ABSTRACT

This chapter presents a case study to provide an overview of some of the legal processes arising out of the 1989 Hillsborough stadium football disaster. In 1989, the Football Association chose Hillsborough as an Football Association (FA) Cup semi-final venue and tickets for the smaller Leppings Lane end were allocated to the Liverpool fans on the request of the South Yorkshire Police segregation and familiarity of fans, following the same allocation of ends in 1988. On the day of the Hillsborough disaster, there was a build-up of fans on the narrow Leppings Lane approach road to the ground and serious congestion between the outer railings and the turnstiles between 2.30pm and 2.45pm. The chapter focuses initially on the LJ Taylor Public Inquiry and examines the route and findings of Health and Safety Executive inquiry into technical matters and statutory duties and the location of the unfolding story told by Taylor LJ within the first five phases of a disaster.