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They will have to answer 14 key questions about the disaster . [271], In February 2017, Liverpool F.C. In April 2016, a private prosecution was launched on behalf of victims' relatives against both SYP and the West Midlands Police force (who had investigated the actions of SYP), alleging a concerted cover-up designed to shift blame away from the police. The transfer was to be done with immediate effect on 27 March 1989. On 14 May, more than 20,000 people packed Anfield for a match held in memory of the victims. [7] Families disputed the findings,[4] and fought to have the case re-opened. [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. [268], On 12 September 2012, after the publication of the report exonerating the Liverpool fans, MacKenzie issued the following statement:[269]. A quotation, attributed to an unnamed policeman, claimed a partially unclothed dead girl had been verbally abused, and that Liverpool fans were "openly urinating on us and the bodies of the dead". Chief Superintendent Mole himself was to be transferred to the Barnsley division for "career development reasons". [46]:149 Out of this number, two managed of their own accord to make their way onto the pitchwhile a third ambulance made its way onto the pitch at the direction of DCAO Hopkins, who felt its visibility might allay crowd concerns. [89] Phillips stated that the exclusion of their evidence was a 'serious error of judgement' by Popper. MacKenzie maintained for years that his "only mistake was to believe a Tory MP". [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. They organised a sensible compensation scheme and moved on. I published in good faith and I am sorry that it was so wrong. [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). 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. In its announcement, the IPCC praised the tenacity of the Hillsborough families' campaign for truth and justice. [119] In April 2009, the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced she had requested secret files concerning the disaster be made public.[120]. He was suspended from the club for a fortnight and many fans felt he should not play for the club again. 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. They both gave evidence at the 2016 Warrington inquests. [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". Share page. This is an edited extract from 'The Hillsborough Disaster: In Their Own Words . 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]. [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. The referee blew his whistle two minutes into the game to stop play and a minute's silence was held for those who lost their lives at Hillsborough. followed in April 2017 on the eve of the 28th anniversary of the disaster after a column by Kelvin MacKenzie concerning Everton footballer Ross Barkley. [240], Initial media coveragespurred by what Phil Scraton calls in Hillsborough: The Truth "the Heysel factor" and "hooligan hysteria"began to shift the blame onto the behaviour of the Liverpool fans at the stadium, making it a public order issue. It was held that claimants who watched the disaster on television/listened on radio were not 'proximal' and their claims were rejected. Preview of my documentary about the effects since the hillsborough disaster regarding safety at football matches.Full Documentary at;http://video.google.co.u. [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. The Hillsborough inquest jury must answer a detailed questionnaire before delivering their verdicts. The publication was finally discontinued in 2016, for unrelated reasons. [91], After the disaster, Lord Justice Taylor was appointed to conduct an inquiry into the events. [T]here was no effective leadership either from control or on the pitch to harness and organise rescue efforts. 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. In response, Trevor Hicks, chairman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, rejected MacKenzie's apology as "too little, too late", calling him "lowlife, clever lowlife, but lowlife". [307], In June 2014, an unnamed 24-year-old British civil servant was sacked for posting offensive comments about the disaster on Wikipedia. The Crown Prosecution Service subsequently dropped all charges against one of the defendants. A Leeds fan described disorganisation at the turnstiles and no steward or police direction inside the stadium, resulting in the crowd in one enclosure becoming so compressed he was at times unable to raise and clap his hands. Burnham, by then the Sports Minister, addressed the crowd but was heckled by supporters chanting "Justice for the 96". [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. They just don't want their names in any more sleaze. [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. The anniversary was also marked by a minute's silence at the weekend's league games and FA Cup semi-finals. These were formally given to the inquests at 11:00 on 26 April 2016. However, MacKenzie did not accept any personal responsibility for the story. The prosecution ended on 24July 2000, when Murray was acquitted and the jury was unable to reach a verdict in the case of Duckenfield. Stand Up Sit Down A Choice to Watch Football. A combination of economic misfortuneits docks were, fundamentally, on the wrong side of England when Britain entered what is now the European Unionand an excessive predilection for welfarism have created a peculiar, and deeply unattractive, psyche among many Liverpudlians. The findings concluded that 164 witness statements had been altered. Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation, 'The patronising disposition of unaccountable power' report. 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. The Hillsborough Stadium Disaster Inquiry report is the report of an inquiry which was overseen by Lord Justice Taylor, into the causes of the Hillsborough disaster in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, on 15 April 1989, as a result of which, at the time of the report, 95 Liverpool F.C. 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. [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. The disaster took place on April 15, 1989 - so today marks 33 years since the incident. How the Hillsborough disaster unfolded. [17] From 1974, when these security standards were put in place, crushes occurred in several English stadiums. 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. I had absolutely no reason to believe that these authority figures would lie and deceive over such a disaster. Some ambulance crew did take equipment when they left their vehicle, but there was no systematic direction to do so, not all did, and none initially had been given any information about the situation inside the stadium. [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. [77] Jon-Paul Gilhooley, aged 10, was the youngest person to die. [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. The Hillsborough disaster was a fatal human crush during a football match at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, on 15 April 1989. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. [241] The Sheffield Star published similar allegations to The Sun, running the headline "Fans in Drunken Attacks on Police". "[281], Professor Phil Scraton described Pearce's comments as amongst the "most bigoted and factually inaccurate" published in the wake of the disaster. 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. [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. I have considered the circumstances in which alterations were made to some of the self-written statements of South Yorkshire Police officers, but I do not consider that there is any occasion for any further investigation. [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". Consequently, a course of public justice could not have been perverted. [32], Meanwhile, Hillsborough was accepted as the FA Cup semi-final venue on 20 March 1989 by the Football Association. In a post-match briefing to discuss the incident, Sheffield Wednesday chairman Bert McGee remarked: "Bollocksno one would have been killed". [272] On the night of the verdict coverage, more than 124,000 tweets used the term The Sun. Gerrard has said the disaster inspired him to lead the team he supported as a boy and become a top professional football player. 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. [203], In response to the acquittals, Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg called the lack of accountability over Hillsborough "the greatest scandal of British policing of our lifetimes". [13] They ruled that the supporters were unlawfully killed owing to grossly negligent failures by police and ambulance services to fulfil their duty of care. [56], The FA chief executive Graham Kelly, who had attended the match, said the FA would conduct an inquiry into what had happened. By this time, a small gate in the fence had been forced open and some fans escaped via this route, as others continued to climb over the fencing. They have no shame", "I live in a part of England that receives first edition of The Times. [242][243], In other regional newspapers, the Manchester Evening News wrote that the "Anfield Army charged on to the terrace behind the goalmany without tickets", and the Yorkshire Post wrote that the "trampling crush" had been started by "thousands of fans" who were "latecomers forc[ing] their way into the ground". [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. Following the findings of the Independent Panel in September 2012, Alex Ferguson and two Manchester United fan groups called for an end to the "sick chants". The error staring them in the face was too glaring. Lord Justice Taylor, Interim Report (Cm 765), The Hillsborough Stadium Disaster, 15 April 1989: Inquiry by the Rt. Why are we treated like animals?' Nor do I consider that there is any justification for setting up any further inquiry into the performance of the emergency and hospital services. Hundreds of people were pressed against one another and the fencing by the weight of the crowd behind them. [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. 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. [263] Chris Horrie estimated in 2014 that the tabloid's owners had lost 15million per month since the disaster, in 1989 prices. Copy link. On the day of the match, radio and television broadcasters advised fans without tickets not to attend. [43], South Yorkshire Police Superintendent Greenwood (the ground commander) realised the situation, and ran on the field to gain referee Ray Lewis's attention. [3] The match was abandoned and restaged at Old Trafford in Manchester on 7 May 1989; Liverpool won and went on to win that season's FA Cup. [39] The police at first attempted to stop fans from spilling out of the pens, some believing this to be a pitch invasion. Supporters laid down flowers and blue and white scarves to show respect for the dead and unity with fellow Merseysiders. Mole. Dean Davis and David Walters, South African Liverpool supporters, were responsible for the service and the bench was commissioned by Guy Prowse in 2008. Fans were still streaming into pens 3 and 4 from the rear entrance tunnel as the match began. The report said "When spectators first appeared on the track, the immediate assumption in the control room was that a pitch invasion was threatened. We have been in contact with the Hillsborough Family Support Group and the Hillsborough Justice Campaign to express our deep regret and sincere apologies. The Spectator's comments were widely circulated following the April 2016 verdict by the Hillsborough inquest's second hearing proving unlawful killing of the 96 dead at Hillsborough. Families believed that Popper was 'too close' to the police. 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? . A boycott of advertisers by American Liverpool fans eventually brought about an apology from him. He concluded that this formed an exacerbating factor but that police, seeking to rationalise their loss of control, overestimated the element of drunkenness in the crowd. An additional three victims came from Sheffield with two more living in counties adjacent to South Yorkshire. [94] Attention was focused on the decision to open the secondary gates; moreover, the kick-off should have been delayed, as had been done at other venues and matches. When he presented his report in February 1998, he concluded that there was insufficient evidence for a new inquiry into the disaster. Possibly connected to the excitement, a surge in pen 3 caused one of its metal crush barriers to give way. Williams was portrayed by Maxine Peake, whose performance was described in The Guardian as "almost unwatchably intense".[327]. [53] Anfield stadium was opened on the Sunday to allow fans to pay tribute to the dead. the total attitude was, youve identified number 33 so go! [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". [222][223] The Kop, Centenary and Main Stands were opened to the public before part of the Anfield Road End was opened to supporters. "[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". Hillsborough disaster, incident in which a crush of football (soccer) fans ultimately resulted in 97 deaths and hundreds of injuries. 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. Hillsborough first aired in the US on 15April 2014, the 25th anniversary of the disaster. [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.