He faced no charge in respect of the death of Tony Bland, who died four years after the disaster. [69] A total of 766 people were reported to have suffered injuries, among whom 300 were hospitalised. [15], Hillsborough Stadium had been constructed in 1899 to house Sheffield Wednesday. 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". [52], Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Home Secretary Douglas Hurd visited Hillsborough the day after the disaster and met survivors. A police officer ordinarily made a visual assessment before guiding fans to other pens. 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. was played at Celtic Park, Glasgow, between the home club and Liverpool. "[314][315] There have since been calls to have Ingham stripped of his knighthood. A lengthier apology was published online. Bibliography of over 150 books, journal articles, TV programmes and websites relating to the Disaster and its aftermath produced by Sheffield City Council's Archives Service. They just don't want their names in any more sleaze. The jury in the Hillsborough inquest were given a detailed questionnaire to answer about the April 1989 disaster. [227], Other services took place at the same time, including at the Anglican Liverpool Cathedral and the Roman Catholic Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral. [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. [4] In 2009 a Hillsborough Independent Panel was formed to review the evidence. [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". [26], Liverpool and Nottingham Forest met in the semi-final at Hillsborough in 1988, and fans reported crushing at the Leppings Lane end. [4] Following the Taylor Report, the Director of Public Prosecutions ruled there was no evidence to justify prosecution of any individuals or institutions. 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'. Deborah Glass, deputy chair of the IPCC said, "We know the people who have contacted us are the tip of the iceberg." It was performed by Lord Justice Stuart-Smith. [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. 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. How the Hillsborough disaster unfolded. [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. This included the Wolverhampton-based Express & Star, which reported that the match had been cancelled as a result of a "pitch invasion in which many fans were injured". [222][223] The Kop, Centenary and Main Stands were opened to the public before part of the Anfield Road End was opened to supporters. A memorial stone in the pavement on the south side of Liverpool's Anglican cathedral. It was a 'classic smear'. The findings concluded that 164 witness statements had been altered. 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? [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". The anniversary "comes 12 days after a jury at Preston . [35], Three chartered trains transported Liverpool supporters to Sheffield for a match in 1988, but only one such train ran in 1989. The occasion was the first in which the two teams had met since the 1985 Bradford City stadium fire that had claimed 56 lives at Valley Parade. The disaster has been acknowledged on 15April every year by the community in Liverpool and football in general. 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. Liverpool players Ronnie Whelan, Steve Nicol, and former manager Joe Fagan carried the communion bread and wine. [241] The Sheffield Star published similar allegations to The Sun, running the headline "Fans in Drunken Attacks on Police". The ceremony was held on the Spion Kop Battlefield which gave its name to the Kop Stand at Anfield. Hillsborough families called for the payments to be frozen during the IPCC investigation. [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". [129], Subsequent apologies were released by Prime Minister David Cameron on behalf of the government,[9] Ed Miliband on behalf of the opposition,[130] Sheffield Wednesday Football Club, South Yorkshire Police, and former editor of The Sun, Kelvin MacKenzie, who apologised for making false accusations under the headline "The Truth". Match commander Duckenfield decided to open a gate into the stadium to alleviate pressure at the turnstiles . . Mackrell pleaded not guilty to the charge against him. Pearce went on to reflect that if South Yorkshire Police bore any responsibility, it was "for not realising what brutes they had to handle. 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 equipment was no use on the ambulance vehicle when critical early resuscitation was taking place some distance away on the pitch, behind the Leppings Lane end and in the gymnasium. Perimeter and lateral fencing was removed and many top stadiums were converted to all-seated. Other fans were pulled to safety by fans in the West Stand above the Leppings Lane terrace. That was after the IPCC's Hillsborough Contact team had received 230 pieces of correspondence since October 2012. Over 4,000 were still outside, crammed tightly around the turnstiles and in the holding area. [234][235] In April 1989, Bradford City and Lincoln City held a friendly match to benefit the victims of Hillsborough. [103], Regarding the decision to allocate Liverpool spectators to the West and North Ends, Taylor stated "I do not consider choice of ends was causative of the disaster. The T-shirt was red with white details like a Liverpool shirt, and had the number 96 on the back like a football shirt, with the text "Karma" and "What goes around comes back around", and a white rose, as associated with Yorkshire. The entrance had a limited number of turnstiles, of which just seven . They both gave evidence at the 2016 Warrington inquests. 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. 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. [115] Falconer added: "It made the families in the Hillsborough disaster feel after one establishment cover-up, here was another. I think there will be a real boycott." After the crush in 1981, Hillsborough was not chosen to host an FA Cup semi-final for six years until 1987. Andrew Devine, 55, died on Tuesday, his family said in a statement released by Liverpool FC. [271], In February 2017, Liverpool F.C. 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. [39] Those still trapped in the pens were packed so tightly that many victims died of compressive asphyxia while standing. The record was produced by Stock Aitken Waterman and featured Liverpool musicians Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden (of the Pacemakers), Holly Johnson, and The Christians. Let's be honest about thispeople were against us. 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. (Everyone in the office) seemed paralysed"looking like rabbits in the headlights"as one hack described them. Williams was portrayed by Maxine Peake, whose performance was described in The Guardian as "almost unwatchably intense".[327]. The 10th and 20th anniversaries were marked by special services to remember the victims.[214][215]. Popper's decision regarding the cut-off time was subsequently endorsed by the Divisional Court who considered it to have been justified in the light of the medical evidence available to him. A boycott of advertisers by American Liverpool fans eventually brought about an apology from him. "[112] He later apologised for his remark, saying it was not intended to offend. From 2007, an annual Hillsborough Memorial service was held at Spion Kop, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. [134][135][136][137] Calls were also made for Sir Dave Richards to resign as chairman of the Premier League and give up his knighthood as a result of his conduct at Sheffield Wednesday at the time of the disaster. "[30], Police presence at the previous year's FA Cup semi-final (also between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest and also at Hillsborough Stadium) had been overseen by Chief Superintendent Brian L. When he presented his report in February 1998, he concluded that there was insufficient evidence for a new inquiry into the disaster. [94], Lord Taylor noted with regard to the performance of the senior police officers in command that "neither their handling of the problems on the day nor their account of it in evidence showed the qualities of leadership to be expected of their rank". On 12 September 2012, the Hillsborough Independent Panel concluded that no Liverpool fans were responsible in any way for the disaster,[122] and that its main cause was a "lack of police control". List of archive and library material relating to the disaster held at Sheffield City Council's Libraries and Archives. [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. The panel concluded that "up to 41" of the 96 who had died up to that date, might have survived had the emergency services' reactions and co-ordination been better. 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 event also raised cash for the Marina Dalglish Appeal which was contributed towards a radiotherapy centre at University Hospital in Aintree.[230][231]. [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". It was a fundamental mistake. The lingering effects of the disaster were seen as a cause, or contributory factor, in all of these.[68]. Mackenzie reportedly spent two hours deciding on which headline to run; his original instinct being for "You Scum" before eventually deciding on "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. [163] Coroner Sir John Goldring warned the jury that there was "not a shred of evidence" that any Masonic meeting actually took place, or that those named were all Freemasons,[164] advising the jury to cast aside "gossip and hearsay". I do not consider that there is any material which should be put before the Director of Public Prosecutions or the Police Complaints Authority which might cause them to reconsider the decisions they have already taken. . Human crush during the 1989 FA Cup semi-final. Fans were still streaming into pens 3 and 4 from the rear entrance tunnel as the match began. The editor at the time, Dominic Mohan, wrote: "We published an inaccurate and offensive story about the events at Hillsborough. [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. It's too little, too late. donation was the amount the club would have received (as its share of the match income) had the semi-final gone ahead as planned. Of those statements, 116 were amended to remove or change negative comments about South Yorkshire Police. On the day after the verdicts were reached, the Home Secretary, Theresa May, made a statement to Parliament which included the verdicts of the jury to the fourteen questions they had been asked regarding the roles of South Yorkshire police, the South Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service, Sheffield Wednesday football club and Hillsborough stadium's engineers and two specific questions specific relating to the time and cause of death for each of the dead. [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. After the last verdict was read out, I decided to jot down a few thoughts. The request to delay the start of the match by 20 minutes was declined. He said of the Bradford families: "They did not harbour conspiracy theories. By 22 October 2012, the names of at least 1,444 serving and former police officers had been referred to the IPCC investigation. Liverpool won the match by four goals to nil.[237]. She unsuccessfully appealed to the European Court of Human Rights in 2009. [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. "[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. [200] On 28November 2019, Duckenfield was found not guilty of gross negligence manslaughter. Although Liverpool had more supporters, Nottingham Forest was allocated the larger area, to avoid the approach routes of rival fans crossing. Holes in the perimeter fencing were made by fans desperately attempting to rescue others. Resumed on 19 November 1990,[81] they proved to be controversial. [228], A song was released to mark the 20th anniversary, entitled "Fields of Anfield Road" which peaked at No. Nor do I consider that there is any justification for setting up any further inquiry into the performance of the emergency and hospital services. 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. Another survivor had spent eight years in psychiatric care. MacKenzie was suspended as a contributor to the newspaper. After a 27-year campaign by victims' families, the behaviour of Liverpool fans was exonerated. [313] In another letter written to a Liverpool supporter, also written in 1996, Ingham remarked that people should "shut up about Hillsborough". [42] People entering were unaware of the problems at the fence; police or stewards usually stood at the entrance to the tunnel and, when the central pens reached capacity, directed fans to the side pens, but on this occasion, for reasons not fully explained, they did not. trying to usher myself and my husband out . The intensity of the crush broke more crush barriers on the terraces. The Hillsborough disaster was a fatal human crush during a football match at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, on 15 April 1989. 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. [56], The FA chief executive Graham Kelly, who had attended the match, said the FA would conduct an inquiry into what had happened. Merseyside Police Authority confirmed that Bettison would receive an 83,000 pension, unless convicted of a criminal offence. [4][8] Reporting in 2012, it confirmed Taylor's 1990 criticisms and revealed details about the extent of police efforts to shift blame onto fans, the role of other emergency services and the error of the first coroner's inquests. There was insufficient evidence against the police officer to charge him with the offence. [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). 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. The first reading was read by Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar. Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool's manager at the time of the disaster, read a passage from the Bible, "Lamentations of Jeremiah". Other members were:[121]. [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". [1] This resulted in overcrowding of those pens and the crush. ", "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. [17] From 1974, when these security standards were put in place, crushes occurred in several English stadiums. [268], On 12 September 2012, after the publication of the report exonerating the Liverpool fans, MacKenzie issued the following statement:[269]. In paragraph 5 of his summary, Lord Justice Stuart-Smith said:[113]. The crushing occurred during a match at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, England, on April 15, 1989. The transfer was to be done with immediate effect on 27 March 1989. Former Chief Inspector Sir Norman Bettinson faced four counts of misconduct in public office. His remarks led to Liverpool F.C. [119] In April 2009, the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced she had requested secret files concerning the disaster be made public.[120]. Hillsborough." I had to scream at the police officer to allow us privacy . 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. [46]:137,138 As this declaration was not immediately performed, confusion reigned over those attempting to administer aid on the pitch. 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. "[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". [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. We said it was the truth - it wasn't for that we're deeply ashamed and profoundly sorry". [194], On 21 August 2018, it was announced that all charges against Bettison were being dropped as the CPS felt that there was insufficient evidence to have a realistic chance of a conviction. It is believed that an exit gate was opened to relieve crowds outside the turnstiles, which allowed over . The inquests hearings started on Monday 31 March 2014 at Warrington. [290], The Spectator was criticised for an editorial which appeared in the magazine on 16 October 2004 following the death of British hostage Kenneth John "Ken" Bigley in Iraq, in which it was claimed that the response to Bigley's killing was fuelled by the fact he was from Liverpool, and went on to criticise the "drunken" fans at Hillsborough and call on them to accept responsibility for their "role" in the disaster:[292]. "[281], Professor Phil Scraton described Pearce's comments as amongst the "most bigoted and factually inaccurate" published in the wake of the disaster. With 96 deaths and 766 injuries, it remains the worst such case in British sporting history.. The prosecution ended on 24July 2000, when Murray was acquitted and the jury was unable to reach a verdict in the case of Duckenfield. FA Cup semi-final Liverpool v Nottingham Forest. 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". [147] On 6 April 2016, the nine jurors were sent out to consider their verdicts. On 14 May, more than 20,000 people packed Anfield for a match held in memory of the victims. [citation needed], A television drama, based on the disaster and subsequent events, titled simply Hillsborough, was produced by Granada Television in 1996. A Liverpool fan who suffered life-changing injuries in the Hillsborough disaster has died. Four officers resigned and seven were disciplined over the incident. By 2:45pm, 5,531 fans had passed through the turnstiles into the terrace. Share. The report said "When spectators first appeared on the track, the immediate assumption in the control room was that a pitch invasion was threatened. Consequently, a course of public justice could not have been perverted. [60][61], A disaster appeal fund was set up with donations of 500,000 from the UK Government, 100,000 from Liverpool F.C. [26] This 1981 change and other later changes to the stadium invalidated the stadium's safety certificate. [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. 's captain. 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 . ", "Hillsborough: Freemason cops banned from working on criminal probe into cover-up", "Freemasons barred from investigation into alleged Hillsborough 'cover-up', "Hillsborough disaster: Why have freemasons been banned from the 1989 tragedy 'cover up' probe? [232] Supporters of Everton, Liverpool's traditional local rivals, were affected, many of them having lost friends and family. A memorial at Hillsborough stadium, unveiled on the tenth anniversary of the disaster on 15 April 1999, reads: "In memory of the 96 men, women, and children who tragically died and the countless people whose lives were changed forever.

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