Hillsborough Memorial

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Lore & Background

In the following days and weeks, South Yorkshire Police (SYP) fed the press false stories suggesting that football hooliganism and drunkenness by Liverpool supporters had caused the disaster. 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. Following the Taylor Report, the Director of Public Prosecutions ruled there was no evidence to justify prosecution of any individuals or institutions. The disaster led to a number of safety improvements in the largest English football grounds, notably the elimination of fenced standing terraces in favour of all-seater stadiums in the top two tiers of English football.

In Their Own Story

On 15 April 1989, the match was abandoned and later replayed at Old Trafford on 7 May 1989, where Liverpool won before claiming that season's FA Cup. Despite this on-pitch success, the off-field battle for justice defined the following decades. Private prosecutions against Duckenfield and deputy Bernard Murray failed in 2000, but public pressure mounted after the 2012 panel report exposed police cover-ups. Public anger over the force's conduct during the second inquests led to the suspension of SYP chief constable David Crompton. In June 2017, six individuals were charged with offences including manslaughter by gross negligence and perverting the course of justice, though the Crown Prosecution Service later dropped charges against one defendant. The disaster also drove major safety reforms, eliminating fenced standing terraces in favor of all-seater stadiums in English football's top two tiers.

Reader's Guide

The first coroner's inquests into the Hillsborough disaster, completed in 1991, concluded with verdicts of 'accidental death' in respect of all the deceased. Families disputed the findings, and fought to have the case re-opened. In 1997 Lord Justice Stuart-Smith concluded that there was no justification for a new inquiry. Private prosecutions brought by the Hillsborough Family Support Group against Duckenfield and his deputy Bernard Murray failed in 2000. In 2009 a Hillsborough Independent Panel was formed to review the evidence. Reporting in 2012, it confirmed Taylor's 1990 criticisms and revealed details about the extent of police efforts to shift blame onto fans, the role of other emergency services and the errors of the first coroner's inquests. The panel's report resulted in the previous findings of accidental death being quashed, and the creation of new coroner's inquests. It also produced two criminal investigations led by police in 2012: Operation Resolve to look into the causes of the disaster, and by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) to examine actions by police in the aftermath. The second coroner's inquests were held from 1 April 2014 to 26 April 2016. They ruled that the supporters were unlawfully killed owing to grossly negligent failures by police and ambulance services to fulfil their duty of care. The inquests also found that the design of the stadium contributed to the crush, and that supporters were not to blame for the dangerous conditions. Public anger over the actions of their force during the second inquests led to the suspension of the SYP chief constable, David Crompton, following the verdict. In June 2017, six people were charged with offences including manslaughter by gross negligence, misconduct in public office and perverting the course of justice for their actions during and after the disaster. The Crown Prosecution Service subsequently dropped all charges against one of the defendants.

Did You Know?

• The Hillsborough disaster is the deadliest in British sporting history.
• Ninety-four people died on the day of the disaster; one more died in hospital days later, and two more died in 1993 and 2021 respectively.
• The match was replayed at Old Trafford on 7 May 1989; Liverpool won and went on to win that season's FA Cup.
• The Taylor Report of 1990 found that the main cause was a failure of crowd control by South Yorkshire Police.
• The second coroner's inquests ruled that the supporters were unlawfully killed.