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. Resumed on 19 November 1990,[81] they proved to be controversial. About sharing . [71][72] The death toll reached 96 in March 1993, when artificial feeding and hydration were withdrawn from 22-year-old Tony Bland after nearly four years, during which time he had remained in a persistent vegetative state showing no sign of improvement. [257] In 1993, he told a House of Commons committee, "I regret Hillsborough. 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. [317], On 20 May 1989, five weeks after the disaster, Channel 4's After Dark programme broadcast an extended live discussion called "Football The Final Whistle?". [132] They also called for prosecutions for unlawful killing, corporate manslaughter and perversion of the course of justice in respect of the actions of the police both in causing the disaster and covering up their actions; and in respect of Sheffield Wednesday FC, Sheffield Council and the Football Association for their various responsibilities for providing, certifying and selecting the stadium for the fatal event. "[112] Therefore, evidence such as witness statements which had been altered were classed as inadmissible. [271], In February 2017, Liverpool F.C. 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. After the disaster's 20th anniversary in April 2009, supported by the Culture secretary, Andy Burnham, and Minister of State for Justice, Maria Eagle, the government asked the Home Office and Department of Culture, Media and Sport to investigate the best way for this information to be made public. Solicitor Peter Metcalf, former Chief Superintendent Donald Denton, and former Detective Chief Inspector Alan Foster were all charged with perverting the course of justice,[189][190] for having altered 68 police officers' statements in order to "mask the failings" of the police force. Blaming Liverpool fans persisted even after the Taylor Report of 1990, which found that the main cause was a failure of crowd control by SYP. [140], Following an application on 19 December 2012 by the Attorney General Dominic Grieve, the High Court quashed the verdicts in the original inquests and ordered fresh inquests to be held. Nor do I consider that there is any justification for setting up any further inquiry into the performance of the emergency and hospital services. Several British stadiums have a stand called "Spion Kop" or "The Kop". He added it would be like making jokes about the 2002 Bali bombings, in which eight fewer Australians were killed. [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. [294] Johnson apologised at the time of the article, travelling to Liverpool to do so,[295] and again following the publication of the report of the Hillsborough Independent Panel in 2012; Johnson's apology was rejected by Margaret Aspinall, chairperson of the Hillsborough Families Support Group, whose son James, 18, died in the disaster:[296]. "[220] A gospel choir performed and the ceremony ended with a rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone". In July 1992, the government announced a relaxation of the regulation for the lower two English leagues (known now as League One and League Two). 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. 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. After the verdicts Barry Devonside, who had lost his son, witnessed Popper hosting a celebration party with police officers. [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. Dean Davis and David Walters, South African Liverpool supporters, were responsible for the service and the bench was commissioned by Guy Prowse in 2008. It emphasised the general situation at Hillsborough was satisfactory compared with most grounds. [35], Three chartered trains transported Liverpool supporters to Sheffield for a match in 1988, but only one such train ran in 1989. Representatives of the 96 victims of the disaster stated that they would be asking for an independent review of the decision under the Right to Review Scheme. He said that he 'could not fathom why he didn't call us, other than he specifically did not want to hear our evidence, in which case the first inquests were coloured and flawed before they even started'. [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. 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 . A teenager who died in the Hillsborough disaster tried in vain to save her younger sister as the . This game was Liverpool's first appearance on the football field since the disaster two weeks earlier. They see themselves whenever possible as victims, and resent their victim status; yet at the same time they wallow in it. The Hillsborough inquest jury must answer a detailed questionnaire before delivering their verdicts. Popper said this was because the victims were either dead, or brain dead, by 3:15pm. A provisional trial date was set for 14January 2019,[196] on which date the trial started at Preston Crown Court before Mr Justice Openshaw. 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. [222][223] The Kop, Centenary and Main Stands were opened to the public before part of the Anfield Road End was opened to supporters. 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. It became still less likely when those on the track made no move towards the pitch. [148] The jury returned a verdict of unlawful killing in respect of all 96 victims (by majority verdict of 72). In total, ninety-seven people died as a result of injuries incurred during 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. [38] "There's gaps, you know, in parts of the ground. At a meeting in Liverpool with relatives of those involved in Hillsborough in October 1997, he flippantly remarked "Have you got a few of your people or are they like the Liverpool fans, turn up at the last minute? On the day of the match, radio and television broadcasters advised fans without tickets not to attend. Liverpool supporters were allocated the North and West ends (Leppings Lane), holding 24,256 fans, reached by 23 turnstiles from a narrow concourse. [206] An agreement was reached in the case in April 2021, but reporting restrictions were put in place due to the pending trial of Denton, Foster and Metcalf. [261][262] The Financial Times reported in 2019 that Merseyside sales were estimated to drop from 55,000 per day to 12,000 per day, an 80% decrease. Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation, 'The patronising disposition of unaccountable power' report. 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. AA17193/2431", "Times front page omitting Hillsborough changed after staff revolt", "We've been criticised today for not having Hillsborough on our first edition front page. Families believed that Popper was 'too close' to the police. ", "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? the total attitude was, youve identified number 33 so go! [102] Further that: "The anxiety to protect the sanctity of the pitch has caused insufficient attention to be paid to the risk of a crush due to overcrowding". The only one called was the Sheffield Wednesday club doctor. In its announcement, the IPCC praised the tenacity of the Hillsborough families' campaign for truth and justice. Thousands of fans visited and the stadium filled with flowers, scarves and other tributes. They always believed in us. 26 April 2016. Look down there. "[281], Professor Phil Scraton described Pearce's comments as amongst the "most bigoted and factually inaccurate" published in the wake of the disaster. All five were bailed to appear at the Crown Court in September. People presenting tickets at the wrong turnstiles and those who had been refused entry could not leave because of the crowd behind them and remained as an obstruction. Is there, perhaps, a lesson there for the Hillsborough campaigners? It is believed that an exit gate was opened to relieve crowds outside the turnstiles, which allowed over . Bettison had been one of a number of police officers who were accused of manipulating evidence by the Hillsborough Independent Panel. 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. Speaking after the disaster, Kelly backed all-seater stadiums, saying "We must move fans away from the ritual of standing on terraces". [66][67], By the disaster's 10th anniversary in 1999, at least three people who survived were known to have taken their own lives. [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". [170] In early October, Bettison announced his retirement, becoming the first senior figure to step down since publication of the panel's report.[171][172][173]. . After the two minutes' silence, bells on civic buildings rang out throughout Merseyside. The tragedy was largely attributed to mistakes made by the police. Supporters laid down flowers and blue and white scarves to show respect for the dead and unity with fellow Merseysiders. 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]. Hillsborough inquest: The 14 key questions the jury must answer trying to usher myself and my husband out . List of archive and library material relating to the disaster held at Sheffield City Council's Libraries and Archives. The 10th and 20th anniversaries were marked by special services to remember the victims.[214][215]. 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. The report stated that placing fans who were "merely unconscious" on their backs rather than in the recovery position, would have resulted in their deaths due to airway obstruction. It was a fundamental mistake. [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. Among the guests were bereaved father James Delaney and his wife Eileen, who said "they didnt give the poor people who were killed any dignity . No formal pleas were taken from the other four defendants. 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. Their views were not "the maverick view from a disaffected minority but the considered opinion of the majority of professionals present from the outset". Had it been reversed, the disaster could well have occurred in a similar manner but to Nottingham supporters". [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. [46]:137,138 As this declaration was not immediately performed, confusion reigned over those attempting to administer aid on the pitch. The Liverpool manager, Rafael Bentez, set 96 balloons free. [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." [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. Candles were lit for each of the 96 people who died. On 12 September 2012, it published its report and simultaneously launched a website containing 450,000 pages of material[116] collated from 85 organisations and individuals[117] over two years. The name, originally that of a hill in South Africa, usually refers to an unusually steep stand. [4] Following the Taylor Report, the Director of Public Prosecutions ruled there was no evidence to justify prosecution of any individuals or institutions. We had the media against us, as well as the establishment. [69] A total of 766 people were reported to have suffered injuries, among whom 300 were hospitalised. Hillsborough trial: 'Not enough' turnstiles at stadium - BBC News "[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". Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. He faced no charge in respect of the death of Tony Bland, who died four years after the disaster. Liverpool lodged a complaint before the match in 1989. [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. Duckenfield admitted that he had lied in certain statements regarding the causes of the disaster. Why are we treated like animals?' The publication was finally discontinued in 2016, for unrelated reasons. In a letter addressed to a victim's parent, Ingham wrote that the disaster was caused by "tanked up yobs". Two thousand traveling Liverpool away fans entered an already packed terrace via a . 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]. Now they are customers to be wooed and cosseted", "Deaths and Injuries at Major Accidents at British Football Stadiums", "Hillsborough families call for Sheffield Wednesday manslaughter inquiry", "How Bradford fire neglect left Hillsborough doomed to disaster", "Safety failings that contributed to death of 96 Liverpool fans were foreseeable", "Sheffield licensing officer from time of Hillsborough disaster still works for council", "Sky Blues fans recall Hillsborough choas", "Hillsborough warning signs were there in 1987", "David Bernstein makes unreserved apology for Hillsborough disaster", "Witness statement of Chief Superintendent Brian Mole, South Yorkshire Police", "Hillsborough inquest hears of police commander's transfer before match", "Hillsborough police officer in command 'had little training' for 1989 FA Cup", "4 Death on the Terraces: The Contexts and Injustices of the 1989 Hillsborough Disaster", "BBC Panorama 2013: Hillsborough Disaster. After the last verdict was read out, I decided to jot down a few thoughts. On 26July, the judge refused the prosecution's application for a retrial of Duckenfield. [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. The jury found they did not contribute to the danger unfolding at the turnstiles at the Leppings. [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. [191] The ruling also noted that the original statements had neither been destroyed, nor had they been ordered to be destroyed. The findings concluded that 164 witness statements had been altered. A boycott of advertisers by American Liverpool fans eventually brought about an apology from him. The entrance had a limited number of turnstiles, of which just seven . Hon. 'Why us? 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. Mackenzie reportedly spent two hours deciding on which headline to run; his original instinct being for "You Scum" before eventually deciding on "The Truth". [107] Chester City F.C. 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. 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. 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. I had absolutely no reason to believe that these authority figures would lie and deceive over such a disaster. [250][251] The Daily Express also carried Patnick's version, under the headline "Police Accuse Drunken Fans" which gave Patnick's views, saying he had told Margaret Thatcher, while escorting her on a tour of the ground after the disaster, of the "mayhem caused by drunks" and that policemen told him they were "hampered, harassed, punched and kicked". A memorial garden in Hillsborough Park with a 'You'll never walk alone' gateway. [119] In April 2009, the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced she had requested secret files concerning the disaster be made public.[120]. Chief Superintendent Mole himself was to be transferred to the Barnsley division for "career development reasons". THE HILLSBOROUGH STADIUM DISASTER 15 APRIL 1989 INQUIRY BY THE RT HON LORD JUSTICE TAYLOR INTERIM REPORT Presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for the Home Department by Command of Her Majesty August 1989 LONDON HER MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE CONTENTS This work is licensed under the United Kingdom Open Government Licence v1.0 . Human crush during the 1989 FA Cup semi-final. [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. As a result of the disaster, Liverpool's scheduled match against Arsenal was delayed from 23April until the end of the season, and the game eventually decided the league title. [241] The Sheffield Star published similar allegations to The Sun, running the headline "Fans in Drunken Attacks on Police". A police officer ordinarily made a visual assessment before guiding fans to other pens. [321], On the 20th anniversary of the disaster, BBC Radio 4 produced an episode of their series The Reunion on the subject of Hillsborough. The film was aired for the first time in 1996, and has been shown four times since then: in 1998, in 2009, in September 2012 (shortly after the release of the findings of the Hillsborough Independent Panel), and again on 1May 2016 on ITV. Hillsborough Disaster - YouTube 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. 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. . Trevor Hicks, whose two daughters had been killed, described the verdicts as 'lawful' but 'immoral'.[83]. Fans were still streaming into pens 3 and 4 from the rear entrance tunnel as the match began. The death of two witnesses and contradictions in the evidence of others were cited as part of the reason for the decision. [94] Further stating: "South Yorkshire Police were not prepared to concede they were in any respect at fault in what occurred. 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. [70] On 19 April, the death toll reached 95 when 14-year-old Lee Nicol died in hospital after being taken off life support. He was omitted from the first team squad and never played for the club in any capacity again. The right course of action is to withdraw this edition from salewhich we will be doing. 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. 14 in the UK charts.[229]. How and when all 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster died . Nobody really had any comment on itthey just took one look and went away shaking their heads in wonder at the enormity of it. [191], On 9 August 2017, all except Duckenfield appeared at Warrington Magistrates Court. [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. 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. [115] Falconer added: "It made the families in the Hillsborough disaster feel after one establishment cover-up, here was another. [272] On the night of the verdict coverage, more than 124,000 tweets used the term The Sun. Published. [179], On 12 July 2013, it was reported that the IPCC had found that in addition to the now 164 police statements known to have been altered, a further 55 police officers had changed their statements. People are very upset by it. [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.