Fans are getting agitated. The memories are, of course, focused on what happened but the build up to the match itself was nothing unusual. Since the recent report was published various individuals including the UK Government, South Yorkshire Police and Kelvin MacKenzie have apologised. We were singing, ‘We’ve got more fans than you Nottingham,’ and knocking a beach ball around. It doesn’t matter that it was 23 years ago or that some may have retired or changed jobs. It’s an open concourse outside the turnstiles, and everyone was allowed onto it. I believe that the Hillsborough disaster and the circumstances surrounding it are a unique case that justifies unique action. Our Steve is a personal insight into the process of new inquests into the disaster (2014) and the forensic search into how my brother Steve died there. They weren’t interested, and just told us to get in the ground.”, John Joynt got through a turnstile around 2.45pm. It’s a real community. Neil, what are your memories of the day of the disaster and at what point did you first become aware that there was a problem at Hillsborough? I just remember watching on in horror and seeing fans on the pitch using advertising hoardings as emergency stretchers. The crush wasn’t as bad as it was to be inside, but the police had lost control of it, basically. Twenty-seven years ago, the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, turned into carnage. Once there, Steve Hart remembers, I was shouting at the turnstile operator that it was chaos outside and he needed to do something, and he didn’t even take my ticket … he was just clicking people through. In an interview with LFC TV, Ms Aspinall said: "The group has folded now - it's a … I was starting to get a little concerned, but the surges always went back a second or two later.”, Inside the central pens, Damian Kavanagh recalls the crowd getting tighter and tighter: “The nature of crush barriers is to stop the pressure of having one big crowd all leaning on each other from the back of the terrace to the front. The families of the Hillsborough victims should be praised for keeping the fight going when people kept telling them to give up the fight.". Start your Independent Premium subscription today. The The term ‘panic’ occurred frequently in their accounts, but more detailed descriptions of their So we moved down further still to try and get a barrier behind us again…”, Nick Braley moved to the side as gate C opened briefly and he took advantage of the opportunity: “It was dangerous out there, really dangerous. On a bright sunny day in Sheffield, an exit gate had increased the density of the crowd considerably and, with no direction and no attempt to seal access, the lives of thousands were about to change forever…. It was an antiquated place, and while having a pee I noticed that, instead of windows, they had left alternate bricks out on a couple of courses on the outer walls, probably for ventilation. There were police on horses; the horses were trying to move about. At this stage, you’ve got the thought in the back of your mind that there’s too many out here. The apologies aren’t worth a tuppence to me, though. Hillsborough survivor from poignant image dies with coronavirus. Interview: A Hillsborough survivor speaks Neil McDougall, 45, is a born and bred Liverpudlian now living in London and is the father of four children. He just laughed and said, “Well, in that case I'm better off in here.”, At around this time, Richie Greaves and his friends also arrived at the Leppings Lane end: “Outside the turnstiles it was absolutely chocka. How quickly were you aware that the UK Government, police and media were preparing a smear campaign against Liverpool fans and how did it make you feel? And we noticed very early that something was wrong with the Leppings Lane end. Words are easily said but I see no real evidence that there is any genuine meaning behind them and I still have not had an explanation as to why it took them so long to make those apologies.". There were a number of people seriously hurt in the tunnel, but I think we must have missed that. When Gerry Marsden sang “You’ll Never Walk Alone” before the game, so many people were in tears – from both sides. "Those responsible need to face the consequences of their actions – no more, no less. They should be held accountable for their actions. Everything was good-humoured, but I was already getting jostled about as people were singing and dancing. There was a Liverpool copper on horseback and one minute he was joking that he’d arrived late because it had taken him that long to ride from Liverpool and the next minute he was shouting at everyone. We don’t have justice yet but, at last, we have truth. At the time I was not concerned, as I was used to standing behind the goal and it is part of why I loved to go the game: the atmosphere, the hustle and bustle. It is now abundantly clear that the UK Government of the day and subsequent Governments failed to get to the truth. That simply is not good enough. It has become a little easier as groups began to form and provided us with a voice and a platform. Whenever I recall the day and see the pitch, in my mind, I always think of a scene akin to something from World War I: The shell suits turn into army uniforms with tin helmets on, those advertising stretchers are real stretchers. Much to the pain of the victims’ families, the legal process to establish the facts and ascribe guilt for the Hillsborough disaster has endured for more than 30 years There was a barrier to my left, so I tried traversing across, thinking that if I get behind that then I can’t go further forward as it would offer protection.”. I never saw any of that”. That brought a lot of comfort to me because it helped me realise that I wasn’t the only one struggling to cope with the horrors of that day and that even big dockers cry sometimes.”. I’m in, but what the hell is going on outside?”, Brian Johnson was by this time safely inside the ground in the far right of the West Stand seated section above the Leppings Lane terraces: “About 2.40ish, I decided to go to the toilets. My parents never even knew that I was alive until I walked through the door at around 10pm that night. I can’t imagine what the families of the deceased have been through. This harrowing account of the Hillsborough disaster is told through the eyes of a survivor. When I got back to my seat, I said to my dad, ‘There is no way that lot are getting in before kick-off; you wanna see it out there’!”, The crowd in the cramped courtyard outside the turnstiles had become compacted, as the number of fans arriving at the back outnumbered the number that the turnstiles could admit. What’s going on? Everyone just headed for the tunnel. Anyway we got something to eat in the corner shop, a Mars bar and a pint of milk I think, and we got into the ground at about twenty to three or a quarter to three … it was obviously packed.”, Liverpool supporter John Joynt remembers arriving later than he had planned in Sheffield because of the traffic: “The police had the ground well boxed off the year before, but we didn’t think too much of it at the time. The Hillsborough disaster was a fatal human crush during a football match at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, on 15 April 1989. Those who have failed should hold their hand up, admit their mistakes and take their punishment. What do you think of those apologies? 507 likes. And that is uncomfortable, with the weight of people behind you and an iron bar in your chest. Half expecting to get nicked, I go to show my ticket but the copper isn’t bothered. Considered the worst sporting disaster in English history, 96 Liverpool fans lost their lives and an additional 766 people were injured in a stampede. I remember seeing The Sun headline and thinking to myself: “Wow. I saw with my own eyes what happened that day and I knew the truth but most people didn’t and that was difficult to accept. There were a couple of police on horseback, but they were just stuck within this mass of people, and they had no control of the situation. Imagine having your elbows down by your side and your hands up in front of your chest. I go for it but as I arrive the copper is trying to pull it shut. Hillsborough disaster, incident in which a crush of football (soccer) fans resulted in 96 deaths and hundreds of injuries during a match at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, England, on April 15, 1989. Once you got into that dark tunnel … horrendous … the nightmares I’ve had over it since...’. In a strange way, the smears had a positive effect on the campaign because it galvanised the groups and reinforced the belief that things were not right. And we strained our necks upwards, we could see a little bit of the pitch, with only a small gap that you could actually see down. All that I’d seen was people trying to help and care for their mates, people in tears and numb with shock. After 23 years, the truth has finally been revealed. They should not be treated differently, they should be held accountable for their actions in the way that anyone else would be.". The policeman had a flat cap, so he was obviously not an everyday bobby. Hillsborough disaster: Witnesses give their accounts of the events that led to a tragedy. The very name, ‘exit’ gate, tells you they were not designed to allow fans to enter. What needs to happen for justice to be done for those who lost their lives as a result of the tragedy? The crowd was shouting at him to get a grip of the situation.”, Inside, the central pens were already becoming too full. When I looked out across the pitch, it was like a war zone. Dave Roland was seen sitting on a terrace with his head in his hands in the aftermath of the catastrophe in which 96 people died. My dad was convinced that he’d seen my jacket being packed away into a plastic bag during a television update and, so, my parents hadn’t seen any updates for hours because my dad wouldn’t let my mum watch it. What would you say to those who failed to address the injustice when they had the chance? On Saturday 15 April 1989, some 96 Liverpool fans attending the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest were killed when a crush developed at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield. We made our way into the little pen in front of the turnstiles and probably got through at about 2.45 p.m.”, Inside the ground, Danny Rhodes, a Nottingham Forest supporter at the Kop end, picks up the story: ‘As time ticked on towards 2.30pm, the Forest end started filling up. Whenever I recall the day and see the pitch, in my mind, I always think of a scene akin to something from World War I: The shell suits turn into army uniforms with tin helmets on, those advertising stretchers are real stretchers. Finden Sie professionelle Videos zum Thema Hillsborough Disaster sowie B-Roll-Filmmaterial, das Sie für die Nutzung in Film, Fernsehen, Werbefilm sowie für die Unternehmenskommunikation lizenzieren können. It was at this point that Match Commander Chief Superintendent David Duckenfield – who was watching the crowd on CCTV from his position in the police control box overlooking the Leppings Lane terraces – gave the order to open the gates. There was no way I could get out of Pen 4 – it was impossible – and I was now very anxious. Whenever it got dark, it gave you the incentive to keep fighting. The difference between the density of the wing pens and central pens was stark, and seemed more pronounced as kick-off drew closer. Hillsborough disaster police officer reveals bosses left bobbies to fend for themselves. Then we were looking at each other with faces of incredulity. All of those responsible for the decisions that they took on the day and participated in the cover up afterwards should face the consequences. The philosophy in Liverpool is that you look after your own. “The strange thing is that my first worry was actually how packed the Nottingham Forest (Liverpool’s opponents that day) end was. Three deny perverting course of justice after Hillsborough disaster. To have had the grieving process drawn out for 23 years as you fight for the memories and values of the person that you’ve lost is unimaginably cruel. I looked around and there were people being dragged up into the stands behind us and I said to the lads, ‘Let’s try and get back towards the wall, because at least if there was a wall behind us we’re not going to get hurt’.”, Grant Walker also recalls the moment that the gate opened: “Everyone was worried that we were going to miss the kick-off. As a direct result of the tragedy, 96 people lost their lives but what do you think that the psychological effect has been on some or all of the survivors as a consequence of the smear campaign? People were climbing up walls, gates, anything to get out of the crush. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. There were no exits left and right, so you could only go forwards. You were totally sucked into it, and you had to move forwards, you couldn’t go back because of the people behind you. I really do struggle with it at times. There was a fear starting to build. This is an edited extract from ‘The Hillsborough Disaster: In Their Own Words’ by Mike Nicholson (Amberley Publishing, £12.99), Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. I believe that the close relationship between the Government and South Yorkshire Police, partly because of the Miners’ Strike meant that the Police believed that they were untouchable and that they could do whatever they wanted. But it wasn’t like that– you could see the crowd moving forward, but you couldn’t see anyone moving back again.”, The constant flow of people coming down the long, dark tunnel behind was immediately filling any space that a forward motion created, and leaving the crowd that bit more compressed. At that point I thought there was no point hanging around any longer, so I went down the tunnel.”, Peter Dalling remembers walking through the gate into the tightly packed tunnel: “The coppers just said, ‘Go in there’ so we walked through and down the tunnel. I feel that the lies and the cover up have made the mistakes far worse. A not-guilty ruling related to the 1989 disaster presented a difficult reality: The 96 who died were unlawfully killed, but nobody, most likely, will ever be held responsible. Eventually, [my friend] and I were side by side, and we got towards the turnstile and there was a police officer on a horse. Neil spoke to The Point's Willie Duncan about his recollection of the events of that day, the aftermath of the smear campaign and cover up perpetrated the UK Government, South Yorkshire Police and the media, as well as his hopes for the future of the campaign for justice for the 96. They should have been safe. The crowd was building up, when Paul Jarvill joined it: “There was no queuing system. The truth has been revealed but the 96 deserve justice now. The pressure just kept building. There was another problem with the tunnel, though, in that it was dark inside; and it initially sloped slightly upwards in the dimming light of the entrance before falling away downwards into the dark and a one-in-six gradient. Official misinformation, misrepresentation, falsified evidence and a deliberately constructed incorrect narrative, had informed the world with this version of the Hillsborough disaster. Find professional Hillsborough Disaster videos and stock footage available for license in film, television, advertising and corporate uses. Tim Knowles, originally from Formby , was 17 when he went to the FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989. The pressure was now so great that I had my arm in front of me at head height so that it was more comfortable and I could hold myself off the person in front of me. ‘Open the fucking gates, people are going to die outside,’ is heard by a number of people and the coppers are standing taking it, looking scared and out of their depth. It was very much my practice to try and stand in front of a barrier, with my back on it. I stuck my foot on the bottom and jump through, the last one in as the copper pulls it shut behind me. There wasn’t much you could do, though, because you were stuck, penned in by the side against railings. I never did go to the replayed match but I did go to the final against Everton with my dad, who is an Everton fan. There were no signs telling you anything different. For South Yorkshire police to be so inept and corrupt and to get away with it is unbelievable. As I went down the slope, I went into the terraces in one movement and by the time I got myself together, I realised that I was looking back at the way I had come in.”, Dr Glyn Phillips realised straight away that the central pens were abnormally full: “I knew this was not a good place to be and we decided to move higher up the terrace. Getty Images bietet exklusive rights-ready und erstklassige lizenzfreie analoge, HD- und 4K-Videos in höchster Qualität. Let me briefly set out why. It’s very important that progress is made while the world’s spotlight is on the case. The tragedy was largely attributed to mistakes by the police. Following the Hillsborough disaster, the Taylor Report made recommendations to prevent anything similar happening again, chiefly ensuring that all … When we got towards the turnstiles, the crowd was building up outside. Interview: A Hillsborough survivor speaks. "Those apologies were long overdue and needed to be said, particularly the apology from David Cameron on behalf of the UK Government. Opening the gates was a decision not taken lightly. We got into the pens and the crowd had stopped moving by then. People underestimate us. By 2.30pm, I was becoming concerned. 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. Die Hillsborough-Katastrophe war ein schweres Zuschauerunglück mit 96 Toten und 766 Verletzten am 15. The crowd only grew denser as they got closer. The next thing we knew we went tumbling forward. The sways and surges were getting more and more violent, and I was just thinking that I was going to get shoved about for 90 minutes. One lad actually said that it was rammed in our end but they had so much room they could have a party. Immediately inside, there was a police officer guarding a programme seller. Finally, what do you see as the way forward for the campaign for justice for the 96? "To be honest, I didn’t catch on too quickly. He never told anyone about what he thought that he’d seen. And while waiting in the concourse area, recovering from his ordeal, Steve saw the order being executed: ‘I saw a policeman with a couple of stewards, and they had keys. At that time I was scared and starting to panic. The anger, disgust and realisation of what was being said and what was going on kicked in shortly afterwards.". Trying to get towards the turnstiles was like swimming in mud. I decide to hang on and wait for my mates and am stood for a couple of minutes until the call to open the gate is made – thank God for that. Steven Gerrard says the memory of his cousin who died in the Hillsborough disaster has inspired him to reach the pinnacle of his profession. The kids know to turn the TV off if something about Hillsborough comes on; they know to leave me alone on the anniversary of the day itself. It was just another football game but, of course, the events of the day changed all of that. "Waiting 23 years is a long time to have waited for the truth. I never knew any of the 96 who died but, even still, that day has affected me ever since. Neil McDougall, 45, is a born and bred Liverpudlian now living in London and is the father of four children. It was such a horrible sight to see. It was another semi-final, we were confident of victory and the weather was great. It’s very wrong.". That caused many people to lose their footing, as Peter Carney recalls: “As we walked in, we heard the roar of the crowd as the teams came out. You’d show your ticket to go through one barrier and then further down the street you’d show your ticket again to be allowed through the next barrier. Now the inquest has judged them unlawful killings, the witnesses can give their accounts of the events leading to this tragedy, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile, Peter Carney recalls walking towards the Leppings Lane end: “What was noticeable from the year before [when the FA Cup semi was also played at Hillsborough] is that we’d had to walk through barriers. As the gate is opened I dodge the first few fans coming in as I try to wait around, but the numbers coming in becomes a flood and I am swept away, up the tunnel onto the entrance to the terraces.”, After being crushed against the wall outside the ground for what felt like an eternity, Steve Hart fell through a turnstile, with his ticket still intact, and was struggling to get his breath back in the concourse area between the turnstiles, exit gate C and the tunnel: ‘By the time I got into the ground I had lost my mates. Hillsborough: Our Steve. He has been a Liverpool fan since the age of five and, aged 22, was at Hillsborough on April 15th, 1989 – the day on which 96 of Neil’s fellow Liverpool fans went to a football match and never returned home. Being a nosy sod I went to have a look outside. I was screaming then at the police inside the ground that it was carnage outside and if they didn’t do something it was going to be bad. That was my first ever visit to Hillsborough and I thought if everyone is headed for the tunnel then that must be the right way. It was a squeeze, but we made it down, probably more by luck than judgement. People were running around in circles in sheer desperation doing their best to help those who were dying. Afterwards, the memories are difficult to deal with. Meanwhile, outside the Leppings Lane turnstiles at around 2.30pm, the crowd had swelled considerably and the turnstiles were too few, malfunctioning, and could not admit fans fast enough. "They should face justice today. There were no barriers in ’89 and we noticed that. We fight for what we believe in; no matter how hard we need to fight or how long we need to fight for, we just keep fighting. In cases where it is appropriate, I would like to see criminal charges brought against individuals responsible. There were people crying everywhere, walking about the pitch in a state of shock. One lad near me joked that Liverpool hadn’t sold all their tickets. At the Leppings Lane end, in the already packed central ‘pens’, 96 Liverpool supporters died after the police opened an exit gate on them to relieve crowd pressure outside the ground. They walked over to the gate and I could see they were opening it. I said to my friends, ‘We can’t stay in here, we’ve got to get out.’ We went left at the end of the tunnel into Pen 4. I was concerned for my safety. Normally when you are in a big crowd like in the Kop, you get a surge forward when there is a goal or a corner or whatever, and then the crowd slowly moves back as the action passes. If you’ve ever done anything like that, then you have played your part in the truth coming out and you should be proud of that. Hillsborough disaster: police officer in charge showed 'lack of leadership' This article is more than 2 years old. Next minute there’s a cheer, and the exit gate opened up, so we all filed through. “Jocky is back, Jocky is back, woa woa” and “Brucie, Brucie Grobbelaar, Brucie Grobbelaar in our goal”. As the saying goes, “the lie is halfway around the world before the truth has got its pants on”.
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