Hillsborough document release

[karlo998]

Former S Yorkshire Police chief calls for prosecution 'regardless of rank'

Former Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police, Richard Wells, told ITV News it was "absolutely essential" all those involved in the Hillsborough cover-up should face prosecution.

 

Mr Wells, who was put in charge of the force in 1990, said:

 

"I think it's absolutely essential that wherever the best legal minds available to us and to the Government are able to establish good clear evidence for a sustainable prosecution of anybody regardless of rank, regardless of whether they are still serving or retired, that should happen.

 

"That's the only way we are going to lance this constantly festering boil."

 

He added: "I'm not specifically talking about the police alone. I'm saying anybody, absolutely anybody who has contributed in a dishonest or criminal way ought to be arraigned before the courts of law. Who it is will depend on what the evidence produces."

 

http://www.itv.com/news/story/2012-09-11/hillsborough-disaster-official-documents-published/http://www.itv.com/news/story/2012-09-11/hillsborough-disaster-official-documents-published/

 

Rank and file coppers are disgusted by this stain on their force.

[Blue Day]

By the time they gave their statements the Sun's lies had long mean in the open which is something to think on

 

Agreed - we have to be careful, but likewise we also have to be careful about tarring all those who gave statements with the same dirty brush

[Joe Momma]

Many posters have mentioned 'crowd behaviour', as I am an occasional match spectator can I ask if there was a noticeable shift in crowd behaviour - at grounds in general - post 15th April 1989? My only experience of such a change was after the Bradford Fire (11th May 1985; 56 died, 265 injured), when I was sitting in the old - wooden - John Street stand at Bramall Lane a week or so later, and someone lit up a cigarette. The response of everyone sitting nearby was instantaneous, they almost tore the cigarette from his mouth! .............

 

That's a very good point .... similarly, the first game at H'bro AFTER the semi was my team and I snuck onto the Kop with a Wednesday mate cos I just didn't fancy the 'Away' end at that time ... anyhow, one of our players went down after a foul/heavy tackle and some Owl shouted "Gerrim off, the #@#@#@" (cos we were winning) and he thought he must've been time-wasting/malingering (while the stretcher was coming out) ... yet he got a volley off his fellow Owls as the previous game the Advertising boards had been stretchers ....

[donkey]

The Council issued a safety certificate to SWFC in 79 (i think). This is what it says it is, a certificate to show the ground is safe.

 

However, after problems in 81 at the semi final and the alterations to the ground this certificate was never ammended. I don't think it had an 'expiry date' as such so I don't think it ran out. But obviously it wasnt up to date so I believe it was discounted as being valid.

 

I believe Hots On was implying that, as well as the Liverpool fans, he also believes the Labour Party somehow to be responsible because the grounds didn't have a valid safety certificate issued by the council which was controlled by Labour.

 

Is the DVLA responsible for accidents caused by people without valid driving licenses?

 

Unless the council have actually been held responsible for the absence of a safety certificate by the relevant officials, then blaming them just smacks of another desperate attempt to apportion blame anywhere other than where it is due.

 

With 96 people dead, leaving hundreds of grieving relatives desperate for closure, you'd think they would just give it a rest, but I suppose some people are just more reptillian in their emotional outlook than the rest of us.

Edited September 13, 2012 by donkey

[myriad]

Agreed - we have to be careful, but likewise we also have to be careful about tarring all those who gave statements with the same dirty brush

 

Absolutely. The police should've taken their statements ASAP while it was still fresh in the mind is the main issue

[RJRB]

Fallen,

DO ONE!

 

I've read a lot of crap about this subject over 23 years and this thread has had me shaking my head in disbelief at the ignorance of some posters.

 

The Sun of '89 was wrong .... but similarly today's press is an opposite airbrushing of 'the truth'.

 

Somewhere inbetween - those of us who know the 'real truth' (the only ones) - are those who were there & those residents in the immediate vicinity, before & after .... having gardens urinated in .... then, later, offering their home phones & tea, etc. for those fans in shock. And there were a couple of hundred at our house alone as the queues for the (few) phone boxes around were so long.

 

Many incidents conspired that day (mentioned throughout this thread) sadly culminating in that disaster - could've happened anywhere though.

However, the drunks who arrived late en masse .... as well as anyone who invaded a pitch in the 70's / 80's (and caused fences in the FIRST place) are all culpable IMO.

Similarly, any 'statement-alterers' should be tracked down & hammered too.

Nowadays I can take my little lad to a game (usually as 'Away' fans), without fear, in all-seater stadia .... and THAT is the legacy of the (innocent) 96.

 

There's plenty I could say about that day (as I'm sure many other locals could) but that's enough now.

I feel I had to stick up for that silent section who've never been asked for their accounts of that day.

 

So, Fallen troll/WUM, you know nothing .... and trolls get locked up these days ... be aware.

Well said .

I was there that day and we all have our own memories and opinions on the many factors that contributed to this horrible disaster.

Many of the factors relating to fans were common at all grounds at that time including drunkenness ,hooliganism and fighting.

Policing was all about crowd control,but it was easy to get caught up in trouble between rival fans.Consequently I would never take my young lads to any game unless we were in the stands.I had all on looking after myself at some big matches,memorably when Man Utd were in town.

It was a minority,but a minority that could have a severe effect on large sections of the crowd.the worst I experienced was on the Kop when Man Utd fans invaded the pitch and then charged towards Derby Fans on The Kop causing chaos and a crush as people fled.

As a result of such incidents we had more segregation of fans,including fencing which although well intentioned was probably the major cause of an incident becoming a tragedy.

There were many heroes that day ,including police,ambulance ,St Johns and members of the crowd and general public who did what they could in shocking circumstances.

There are going to be a lot of belated apologies in the weeks to come and also a lot of sidestepping of responsibility from those who were in responsible positions in the football world and in the various services at that time.

I do not think that the issues involved are as black and white as some choose to believe ,but I hope that for the sake of those directly affected that we are finally edging towards the truth .

[Mister M]

Sir Irvine Patnick has said that he is "deeply and sincerely sorry" for the part he played in tarnishing the names of those who died.

I think he should have his knighthood taken from him.

[Bypassblade]

This will now open up the biggest can of worms ever, SYP now proved to be liars, serious question coming up.

 

Can the following also be prosecuted as they must have lied at least to a degree, Thatcher, SWFC, Thatcher will have been protecting her "bully" boys for the work they did on the miners.

 

Not so sure with the SWFC bit, but she will have known there was a cover up & she should be prosecuted as well, don't care if she's ill; she's a liar & this proves it beyond all doubt.

 

This will rumble on for years to come, mark my words.

[PrimalJay]

Could there be a special exhibition match for between Liverpool and Forest at Hillsborough to put a close to that match and eventually, could SWFC demolish the Leppings Lane stand and build a new one called Liverpool Stand, the whole away end is very filthy and will forever be symbolic with death and corruption, do it SWFC.

Edited September 13, 2012 by PrimalJay

[Coxy]

Sir Irvine Patnick has said that he is "deeply and sincerely sorry" for the part he played in tarnishing the names of those who died.

I think he should have his knighthood taken from him.

 

Where have you seen this? Have you got a link? Thanks.