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Hillsborough disaster inquest: Official capacity numbers for the fatal stand were 'substantially too high' Hillsborough disaster inquest: One football game, 96 dead, finally a chance for justice
(about 3 hours later)
The official capacity for the terrace where 96 Liverpool football fans were crushed to death “was substantially too high”, an inquest heard today. It took six and a half minutes to read the names of all 96 dead: a father and son, three sets of brothers, a pair of sisters, friends who travelled together, in expectation, to a football match on a sunny day.
A jury investigating the deaths at Britain’s worst sporting disaster was also told it should consider whether it had been a “sensible decision” by South Yorkshire Police to replace the previous match day commander who had a “wealth of experience” with a senior officer who had never managed a game at the Hillsborough ground before. The oldest to die was 67-year-old Gerard Baron, the youngest, 10-year-old Jon-Paul Gilhooley. Among the victims were 38 teenagers and a further 40 in their 20s – a total of 89 men and boys, seven women and girls. Nearly all died in the stadium on 15 April 1989 the result of catastrophic chest compression injuries.
Coroner Lord justice Goldring said it was the panel’s task to decide whether opportunities which could have saved the lives of fans were missed by the authorities as well as to uncover the underlying factors that led to the tragedy. These were the victims of the Hillsborough disaster. On the first day of evidence at the fresh inquests into their deaths, Coroner Lord Justice Goldring told the jury that it was their task to decide which opportunities had been missed that might have saved their lives, and what underlying circumstances contributed to a tragedy that was, he said, “seared on to the memories of the very many people it affected”.
It took six and a half minutes for counsel to the inquiry to read through all the names of the Hillsborough victims on the first day of evidence at the new inquiries into the 1989 crush. Outlining the facts, the judge warned against the “wisdom of hindsight” but said it would be shown that the capacity standing figure on the safety certificate for the Leppings Lane end, where the deaths occurred, was 10,100. The expert evidence would be that this figure was “substantially too high”, Lord Justice Goldring said. The jury saw grainy CCTV images depicting the build-up of crowds outside the stadium minutes before kick-off, as well as a harrowing photo taken from behind the goal at the crush’s height.
More than a third of those who died at the start of the FA Cup semifinal between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest were teenagers, with the youngest victim aged just 10. Relatives of those who died in the Hillsborough disaster arrive at a specially commissioned Coroner's Court in Warrington (Getty) There had been previous incidents at the ground including a year earlier when Liverpool and Notts Forest met in the 1988 FA Cup semi-final. “At least some senior personnel in South Yorkshire Police, the club and the FA appear to have regarded the match as a success,” he said. This was despite crowd reports of “pressure and crushing”.
In his opening statement to the inquests, which was ordered after the original accidental deaths verdicts were quashed by the High Court following new evidence, Lord Justice Goldring said it was the jury’s job to ensure that “culpable and discreditable conduct is exposed and brought to public notice”. The judge described how Liverpool FC secretary Peter Robinson wrote to the FA when it was mooted that the 1989 tie involving the same teams should be  at Hillsborough urging them to switch ticket allocation to allow Liverpool supporters more space.
Relatives of those who died in the Hillsborough disaster arrive at a specially commissioned Coroner's Court in Warrington (Getty) Outlining the facts of the case, the judge said it would be shown that the capacity standing figure written into the ground’s safety certificate for the Leppings Lane end where the deaths occurred was 10,100. The expert evidence would be that this figure was “substantially too high,” Lord Justice Goldring said. The inquest heard that previous match day commander Chief Superintendent Brian Mole, who had a “wealth of experience” was replaced by Chief Superintendent David Duckenfield who had been promoted less than three weeks before the match.
The jury was shown photographs of the terraced area where the Liverpool fans were sent which was divided into a number of pens by radial fences and separated from the pitch by a high anti-hooligan fence. Although he was an experienced criminal investigator he had never commanded a match at Hillsborough. “Whether this was a sensible decision may be something for you to consider,” the judge told the jury.
The judge said the jury of seven women and four men would have to consider whether the gates which allowed fans to move along the terrace were obvious to visiting supporters arriving at an unfamiliar ground. For the game, attended by 54,000 fans, there were 810 officers on duty at the ground – 19 per cent less than the previous year but still a “very substantial” figure, he said.
He also described a decision to remove one of the crush barriers from the terrace end - a modification suggested by South Yorkshire Police – which affected the way that the crush developed. “You will have to decide whether barrier 144 should have been removed,” he said. Thirty eight per cent of the force’s available officers had been involved in the planning and execution, it was added. There were also 376 stewards and gate attendants – most of whom had some training from the club and “some limited briefings” by police.
The jury was told there had been previous incidences at the ground. In 1981, 38 people were taken to hospital following an FA Cup match between Wolves and Tottenham. The radial fences were put in place in the wake of the injuries although the safety certificate was never changed to acknowledge the new capacity. No cutting equipment was present at the ground and one ambulance was on standby with four paramedics.
Officials, meanwhile, had no way of counting who was going into the central pens. While police reported incidents of bad behaviour others described the atmosphere as good natured. There were relatively few arrests and no serious clashes between fans.
The kick off of a 1987 clash between Coventry and Leeds had had to be delayed because of police searches whilst witnesses described “oppressive conditions” in the buildup to the game. Ronnie Gilhooley, whose 10-year-old son Jon-Paul Gilhooley, cousin of Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, died in the Hillsborough disaster (Getty) Tickets advised fans to arrive by 2.45pm and the police policy was to “allow fans to find their own level” on the terraces. The judge urged the jury to consider how easy it was to navigate the radial fences and rear doors which allowed movement between pens. He also highlighted a decision to remove one of the crush barriers from the terrace end – a modification suggested by South Yorkshire Police – which affected the force of surging fans.
Ronnie Gilhooley, whose 10-year-old son Jon-Paul Gilhooley, cousin of Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, died in the Hillsborough disaster (Getty) When Liverpool and Nottingham Forest met in the 1988 FA Cup semifinal there were also reports of “pressure and crushing”, the inquest heard. Outside, there was no police cordon to ensure orderly queues or to sift those without tickets. Problems were already evident by 2.17pm. As they escalated Ch Supt Duckenfield decided it was too late to delay kick off, the inquest heard.
“At least some senior personnel in South Yorkshire Police, the club and the FA appear to have regarded the match as a success,” he said. The judge described how Liverpool FC secretary Peter Robinson wrote to the FA when it had been mooted that the 1989 tie between the clubs should be replayed at Hillsborough. By 2.44pm a senior officer asked for gates to be opened to ease conditions outside. It was only on his third request that the match commander agreed. However, Ch Supt Duckenfield later told FA chief Graham Kelly that one gate had been prized opened by fans.
Mr Robinson pointed out that Liverpool fans were allocated 24,000 seats including only 10,100 cheap standing seats. Nottingham Forest by contrast were given an allocation of 30,000 tickets including 21,000 at the larger Spion Kop end. “There is no question of Gate C having been forced. Ch Supt Duckenfield ordered it be opened,” the judge said, a remark which resulted in “seriously inaccurate” media reports on the day. “You will want to consider why Ch Supt Duckenfield said what he did.”
Mr Robinson urged the authorities to reverse the arrangements although this was rejected. The inquest heard that previous match day commander Chief Superintendent Brian Mole, who had a “wealth of experience” was replaced by Chief Superintendent David Duckenfield when he was promoted to head the force’s F division less than three weeks before the match. When the order was given there were no further instructions on how to manage the crowd once it went through a tunnel to the pens where supporters described being lifted off their feet and carried into the already packed terrace. The judge said the jury would have to decide if the order to open the gates should have been made and if the danger inside might have been foreseen.
Although he was experienced as a criminal investigator he had never commanded a match at Hillsborough before. “Whether this was a sensible decision may be something for you to consider,” the judge told the jury. The jury heard how one PC opened a door to the pens on his own initiative, another inspector described seeing a “river of people” enter the Leppings Lane end. In the police control room, where Ch Supt Duckenfield was, it was believed a pitch invasion was under way. As the match began Liverpool hit the crossbar causing fans to surge and one barrier collapsed. Officers were unable to get through to the control room as the radio was jammed. The match was eventually halted when an inspector ran on to the pitch.
On the day of the game attended by 54,000 fans there were 810 officers on duty at the ground – 19 per cent less than the previous year but still a “very substantial” figure, the judge said. 38 per cent of the force’s available officers had been involved in the match day planning and execution, it was added. As the disaster unfolded the club provided just six stretchers, St John Ambulance had a further three. Fans ripped down hoardings to ferry supporters to help as police, fearing an altercation, massed on the half way line. No effective triage system was set up on the pitch, the judge said and urged jurors to consider if this failure could have led to loss of life.
There were also 376 stewards and gate attendants – most of whom had received some training from the club as well as being given “some limited briefings” by police superintendents before the game. The injured and the dead were taken to the club’s gym. Alcohol blood tests were taken from the corpses. In the event,  more than half either had no or “entirely negligible” alcohol levels, the judge said.
The inquests, which are due to last for a year, continue. Relatives later complained that they were treated with little compassion when they went to identify the bodies at a bare and dismal building opposite a police station. Polaroid photos of the victims were pinned to a notice board for them to identify while requests for physical contact were refused, the judge said.