverpool fans helped security personnel stretcher away victims and gave first aid to the injured. "[112] He later apologised for his remark, saying it was not intended to offend. Such an unrealistic approach gives cause for anxiety as to whether lessons have been learnt".[105]. [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. 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. [17] From 1974, when these security standards were put in place, crushes occurred in several English stadiums. [125] The report concluded that the then Conservative MP for Sheffield Hallam, Irvine Patnick, passed inaccurate and untrue information from the police to the press. His cousin, Steven Gerrard, then aged 8, went on to become Liverpool F.C. 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. Speaking after the disaster, Kelly backed all-seater stadiums, saying "We must move fans away from the ritual of standing on terraces". Ofcom also received 177 complaints. The Memorial bench remains at Spion Kop Lodge. 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. [54] The following Sunday, a link of football scarves spanning the 1 mile (1.6km) distance across Stanley Park from Goodison Park to Anfield was created, with the final scarf in position at 3:06pm. fans had died (a 96th fan died in 1993, and 97th in 2021).An interim report was published in August 1989 . It obviously wasn't a silly mistake; nor was it a simple oversight. Trust v Bland [1993] A.C. 789, a landmark House of Lords decision in English criminal law, that allowed the life-support machine of Tony Bland, a Hillsborough victim in a persistent vegetative state, to be switched off. [154], Prime Minister David Cameron also responded to the April 2016 verdict by saying that it represented a "long overdue" but "landmark moment in the quest for justice", adding "All families and survivors now have official confirmation of what they always knew was the case, that the Liverpool fans were utterly blameless in the disaster that unfolded at Hillsborough. [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. [46]:149, The adverse comments of two doctors regarding the emergency response appeared in the media. 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. This was unlikely at the beginning of a match. [126][127], The panel noted that, despite being dismissed by the Taylor Report, the idea that alcohol contributed to the disaster proved remarkably durable. The remaining 14 victims lived in other parts of England. 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. The Football Spectators Act does not cover Scotland, but the Scottish Premier League chose to make all-seater stadiums a requirement of league membership. [71][72] The death toll reached 96 in March 1993, when artificial feeding and hydration were withdrawn from 22-year-old Tony Bland after nearly four years, during which time he had remained in a persistent vegetative state showing no sign of improvement. [13] Public anger over the actions of their force during the second inquests led to the suspension of the SYP chief constable, David Crompton, following the verdict. [78] The oldest person to die at Hillsborough was 67-year-old Gerard Baron, an older brother of former Liverpool player Kevin Baron. A crush occurred at the Leppings-Lane end of the ground during the 1981 semi-final between Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers after hundreds more spectators were permitted to enter the terrace than could safely be accommodated, resulting in 38 injuries, including broken arms, legs and ribs.
How the Hillsborough disaster unfolded - BBC News 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). [263] Chris Horrie estimated in 2014 that the tabloid's owners had lost 15million per month since the disaster, in 1989 prices.
The Tragic True Story Of The Hillsborough Disaster - Grunge.com "[305], In March 2016, Crompton announced that he would retire in November. Fans outside could hear cheering as the teams came on the pitch ten minutes before the match started, and as the match kicked off, but could not gain entrance. Burnham, by then the Sports Minister, addressed the crowd but was heckled by supporters chanting "Justice for the 96". [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. An FA spokesperson said: "We supported Aleksander Ceferin's re-election as president of Uefa based on his track record in the role over a number of years, which included dealing with the . He was suspended from the club for a fortnight and many fans felt he should not play for the club again. One supporter wrote to the Football Association and Minister for Sport: "The whole area was packed solid to the point where it was impossible to move and where I, and others around me, felt considerable concern for personal safety. Former Sheffield Wednesday F.C. This article was presumably published before there were any reports that people had been killed. I published in good faith and I am sorry that it was so wrong". [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. As MacKenzie's layout was seen by more and more people, a collective shudder ran through the office (but) MacKenzie's dominance was so total there was nobody left in the organisation who could rein him in except Murdoch. Boycotts include both customers refusing to purchase it, and retailers refusing to stock it. [2] Ninety-four people died on the day; another person died in hospital days later, and another victim died in 1993. Everything was against us. Some supporters were delayed by roadworks while crossing the Pennines on the M62 motorway which resulted in minor traffic congestion. [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. [246] These media reports and others were examined during the 2012 Hillsborough Independent Panel report. Club Secretary Graham Mackrell faced a charge of breaching the Safety at Sports Ground Act 1975. When he presented his report in February 1998, he concluded that there was insufficient evidence for a new inquiry into the disaster. [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. [309][310] Despite this he was replaced as presenter of Fox Football Fone-in. In its announcement, the IPCC praised the tenacity of the Hillsborough families' campaign for truth and justice. Duckenfield took medical retirement on a full police pension. It was performed by Lord Justice Stuart-Smith. There is no basis for a renewed application to the Divisional Court or for the Attorney General to exercise his powers under the Coroners Act 1988. [86] The Hillsborough Independent Panel considered the available evidence and stated that "the initial pathologist's opinion appeared definitive, but further authoritative opinions raised significant doubts about the accuracy of that initial opinion. 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. [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. Two thousand traveling Liverpool away fans entered an already packed terrace via a . Liverpool players Ronnie Whelan, Steve Nicol, and former manager Joe Fagan carried the communion bread and wine. [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. 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]. [43], South Yorkshire Police Superintendent Greenwood (the ground commander) realised the situation, and ran on the field to gain referee Ray Lewis's attention. 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. Nor do I consider that there is any justification for setting up any further inquiry into the performance of the emergency and hospital services. 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. [13][1][4][254] The Guardian later wrote that "The claim that supporters higher up the Leppings Lane terrace had urinated on police pulling bodies out of the crush appeared to have roots in the fact that those who were dying or sustaining serious injuries suffered compression asphyxia and many involuntarily urinated, vomited and emptied their bowels as they were crushed. [323][324], As the documentary included previously unreleased security camera footage from the stadium on the day of the disaster, it could not be shown in the UK upon initial release due to the 2012 High Court inquest still being in progress. On the day of the match, radio and television broadcasters advised fans without tickets not to attend. Mackrell pleaded not guilty to the charge against him. [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. I held those views then, I hold them now.
Hillsborough trial: 'Not enough' turnstiles at stadium - BBC News [55] Elsewhere on the same day, a silenceopened with an air-raid siren at three o'clockwas held in central Nottingham with the colours of Forest, Liverpool and Wednesday adorning Nottingham Council House. They organised a sensible compensation scheme and moved on. [169] West Yorkshire Police announced it would refer its Chief Constable, Norman Bettison, to the IPCC in mid-September. Meanwhile, on the pitch, police, stewards and members of the St John Ambulance service were overwhelmed. Liverpool lodged a complaint before the match in 1989. His column in The Sunday Times on 23 April 1989, included the text:[280]. Duckenfield was not required to appear as the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) needed to apply to the High Court to lift a court order before he could be prosecuted on the manslaughter charges. [144] In the same 22 October House of Commons debate, Stephen Mosley MP alleged West Midlands police pressured witnessesboth police and civiliansto change their statements. [195], At a trial preparation hearing at Preston Crown Court on 10September 2018, Duckenfield pleaded not guilty to all 95 charges against him. [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. 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. [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. Nobody really had any comment on itthey just took one look and went away shaking their heads in wonder at the enormity of it. The only one called was the Sheffield Wednesday club doctor.
Hillsborough disaster: A pervading sense of history repeating itself [94], Lord Taylor concluded that the behaviour of Liverpool fans, including accusations of drunkenness, were secondary factors, and said that most fans were: "not drunk, nor even the worse for drink". [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. With 96 deaths and 766 injuries, it remains the worst such case in British sporting history.. Why are we treated like animals?' [T]here was no effective leadership either from control or on the pitch to harness and organise rescue efforts. [146] Sir John Goldring was appointed as Assistant Coroner for South Yorkshire (East) and West Yorkshire (West) to conduct those inquests.
Hillsborough: the truth about the causes of the disaster In 2009, on the 20th anniversary of the disaster, Liverpool's request that their Champions League quarter-finals return leg, scheduled for 15 April, be played the day before was granted. [46]:138140 Others who did leave their vehicles were then faced with the obstacles inherent in placing distance between themselves and their equipment. [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". Kick-off was scheduled for 3:00pm on 15 April, and fans were advised to take up positions 15 minutes beforehand. [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. Consequently, a course of public justice could not have been perverted. [62] Other fundraising activities included a Factory Records benefit concert and several fundraising football matches. "[114] However, the determination by Stuart-Smith was heavily criticised by the Justice Minister, Lord Falconer, who stated "I am absolutely sure that Sir Murray Stuart-Smith came completely to the wrong conclusion". [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. [37] At 2:46pm, the BBC's football commentator John Motson had already noticed the uneven distribution of people in the Leppings Lane pens. 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. A provisional trial date was set for 14January 2019,[196] on which date the trial started at Preston Crown Court before Mr Justice Openshaw. [316], In March 2018, British clothing retailer Topman marketed a T-shirt which was interpreted by members of the public, including relatives of Hillsborough victims, as mocking the disaster. [29] Other accounts told of fans having to be pulled to safety from above. That was after the IPCC's Hillsborough Contact team had received 230 pieces of correspondence since October 2012. Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester United players showed respect by wearing black armbands during their Champions League quarter-final matches on 14 and 15 April 2009. The 350 passengers arrived at the ground at about 2:20pm. The disaster was a fatal human crush at the match held at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield. This followed a legal challenge in the High Court by his family to have his treatment withdrawn, a landmark challenge which succeeded in November 1992. 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. . [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. [104], Taylor concluded his criticism of South Yorkshire Police by describing senior officers in command as "defensive and evasive witnesses" who refused to accept any responsibility for error: "In all some 65 police officers gave oral evidence at the Inquiry. [4] Private prosecutions brought by the Hillsborough Families Support Group against Duckenfield and his deputy Bernard Murray failed in 2000. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. [106] Purpose-built stadiums for Premier League and most Football League teams since the report are all-seater. [138] The Home Secretary called for investigations into law-breaking and promised resources to investigate individual or systematic issues. In 1997 Lord Justice Stuart-Smith concluded that there was no justification for a new inquiry. With the imminent release of police documents relating to events on 15 April 1989, the Hillsborough Family Support Group launched Project 96, a fundraising initiative on 1 August 2009. 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. About sharing . 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. [197], On 13 March 2019, it was reported that Duckenfield would not be called to give evidence in his defence. [46]:149[47][48][49][50] The remaining 39 ambulances were collectively able to transport approximately 149 people to either Northern General Hospital, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, or Barnsley Hospital for treatment. [43], The match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest began as scheduled at 3:00pm.
The Hillsborough Stadium Disaster Interim Report - Wikisource [33], Opposing supporters were segregated, as is common at domestic matches in England. . "[38], Outside the stadium, a bottleneck developed with more fans arriving than could be safely filtered through the turnstiles before 3:00pm. 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]. It was brought by police officers on duty against the chief constable who was said to have been vicariously liable for the disaster. [23] Police believed there would have been a real chance of fatalities had swift action not been taken, and recommended the club reduce its capacity. Most significantly, it would find unlawful killing. The transfer was to be done with immediate effect on 27 March 1989. The safety certificate was never renewed and the stated capacity of the stadium was never changed. [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". "[131], After publication, the Hillsborough Families Support Group called for new inquests for the victims. [85], In February 2000, a private prosecution was brought against Chief Superintendent David Duckenfield and another officer, Bernard Murray. The IPCC announced on 12 October 2012 that it would investigate the failure of the police to declare a major incident, failure to close the tunnel to the stands which led to overcrowded pens despite evidence it had been closed in such circumstances in the past; changes made to the statements of police officers; actions which misled Parliament and the media; shortcomings of previous investigations; and the role played by Norman Bettison. [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. [311][312], In 1996, Sir Bernard Ingham, former press secretary to former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, caused controversy with his comments about the disaster. . "[115], The Hillsborough Independent Panel was instituted in 2009 by the British government to investigate the Hillsborough disaster, to oversee the disclosure of documents about the disaster and its aftermath and to produce a report. [4] In 2009 a Hillsborough Independent Panel was formed to review the evidence. [1] This resulted in overcrowding of those pens and the crush. Hillsborough: anatomy of a disaster Guardian The evidence built into a startling indictment of South Yorkshire police, their chain of command and conduct - a relentlessly detailed evisceration. [37], The report dismissed the theory, put forward by South Yorkshire Police, that fans attempting to gain entry without tickets or with forged tickets were contributing factors. [32], Meanwhile, Hillsborough was accepted as the FA Cup semi-final venue on 20 March 1989 by the Football Association. Liverpool is a handsome city with a tribal sense of community. [53] Anfield stadium was opened on the Sunday to allow fans to pay tribute to the dead. He faced no charge in respect of the death of Tony Bland, who died four years after the disaster. [320], In 1994 Roger Cook led an investigation into the Hillsborough disaster in a series 9 edition of The Cook Report entitled "Kevin's Mum". 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. Peter Caton 2012. Twenty-three years ago I was handed a piece of copy from a reputable news agency in Sheffield, in which a senior police officer and a senior local MP were making serious allegations against fans in the stadium. 'stelling them to ban FHM. 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". 'You'll never walk alone.'". It has taken more than two decades, 400,000 documents and a two-year inquiry to discover to my horror that it would have been far more accurate had I written the headline The Lies rather than The Truth. The crowd numbered more than 60,000, including around 6,000 Liverpool fans, and all the match proceeds went to the Hillsborough appeal fund. [290] Although the original apology was not printed in the magazine as it was not considered "serious enough",[291] its Australian editor, Geoff Campbell, released a statement: "We deeply regret the photograph captions published in the November issue of the Australian edition of FHM, accompanying an article about the Hillsborough disaster of 1989. In a post-match briefing to discuss the incident, Sheffield Wednesday chairman Bert McGee remarked: "Bollocksno one would have been killed". Fans were still streaming into pens 3 and 4 from the rear entrance tunnel as the match began. [145] Maria Eagle confirmed her understanding that WMP actions in this respect would be the subject of IPCC scrutiny. [228], A song was released to mark the 20th anniversary, entitled "Fields of Anfield Road" which peaked at No.
Police 'got away with' Hillsborough safety before disaster, inquest Andrew Devine, aged 22 at the time of the disaster, suffered similar injuries to Tony Bland and was also diagnosed as being in a persistent vegetative state. 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. Hillsborough disaster, incident in which a crush of football (soccer) fans ultimately resulted in 97 deaths and hundreds of injuries. [115] Falconer added: "It made the families in the Hillsborough disaster feel after one establishment cover-up, here was another. Lewis stopped the match at 3:05:30[44] as fans climbed the fence in an effort to escape the crush and went onto the track.
ITV's Anne: What happened at the Hillsborough disaster? - Yahoo! [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. [187] The inquiry was first headed by former Durham Chief Constable Jon Stoddart, and later by Assistant Commissioner Rob Beckley.