On Saturday, April 15, 1989, English football experienced a terrifying day. Up to 96 spectators were killed and 766 injured at Hillsborough Stadium after an avalanche just before a Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. That event shocked British society and forever changed the way football is viewed in stadiums. Security would take the reins to prevent a similar incident from being possible.
The Taylor report, so called because it was conducted by the British judge Peter Murray Taylor, was a consequence of the investigation of what happened there and was decisive for the introduction of greater control within the stadiums. This is how it would end with this type of stands in which fans could stand.
In an unprecedented advance that sought greater security, it was established that all fans should be seated, the security fences that served as the perimeter of the field were eliminated, all fans were required to have a card to enter the stadium and punishments were implemented severe for acts of violence. In total there were 76 recommendations that forever changed English football, and by extension the rest of the continent.
Specifically, it was in 1994 when the ban on fans standing in the stands was implemented. This decision affected Premier League and Championship teams, and any club that had been in one of those divisions for three or more seasons from 1994-95, as well as Wembley Stadium and the Principality, formerly known as Millennium Cardiff.
Now, and after the success of a pilot test carried out since the beginning of the year, the British Secretary of State for Culture, Nadine Dorries, has announced a change in criteria regarding standing stands. From next season "only clubs that respect the strict security measures will be authorized" to set up standing stands, she specified.
Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham participated in a pilot test in this regard during the second half of last season, as did Cardiff in the English second division. Following the British government's announcement, Brentford, Wolverhampton and Queen's Park Rangers (Championship) have already indicated that they will offer standing stands for their fans and those of visiting clubs next season. Wembley Stadium will also offer that possibility in a limited number. Liverpool will not participate in these types of measures.
“Safety is absolutely paramount and we are working hand in hand with the clubs in this regard. Fans deserve different options to enjoy a live match, ”said Nigel Huddleston, minister for sport in the United Kingdom, at the beginning of the year, when the trials began. Among the requirements that will be demanded are the availability of seats with barriers and there must be one seat per fan, which allows them to be both standing and sitting.
The Hillsborough stadium, located in the city of Sheffield and with a capacity for 54,000 people, was to host the semifinal of the English Cup in the 1988-89 season, played between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. All fans were asked to be in their place 20 minutes before the match. But an hour before, a crowd of fans crowded into the entrances of the stands.
The authorities then decided to divert many fans to the standing stands, which gradually collapsed. The excess of public pushed many of them towards the protection fences that prevented fans from entering the field.
The match began with many fans petitioning the police for access to the pitch to relieve excess pressure. When the police suspended the match, at 3:06 p.m., it was already late. Many desperate fans had jumped over the fences, but 96 people had been crushed to death and 766 injured.
