The Hillsborough Stadium Disaster Interim Report

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The Hillsborough Stadium Disaster Interim Report (1989)
by The Rt Hon Lord Justice Taylor

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2034084The Hillsborough Stadium Disaster Interim Report1989The Rt Hon Lord Justice Taylor

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THE HILLSBOROUGH STADIUM DISASTER

15 APRIL 1989

INQUIRY BY
THE RT HON LORD JUSTICE TAYLOR

INTERIM REPORT

Presented to Parliament
by the Secretary of State for the Home Department
by Command of Her Majesty
August 1989

LONDON

HER MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE

CONTENTS

	Paragraph	Page
INTRODUCTION		1
PART I - WHAT HAPPENED AT HILLSBOROUGH?
CHAPTER 1 - THE GROUND AND PRE MATCH ARRANGMETS		4
Fixing The Venue	21
The Ground	22
The Turnstiles	29
Travel to the Ground	33
Allocation of Places and Tickets	35
Access from Leppings Lane	37
Inside the Leppings Lane Turnstiles	40
Policing Arrangements	47
Sheffield Wednesday's Arrangements	48
Police Communications	49
CHAPTER 2-15 APRIL: THE BUILD UP TO 2.30 pm		9
Early Arrivals	54
Public Houses	55
The Gathering Crowd	57
CHAPTER 3 - THE CRISIS AT THE TURNSTILES		11
"Open the Gates"	66
CHAPTER 4-THE DISASTER		13
CHAPTER 5-THE AFTERMATH		15
Rescue Attempts	81
First Aid	87
In the Control Room	91
No Information	97
Misinformation	98
Public Announcements	100
Fire Brigade	101
South Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service (SYMAS)	105
Gymnasium	107
The Dead and the Injured	108
CHAPTER 6 - SPECIFIC INCIDENTS		19
PART II - WHY DID IT HAPPEN?
CHAPTER 7 - THE LAYOUT AT THE LEPPINGS LANE END		21
The History	119
The 1981 Semi-final	123
Three Pens	125
The 1985 Changes	127
New Radial Fences	128
Barriers	129
The Turnstiles and Concourse	130
Barrier 144	133
Effects of the Layout	134
CHAPTER 8 - LACK OF FIXED CAPACITIES FOR THE PENS		24
Departures from the Green Guide	139
Safety Certificate	143
Why was the Safety Certificate not Amended?	147
The City Council	150
Summary	159
CHAPTER 9 - LACK OF EFFECTIVE MONITORING OF THE TERRACES		28
Who should Monitor the Terraces?	161
The Interim Popplewell Report	163
The Final Popplewell Report	164
Arrangements at Hillsborough	166
Case for the South Yorkshire Police	168
Harris -v- Sheffield United Football Club Limited	169
Police Practice at the Leppings Lane End	170
"Find Their Own Level"	171
When is an Area "Full"?	175
Fear of Hooliganism	182
Summary	183
CHAPTER 10 - THE BUILD-UP AT THE TURNSTILES		33
The Physical Layout	186
The Number of Turnstiles	187
The "Late" Arrival of Liverpool Fans	191
Traffic Delays	193
Fine Weather and Drinking	194
Was Drunkenness a Major Factor in the Crisis at the Turnstiles?	196
Reduced Efficiency of the Turnstiles	198
Were Fans Without Tickets a Major Factor in the Build-Up?	200
The "Conspiracy" Theory	203
Liverpool Supporters at Away Matches	205
No Conspiracy	208
The Police Operation at Leppings Lane	209
Previous Experience	213
Policing in 1988	214
Police Intelligence in Advance	216
Police Intelligence on the Day	221
Mr Marshall and Mr Greenwood	222
Control Lost	223
Postponement of Kick-off	226
Summary	228
CHAPTER 11 - THE BLUNDER ON OPENING THE GATES		40
CHAPTER 12 - THE BARRIERS IN PEN 3		41
Barrier 144	233
When did Barrier 124a Fail?	236
Dr Eastwood's Testing of the Barriers	237
Corrosion	240
Causation	243
CHAPTER 13 - THE CRUSHING NOT RECOGNISED		43
Observation from Control Room	244
Officers on the Track	245
CHAPTER 14 - THE RESPONSE OF THE POLICE		44
The Officers in Command	250
Police on the Pitch	253
Fans on the Pitch	255
False Reports	257
CHAPTER 15 - THE PERIMETER GATES WERE TOO SMALL		45
PART III - CONCLUSIONS
CHAPTER 16 - BRIEF SUMMARY OF CAUSES		47
CHAPTER 17 - THE FA'S CHOICE OF GROUND		48
CHAPTER 18 - POLICE		49
Choice of Ends by the Police	272
Police Planning	273
Policing on the Day	277
The Police Case at the Inquiry	285
CHAPTER 19 - THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE SAFETY CERTIFICATE		51
CHAPTER 20 - THE CLUB AND DR EASTWOOD		52
CHAPTER 21 - FIRST AID AND EMERGENCY SERVICES		53
No Fault by the Emergency Services	296
CHAPTER 22 - COMMUNICATIONS		54
PART IV - INTERIM RECOMMENDATIONS
CHAPTER 23 - INTRODUCTION		55
Limited Objectives	304
Perimeter Fences	306
Reduced Numbers	313
Safety Certificate	314
CHAPTER 24 - THE RECOMMENDATIONS		57
Maximum Capacities for Terraces	1
Filling and Monitoring Terraces	4
Fences and Gates	6
Crush Barriers	11
Safety Certificates	13
Duties of each Football Club	18
Police Planning	26
Communications	31
Co-ordination of Emergency Services	35
First Aid, Medical Facilities and Ambulances	39
APPENDICES 1. Plan of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club, Hillsborough Ground 2. Leppings Lane: the perimeter gates and turnstiles 3. The west stand and terraces 4. Arrangement of barriers at west terrace 5. The west terraces at 2.59 pm 6. Specific incidents Mr Hicks' Evidence The Goalkeeper and Gate 4 Oxygen Calling the Fire Service Mr Kenny Dalglish 7.List of parties and their representation 8.List of those giving oral evidence to the Inquiry in order of appearance

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