April 15, 1989, marked a black day for British sporting history.
That day, 94 people died as a result of crush injuries after an uncontrolled overcrowding event on one of Hillsborough’s then stand-only pens. Hundreds more were injured, and two others died following the tragedy. The last victim, Anthony Bland, passed away in 1993, after spending his last four years of life in a vegetative state.
The disaster happened during the 1988–89 FA Cup semi-final game between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, as thousands of people were crammed through a narrow tunnel leading to the already overcrowded central pens.
The influx of people began to push the fans already present inside the standing pens forward, causing the front rows to become trapped between the fence and the human mass coming in. Soon, one of the metal barriers gave way and people began spilling over. Many weren’t so lucky, and died of asphyxia among the tightly packed crowds above.
In the aftermath of the disaster, match officials allegedly attempted to cover up their shortcomings in managing the situation.
Police chief David Duckenfield, now aged 72, was the match commander on the fateful day. He is now facing manslaughter charges over the deaths of 95 soccer fans.
Five others are also facing diverse charges in relation to the tragedy.