Hillsborough Disaster 20th Anniversary

The Hillsborough Disaster, 15th March 1989 marks a tragic day in English football. A day that would see 96 Liverpool FC football fans crushed to death and changed the way security is controlled in British football stadiums.

The game was played at Hillsborough football stadium, home to the team Sheffield Wednesday in Sheffield, England. It remains the deadliest stadium disaster in British history and one of the worst in international football.

It was the second of two stadium related disasters to feature Liverpool supporters, the other being the Heysel Stadium Disaster in 1985. 39 Italian fans were crushed to death at the Heysel ground in Belgium after a wall collapsed during a stampede by Liverpool supporters. The previous worst sporting disaster was in 1971 when 66 fans were crushed to death during the Glasgow Derby in Scotland.

The Hillsborough Disaster Day match was an FA Cup semi final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. It was abandoned six minutes into the first half.

The crush apparently resulted from too many Liverpool away fans being allowed in to an already full stand at the Leppings Lane end of Sheffield Wednesday's ground. It was reported that over 2,000 Liverpool fans with tickets, still had not got into the stadium when the game started at 3pm. Police orders were given for the gate to the Leppings Lane end to be opened because they was advised that the pressure of fans outside the ground was life threatening.

As more fans rushed into the stadium, those already in the ground were pushed forward and crushed against the high wired fences. It was more than six minutes into the game before officials realised that there was a problem as fans started spilling out onto the pitch from over the fences. Police officials then run onto the pitch and ordered the referee to blow the whistle to stop the game.

Due to rising football hooligan incidents in the 1980's, football stadiums in England was fitted with high security fences two separate rival fans. This meant that on the day of the match there was no place for people to escape from being crushed.

Police and stewards helped trapped fans over the safety barrier. Crushed bodies were lifted forward and laid out on the pitch. Other fans were carried to ambulances on stretchers. Around 200 people were injured. Some Liverpool fans blame bad ticket allocations and small stand reservations for away fans.

An inquiry called the Taylor Report, which investigated the cause of police control failure, resulted in the conversion of many football stadiums in the UK to all seats and removal of barriers from stands.

Many relatives of the victims pressed for police officers to be prosecuted. In 2002 the two highest ranked officers were put on court trial. One was acquitted and charges against the other were dropped.



Prayer in memory of the 96 lost

When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm
Is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark.

Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone

You'll never walk alone