Police blamed for soccer disaster

Press, 1 August 1989, Page 6

Police blamed for soccer disaster

By

TONY VERDON

in London

The police must bear the brunt of the blame for the Hillsborough football disaster, in which 95 fans were crushed to death, according to a leaked version of the official inquiry. South Yorkshire police are condemned in the report for making inadequate provisions for the crowd, when trouble could have been foreseen, says the report on the April tragedy.

The sudden late arrival of fans that caused congestion at the Leppings Lane end of the ground should have been expected by the police, says the report, leaked to the “Sunday Times” newspaper.

The report, the first of two by Lord Justice Taylor, also calls for a review of the ban on alcohol sales at football matches, to discourage late arrivals. The Judge says that the Hills-

borough tragedy was caused partly by a sudden surge from the pubs of fans who had been drinking until the last minute. However, he says drunkenness was not a big factor. ' The “Sunday Times” says the report does not suggest the removal of perimeter fences, although it says that adequate exits should be provided in future. Neither does it recommend the introduction of identity cards for fans — an issue which will be addressed in a final report on the tragedy, due at the end of the year.

Superintendent Roger Marshall, the officer at the centre of the controversy over the opening of the gate which allowed fans to pour into the stadium, is exonerated, says the newspaper. His immediate superior, Chief Superintendent David Duckenfield, who was asked to open the gate, is criticised for failing to

order his officers to direct .the fans as they pushed into the stadium before the F.A. Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is criticised for the poor standard of its ground, which, did not meet Government safety recommendations.

More than 170 witnesses, including the police, stewards, players and fans, gave evidence at the three-month inquiry presided over by Mr Justice Taylor. The inquiry heard that Chief Superintendent Duckenfield had granted Superintendent Marshall’s radio request to open the gate after Superintendent Marshall said fans could be crushed to death outside the ground if the gate was left closed. Chief Superintendent Duckenfield told the inquiry that he did not instruct the police and stewards to control the fans as they

streamed through a tunnel leading to the crowded centre of the Leppings Lane end. This caused the crush, though there was room for the supporters in the other sections of the terrace.

The report will be delivered to the Home Office this week, and has been rushed out so that clubs can take urgent measures to improve ground safety before the new season starts on August 19. Among the immediate proposals recommended in the report are a reduction in the maximum number of fans allowed to stand on terracing, controlling the number of fans in each section of terracing, better signposting inside grounds for supporters, screening of fans as they approach the stadium to. prevent those without tickets congregating around the entrance, better first aid provision and wider and more gates in perimeter fences.