[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". 15 April 1989. 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]. His remarks led to Liverpool F.C. 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. At the rescheduled fixture, Arsenal players brought flowers onto the pitch and presented them to the Liverpool fans around the stadium before the game commenced. Two thousand traveling Liverpool away fans entered an already packed terrace via a . 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. Today I offer my profuse apologies to the people of Liverpool for that headline. ", "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. [232] Supporters of Everton, Liverpool's traditional local rivals, were affected, many of them having lost friends and family. [4], Police disciplinary charges were abandoned when Duckenfield retired on health grounds and, because Murray was unavailable, it was decided not to proceed with disciplinary charges against him. MacKenzie was suspended as a contributor to the newspaper. [52], Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Home Secretary Douglas Hurd visited Hillsborough the day after the disaster and met survivors. 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. Representation Construction: The Hillsborough Disaster The turnstiles didn't seem to be letting people through very quickly, and the crowd was really building up. [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. 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. They organised a sensible compensation scheme and moved on. and 25,000 each from the cities of Liverpool, Sheffield, and Nottingham. "[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". We have been in contact with the Hillsborough Family Support Group and the Hillsborough Justice Campaign to express our deep regret and sincere apologies. Hillsborough: the truth about the causes of the disaster [78] The oldest person to die at Hillsborough was 67-year-old Gerard Baron, an older brother of former Liverpool player Kevin Baron. 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. [43], South Yorkshire Police Superintendent Greenwood (the ground commander) realised the situation, and ran on the field to gain referee Ray Lewis's attention. "[112] He later apologised for his remark, saying it was not intended to offend. Other fans were pulled to safety by fans in the West Stand above the Leppings Lane terrace. 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. [162] Groome also claimed that match commander Duckenfield was a member of the "highly influential" Dole lodge in Sheffield (the same lodge as Brian Mole, his predecessor). A teenager who died in the Hillsborough disaster tried in vain to save her younger sister as the . It made recommendations on the safety of crowds penned within fences,[21] including that "all exit gates should be manned at all times and capable of being opened immediately from the inside by anyone in an emergency".[22]. 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. [169] West Yorkshire Police announced it would refer its Chief Constable, Norman Bettison, to the IPCC in mid-September. 14 in the UK charts.[229]. [119] An archive of all relevant documentation would be created and a report produced within two years explaining the work of the panel and its conclusions. Boycotts include both customers refusing to purchase it, and retailers refusing to stock it. 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. 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). [191], On 9 August 2017, all except Duckenfield appeared at Warrington Magistrates Court. Liverpool players Ronnie Whelan, Steve Nicol, and former manager Joe Fagan carried the communion bread and wine. It also produced two criminal investigations led by police in 2012: Operation Resolve to look into the causes of the disaster, and by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) to examine actions by police in the aftermath. 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. . A third legal case which resulted from the Hillsborough disaster was Airedale N.H.S. [216] Following on from (and out of respect for) the Hillsborough families' decision to conclude official memorials at Anfield with a final service in 2016,[217] it was decided not to hold any further memorials at Spion Kop. [115] Falconer added: "It made the families in the Hillsborough disaster feel after one establishment cover-up, here was another. The remaining 14 victims lived in other parts of England. After the last verdict was read out, I decided to jot down a few thoughts. After the two minutes' silence, bells on civic buildings rang out throughout Merseyside. South Yorkshire Police had performed blood alcohol tests on the victims, some of them children, and ran computer checks on the national police database in an attempt to "impugn their reputation". 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. Liverpool won the match by four goals to nil.[237]. During the episode car mechanic Minty said: "Five years out of Europe because of Heysel, because they penned you lot in to stop you fighting on the pitch and then what did we end up with? [33], Opposing supporters were segregated, as is common at domestic matches in England. Another survivor had spent eight years in psychiatric care. Deborah Glass, deputy chair of the IPCC said, "We know the people who have contacted us are the tip of the iceberg." Pearce went on to reflect that if South Yorkshire Police bore any responsibility, it was "for not realising what brutes they had to handle. Copy link. [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 system of ferrying injured from any location within the stadium to the CRP required a formal declaration to be made by those in charge for it to take effect. No known minutes exist of this meeting. [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. [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. 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. "[281], Professor Phil Scraton described Pearce's comments as amongst the "most bigoted and factually inaccurate" published in the wake of the disaster. The jury saw CCTV images of the girls and their father going through the turnstiles at 13:53. Hillsborough disaster: Questions and answers of the inquest - Yahoo! Holes in the perimeter fencing were made by fans desperately attempting to rescue others. His column in The Sunday Times on 23 April 1989, included the text:[280]. List of archive and library material relating to the disaster held at Sheffield City Council's Libraries and Archives. 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. [126][127], The panel noted that, despite being dismissed by the Taylor Report, the idea that alcohol contributed to the disaster proved remarkably durable. [148][306] Following continued criticism of Crompton in the wake of the unlawful killing verdict, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Alan Billings suspended Crompton from duty on 27April 2016. Mackrell pleaded not guilty to the charge against him. The disaster has been acknowledged on 15April every year by the community in Liverpool and football in general. [187] The inquiry was first headed by former Durham Chief Constable Jon Stoddart, and later by Assistant Commissioner Rob Beckley. [271], Following the April 2016 verdict of unlawful killing, The Sun and the first print edition of the Times (both owned by News International), did not cover the stories on their front pages, with The Sun relegating the story to pages 8 and 9. Liverpool is a handsome city with a tribal sense of community. Everything was against us. [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. [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. 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. [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. The anniversary "comes 12 days after a jury at Preston . 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. Gerrard has said the disaster inspired him to lead the team he supported as a boy and become a top professional football player. 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. The 10th and 20th anniversaries were marked by special services to remember the victims.[214][215]. [165] During the inquests, Duckenfield confirmed that he became a Freemason in 1975 and became Worshipful Master of his local lodge in 1990, a year after the disaster; following this revelation, Freemasons were forbidden to take part in the IPCC investigation and Operation Resolve as civilian investigators to prevent any perceived bias. [99] However, on the day of the disaster, "by 2:52pm when gate C was opened, pens 3 and 4 were over-full [] to allow any more into those pens was likely to cause injuries; to allow in a large stream was courting disaster". [46]:137,138 As this declaration was not immediately performed, confusion reigned over those attempting to administer aid on the pitch. [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". [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. Of those statements, 116 were amended to remove or change negative comments about South Yorkshire Police. [166][167][168], Following the inquests verdicts, South Yorkshire police announced it would refer the actions of its officers to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). . 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. [29] Other accounts told of fans having to be pulled to safety from above. [110] By 2:45pm, 5,531 fans had passed through the turnstiles into the terrace. The 96 people who died at the Hillsborough football stadium disaster in 1989 were unlawfully killed and a catalogue of failings by police and the ambulance services contributed to their deaths,. [84] Relatives later failed to have the inquests reopened to allow more scrutiny of police actions and closer examination of the circumstances of individual cases. In December 2009, Home Secretary Alan Johnson said the Hillsborough Independent Panel's remit would be to oversee "full public disclosure of relevant government and local information within the limited constraints set out in the disclosure protocol" and "consult with the Hillsborough families to ensure that the views of those most affected by the disaster are taken into account". [243], On 19 April, four days after the disaster, Kelvin MacKenzie, editor of The Sun, ordered "The Truth" as the front-page headline, followed by three sub-headlines: "Some fans picked pockets of victims", "Some fans urinated on the brave cops" and "Some fans beat up PC giving kiss of life". [221], The event was remembered with a ceremony at Anfield attended by over 28,000 people. [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. Ninety-four people, aged from 10 to 67 years old, died on the day, either at the stadium, in the ambulances, or shortly after arrival at hospital. [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." 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. 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. Thousands of fans visited and the stadium filled with flowers, scarves and other tributes. 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. 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". Wednesday 6 April 2016, 4:11pm. The event also raised cash for the Marina Dalglish Appeal which was contributed towards a radiotherapy centre at University Hospital in Aintree.[230][231]. [148] The jury returned a verdict of unlawful killing in respect of all 96 victims (by majority verdict of 72). [1] This resulted in overcrowding of those pens and the crush. Human crush during the 1989 FA Cup semi-final. On the day of the match, radio and television broadcasters advised fans without tickets not to attend. [55], At Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, a requiem mass attended by 3,000 people was held by the Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool, Derek Worlock. Mackenzie reportedly spent two hours deciding on which headline to run; his original instinct being for "You Scum" before eventually deciding on "The Truth". Fans were still streaming into pens 3 and 4 from the rear entrance tunnel as the match began. [4] In 2009 a Hillsborough Independent Panel was formed to review the evidence. It was performed by Lord Justice Stuart-Smith. "[112] Therefore, evidence such as witness statements which had been altered were classed as inadmissible. [260], Widespread boycotts of the newspaper throughout Merseyside followed immediately and continue to this day. 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. [66][67], By the disaster's 10th anniversary in 1999, at least three people who survived were known to have taken their own lives. They have no shame", "I live in a part of England that receives first edition of The Times. "[255], In their history of The Sun, Peter Chippendale and Chris Horrie wrote:[256]. [133], Calls were made for the resignation of police officers involved in the cover-up, and for Sheffield Wednesday, the police and the Football Association to admit their blame. The safety certificate was never renewed and the stated capacity of the stadium was never changed. 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. [20], Risks associated with confining fans in pens were highlighted by the Committee of Inquiry into Crowd Safety at Sports Grounds (the Popplewell inquiry) after the Bradford City stadium fire in May 1985. [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". [252], The story accompanying The Sun headlines claimed "drunken Liverpool fans viciously attacked rescue workers as they tried to revive victims" and "police officers, firemen and ambulance crew were punched, kicked and urinated upon". A total of 42 ambulances arrived at the stadium. The crushing occurred during a match at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, England, on April 15, 1989. [288] However, insiders dismissed any suggestion that a visit by News UK owner Rupert Murdoch to the Times newsroom on the day of the verdict had anything to do with the editorial decision. What Happened At Hillsborough? How The Disaster Unfolded How They Buried the Truth", "Bruce Grobbelaar: I heard the crowd at Hillsborough cry 'Please help us..', "Senior police officer did not step in, Hillsborough trial hears", "Key Hillsborough Evidence Backed By TV Footage", "Ambulanceman's Struggle to Live with Decisions Made on Pitch at Hillsborough", "Hillsborough: New Probe Backs Crucial Evidence", "Ambulances Got 'Stuck' As They Tried to Enter Hillsborough Stadium, Inquests Hear", "Police to face inquiry as questions go unanaswered", "Liverpool resists pressure to make decision on FA Cup", "Soccer rivals united in grief as church bells toll", "MPs urge Hurd to introduce safety gates into 'killer cages', "Feature: It's Up For Grabs Now The 20th Anniversary Of Anfield 1989", "A random sample of letters from public, schools and clubs reflecting the nature of donations to the disaster appeal fund", "College course developed with funds from the Hillsborough Disaster Appeal Fund goes from strength to strength", "The Official Charts Company Ferry Cross The Mersey by Gerry Marsden, Paul McCartney, Holly Johnson, The Christians and Stock Aitken Waterman Search", "Hillsborough: Brian Reade on the day that changed football forever", "Mum pays tribute to teenage Hillsborough victim Lee Nicol from Smollett Street Bootle", "James Milner's Hillsborough Liverpool Champions League", "A statement from the family of Andrew Devine", "Steven Brown, 25 Hillsborough 96 Hillsborough Remembered", "Peter Thompson, 30 Hillsborough 96 Hillsborough Remembered", "Steven Gerrard says death of his cousin at Hillsborough was biggest inspiration", "Hillsborough's '97th victim' remembered", "Hillsborough: how stories of disaster police were altered", "Timeline of a 27 year fight for the truth after the Hillsborough disaster", "Judgement of Divisional Court, 5 November 1993 application to quash the Inquest verdicts of six of the Hillsborough victims", "European court blow for mother of Hillsborough victim", "Two doctors who criticised Hillsborough ambulance response speak of "vindication" after inquests", "The two doctors who criticised the Hillsborough ambulance response", "Football: Long haul to implement Taylor Report", "The Architects Journal:Building Study (September 1993)", "The Stuart Smith Scrutiny Hillsborough Football Disaster", "Scrutiny of Evidence Relating to the Hillsborough Football Stadium Disaster", "Hillsborough inquiry by Blair government criticised", "Hillsborough Independent Panel: Disclosed Material and Report | Home page", "Organisations and people whose material has been reviewed", "Hillsborough panel set to publish report on 1989 disaster", "Who are the members of the Hillsborough Independent Panel? The cast included Christopher Eccleston, Annabelle Apsion, Ricky Tomlinson and Mark Womack. [268], On 12 September 2012, after the publication of the report exonerating the Liverpool fans, MacKenzie issued the following statement:[269]. Ofcom also received 177 complaints. [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. [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. To which the plain answer is that a good and sufficient minority of you behave like animals. The Football Spectators Act does not cover Scotland, but the Scottish Premier League chose to make all-seater stadiums a requirement of league membership. [96] He said that "the Operational Order and police tactics on the day failed to provide for controlling a concentrated arrival of large numbers should that occur in a short period. [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.
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