The Hillsborough disaster touched not only Liverpool, but football clubs in England and around the world. [53] Anfield stadium was opened on the Sunday to allow fans to pay tribute to the dead. 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. 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. 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. . Hillsborough families called for the payments to be frozen during the IPCC investigation. 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. [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". [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. [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. The crushing occurred during a match at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, England, on April 15, 1989. [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. 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. About sharing . 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. The less seriously injured survivors who did not live in the Sheffield area were advised to seek treatment for their injuries at hospitals nearer to their homes. Several memorials have been erected in memory of the victims of the Hillsborough disaster. [29] Leeds were assigned the Leppings Lane end. On 8September 2012, just four days before the Hillsborough Independent Panel Report was published, Crompton had emailed the force's assistant chief constable Andy Holt and head of media Mark Thompson. [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. 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. [180], The IPCC is[needs update] also investigating the actions of West Midlands Police, who in 1989 had been tasked with investigating South Yorkshire Police's conduct for both the original inquests and also the Taylor independent inquiry. Four officers resigned and seven were disciplined over the incident. [260], Widespread boycotts of the newspaper throughout Merseyside followed immediately and continue to this day.
Hillsborough inquests: Fans unlawfully killed, jury concludes They just don't want their names in any more sleaze. On 14 May, more than 20,000 people packed Anfield for a match held in memory of the victims. [197], On 13 March 2019, it was reported that Duckenfield would not be called to give evidence in his defence. [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. [191], On 9 August 2017, all except Duckenfield appeared at Warrington Magistrates Court. 'You'll never walk alone.'". 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. [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". [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". We said it was the truth - it wasn't for that we're deeply ashamed and profoundly sorry". Failure to put Hillsborough on front page a shocking misjudgement", "FHM Australia, pulled after Hillsborough comments", "FHM faces a boycott after Hillsborough 'joke', "The truth about that awful Boris Johnson 'quote' on Hillsborough", "Hillsborough: Boris Johnson 'very, very' sorry for blaming Liverpool fans", "Hillsborough: Boris Johnson apologises for slurs in 2004 Spectator article", "Hillsborough papers: Boris Johnson apologises over article", "United fans want to end Hillsborough chants", "Manchester United fan groups want end to sick chants", "Hillsborough disaster: Sir Oliver Popplewell outrages campaigners with comments", "Former judge tells Hillsborough families to drop 'conspiracy theories', "Hillsborough disaster: Probe into South Yorkshire police email", "Hillsborough verdict finds Liverpool fans unlawfully killed, fans blameless and shocking police failures", "South Yorkshire Police chief suspended over Hillsborough", "Civil servant sacked for offensive Wikipedia edits on Hillsborough", "Q&A: Fox's Steven Cohen on the Advertiser Boycott Over His Remarks on Soccer Stadium Deaths", "Steven Cohen Apologizes For Inaccurate Hillsborough Claims", "Steven Cohen Blames Liverpool Fans For Hillsborough Disaster", "Flashback: The Hillsborough Disaster and the Fall of Steven Cohen", "Hillsborough mum tells of Sir Bernard Ingham's "hurtful" letters", "Bernard Ingham, who called Liverpool fans 'tanked up yobs', still refuses to apologise to Hillsborough families despite inquest findings", "Ingham STILL refuses to say sorry for blaming Liverpool fans over Hillsborough", "Petition to strip Bernard Ingham of his knighthood for blaming fans", "Why the people of Liverpool are totally justified in holding Topman to account", "The Immediate Aftermath 4. [138] The Home Secretary called for investigations into law-breaking and promised resources to investigate individual or systematic issues. [232] Supporters of Everton, Liverpool's traditional local rivals, were affected, many of them having lost friends and family. 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". Liverpool won the match by four goals to nil.[237]. Devine died in 2021, as a consequence of the injuries sustained at Hillsborough, with his death being ruled by the coroner to have been an unlawful killing, raising the total death toll of the disaster to 97.[73][74][75]. According to the BBC report: "The names of the victims were read from the memorial book and floral tributes were laid at a plaque bearing their names. Although Liverpool had more supporters, Nottingham Forest was allocated the larger area, to avoid the approach routes of rival fans crossing. He was omitted from the first team squad and never played for the club in any capacity again. [234][235] In April 1989, Bradford City and Lincoln City held a friendly match to benefit the victims of Hillsborough. [246] These media reports and others were examined during the 2012 Hillsborough Independent Panel report. [95], Taylor found there was "no provision" for controlling the entry of spectators into the turnstile area. A third legal case which resulted from the Hillsborough disaster was Airedale N.H.S. [228], A song was released to mark the 20th anniversary, entitled "Fields of Anfield Road" which peaked at No. The Hillsborough memorial at Anfield (featuring the names of the 96 who lost their lives, and an eternal flame) was located next to the Shankly Gates before it was moved to the front of the redeveloped main stand in 2016. On 26April 2016, after the inquest jury delivered a verdict affirming all the charges against the police, Crompton "unequivocally accepted" the verdicts, including unlawful killing, said that the police operation at the stadium on the day of the disaster had been "catastrophically wrong", and apologised unreservedly. 's The Den being the first new stadium to be built that fulfilled the recommendations. [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. April 15th 1989, Liverpool faced Nottingham Forest away in the semi-final of the FA cup, as kick-off approached a large crowd built up outside the Leppings Lane turnstiles. I have come to the clear conclusion that there is no basis upon which there should be a further Judicial Inquiry or a reopening of Lord Taylor's Inquiry. The tragedy was largely attributed to mistakes made by the police. [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. While rehearsing for the match off-air, he suggested a nearby cameraman look as well. ", "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? was played at Celtic Park, Glasgow, between the home club and Liverpool. A request was made to relieve some of the pressure, and match commander Ch Supt David Duckenfield gave the order to open an exit gate. The 10th and 20th anniversaries were marked by special services to remember the victims.[214][215]. The lingering effects of the disaster were seen as a cause, or contributory factor, in all of these.[68]. They buried their dead, comforted the bereaved and succoured the injured. [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. They see themselves whenever possible as victims, and resent their victim status; yet at the same time they wallow in it. 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.