April 15 - Hillsborough Disaster

NINETEEN years ago today 96 fans lost their lives and 170 were injured at an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough, in what was the greatest loss of life at a British football match ever. The effects of that dark day in Sheffield shocked football to it’s core and brought about some of the most radical changes in the game’s history.

As kick-off time approached on that sunny afternoon in Yorkshire, a huge crowd was filling the Leppings Lane enclosure. Like all big stadiums of the time, Hillsborough housed it’s fans in a steel cage, with tall perimeter fencing the norm.

A bottleneck occurred at the entrance to the stand as an estimated 50,000 fans attempted to fill the stadium, increasing security concerns over crushing outside the turnstiles. In an effort to ease this pressure the police decided to open a set of gates that was designed as an exit. Supporters poured into the stand through this narrow tunnel causing a crush against the steel fencing.

Stewards initially refused to open the fencing, causing fans to be asphyxiated while others attempted to climb over the gates and some were pulled to safety by those in the upper tier.

On the pitch, Peter Beardsley hit the Nottingham Forest crossbar and seconds later referee Ray Lewis abandoned the game as the tragic scenes began to unfold to an audience of millions as it was being broadcast on live television.

The impact of the tragedy was far reaching. The world of football was in mourning and searched for an answer as to why this had happened. Lord Justice Taylor was appointed to conduct an inquiry into the disaster, concluding that ‘operational errors’ were the main cause, singling out the role of the South Yorkshire Police who failed to direct fans away from the full pens and were too slow to react to events.

Despite these accusations, no-one has been convicted or prosecuted for the disaster, despite the tireless campaigns of members of the victims’ families.

The Taylor Report also demanded a number of reforms to the way that grounds were designed and crowds were managed that had a massive effect on the game. These changes revolutionised stadiums and changed the way football is policed, financed and watched. Outdated perceptions of football fans were also changed as the clubs no longer looked at their fans as terrace fodder.

These changes were the catalyst that begat the Sky revolution, as clubs couldn’t afford the costs that converting their stadiums would incur, leading to the formation of the Premier League.

Like they do every year, football fans in Liverpool and beyond will today be taking a few minutes to reflect upon the tragic events of Hillsborough. Below you can see AC Milan and Real Madrid’s fitting tribute from their 1989 European Cup semi-final where both sides halted play after six minutes and Milan fans broke into a chorus of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ in respect for the 96 that lost their lives.

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