Zenith Data Systems Cup 1989

[vorpal blade]

In an idle moment yesterday, I saw that the Liverpool Echo report from the Hillsborough enquiry suggests there was relatively serious crushing on the Leppings Lane End at a Owls v Blades match 7 months after the disaster. This Sky® report summarises;

"By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

There was "serious overcrowding" at the Hillsborough stadium seven months after the 1989 disaster, the official inquests have heard.

Jurors at the inquests into the deaths of 96 spectators had previously heard details of the crushing of fans prior to the tragedy but this is believed to be the first time that it has been revealed that problems occurred afterwards.

The overcrowding is said to have taken place at the Leppings Lane end of the ground during a Sheffield derby match.

The Leppings Lane or West Stand is where 96 were crushed to death in April 1989."


That was the season we were promoted at Leicester and Wednesday were relegated from the First Division so the only match that seems to be the one that enquiry is talking about was in the Zenith Cup on 21.11.1989.

The match is on YouTube and the terracing looks completely empty, the report suggests that the problem that night was on the North West Corner which I think is the high quadrant next to the Cantilever Stand (not generally visible on the video).

I was just wondering if anyone was there that night and remembers the incident or if the date is wrong?

I have been in the top tier of the Leppings Lane stand and remember the exit stairs were over-crowded but the worst crush at a United game that I remember was that time on the TIvoli End at Millmoor when a wall collapsed.

Any ideas please?

 

[Sothall_Blade]

In an idle moment yesterday, I saw that the Liverpool Echo report from the Hillsborough enquiry suggests there was relatively serious crushing on the Leppings Lane End at a Owls v Blades match 7 months after the disaster. This Sky® report summarises;

"By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

There was "serious overcrowding" at the Hillsborough stadium seven months after the 1989 disaster, the official inquests have heard.

Jurors at the inquests into the deaths of 96 spectators had previously heard details of the crushing of fans prior to the tragedy but this is believed to be the first time that it has been revealed that problems occurred afterwards.

The overcrowding is said to have taken place at the Leppings Lane end of the ground during a Sheffield derby match.

The Leppings Lane or West Stand is where 96 were crushed to death in April 1989."


That was the season we were promoted at Leicester and Wednesday were relegated from the First Division so the only match that seems to be the one that enquiry is talking about was in the Zenith Cup on 21.11.1989.

The match is on YouTube and the terracing looks completely empty, the report suggests that the problem that night was on the North West Corner which I think is the high quadrant next to the Cantilever Stand (not generally visible on the video).

I was just wondering if anyone was there that night and remembers the incident or if the date is wrong?

I have been in the top tier of the Leppings Lane stand and remember the exit stairs were over-crowded but the worst crush at a United game that I remember was that time on the TIvoli End at Millmoor when a wall collapsed.

Any ideas please?

Half empty terraces while people are overcrowded in other parts of the stadium?
Nah, that could never have happened.
It must have been them bastard pissed up Blades fans pushing their way into the ground to avoid paying...

 

[metalblade]

Yes I was at that game, it was the 1st time that end was open after the disaster. the only standing was in the North West corner and their was no crush at all. SYP were shitting themselves though.

 

[vorpal blade]

Do you think they are thinking of a different match then?

 

[Darren]

Do you think they are thinking of a different match then?

It can't be anything other than that match. The next proper derby there was the 1992 3-1 win.

 

[Revolution]

Metalblade - I think you are wrong. I was there, and stood on that terrace, and the report is accurate. That was the only time that terrace (the corner one) was used after the disaster. A few memories:

1. The safety gangways were full of people, which was of course not allowed.

2. The crush was getting so bad around kick off time that people started screaming at the police to do something. Eventually they did move a number of people into the North Stand I recall.

3. It was still very tight even after they moved a few people - so much so that when Deano scored our first goal I was lifted off the ground in the surge. That's the only time that has ever happened to me at a game.

The police had learned nothing.

 

[Eskimo]

I was at the Rotherham match when the wall collapsed. If I remember correctly a policeman on a horse was stopping the crowd at one end exiting on to the road and behind us the police were encouraging us to get out of the terracing. It was very tight indeed but I can't remember anyone around m ebeing particularly worried, even when the wall was wobbling.

How about Halifax away in the div 4 season. Didn't a wall collapse there too?

 

[sitwell]

Yes a wall collapsed at Halifax just in front of me at Halifax ,it was on the side not behind the goal ,wasn't due to crushing or anything though ,it just gave way and caused people to fall onto each other.
The worst crushing ive been in and the only time Ive been genuinely fearful for my safety was a night match at Highbury when the police with horses backed all the Blades into a tunnel area Gasping and fighting for breath is a horrible experience , just glad I wasn't claustrophobic.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

I was in the north-west corner that night and nothing stuck in my mind about any problems with over crowding. If I remember right (and it is 25 years ago) we were in the upper part, whether there were problems in the lower section possibly???

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Metalblade - I think you are wrong. I was there, and stood on that terrace, and the report is accurate. That was the only time that terrace (the corner one) was used after the disaster. A few memories:

1. The safety gangways were full of people, which was of course not allowed.

2. The crush was getting so bad around kick off time that people started screaming at the police to do something. Eventually they did move a number of people into the North Stand I recall.

3. It was still very tight even after they moved a few people - so much so that when Deano scored our first goal I was lifted off the ground in the surge. That's the only time that has ever happened to me at a game.

The police had learned nothing.

I was stood not far away from the group chanting "we want room" and wondered what all the fuss was about - but then we were to the Leppings Lane side of the entrance and had our back to a barrier. Initially thought it was a particularly bad piss-take, but people were clearly getting irate. That said, it was never tight all game where we were stood - which just goes to show how poorly laid out it was.

 

[vorpal blade]

No Handsworth the lower terraces were absolutely empty,

I was in the Tivoli End that day and what would now be considered dangerous over crowding was in those days quite usual. Like some of the contributors above, for me the worst crushes are after the match on the way out, I mention the stairs down from Leppings Lane, trying to get out at Maine Road and from the 'kop?' end at Upton Park. Installing all those seats have made old grounds safer inside but sometimes the concourses, stairs and areas immediately outside the stadium seem low priority to the clubs. The tragedy at Hillsborough started outside the ground and moved inside. I concur that crushes on the way out of stadia often seem caused by police action. Its when they stop a flow of tightly-packed, walking people that pressure builds up but crowd misbehaviour one way or another is why they think they have to do it.

 

[Trafford]

If this was the 3-2 defeat, and the recurring chant of "he's fat, he's brown, he's taking Wednesday down", I was there and there was a crush. It was in the top part of the corner and there was nowhere to go - people still coming in at the back and metal barriers in front. To be fair there was some over-reacting but it wasn't pleasant.

 

[Coily]

I was in the West Stand seats so wasn't aware of any crush in the corner terrace, but I do remember thinking there would be a 'lack of respect' shitstorm when Booker scored in the last minute and he jumped on the fence on Leppings Lane.

 

[IOM Blade]

No Handsworth the lower terraces were absolutely empty,

Can anyone help a lazy bastard and tell me what time the goals are in that vid? Flicked through but not seen any.

 

[Kenilworth]

I was in the Leppings Lane end but cant remember any crush
Main memory is the winner scored by Dalian Atkinson not far from the end of the game - classy finish
We put up a very good fight that game and came mighty close to upsetting the apple cart.

I don't think the ground has changed much since then, has it?
Not when I was last there for the latest 3rd division derby it hadn't

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

No Handsworth the lower terraces were absolutely empty,

Who was commentating? Was it Brian Glover?

 

[vorpal blade]

Well if you like mad Yorkshire commentators, try this guy for size, he makes Eddie Waring sound like he was at Eton.



bags more of him on YouTube.

 

[Silent Blade]

I was in the Leppings Lane end but cant remember any crush
Main memory is the winner scored by Dalian Atkinson not far from the end of the game - classy finish
We put up a very good fight that game and came mighty close to upsetting the apple cart.

I don't think the ground has changed much since then, has it?
Not when I was last there for the latest 3rd division derby it hadn't

No, Atkinson got the first and Sheridan got the winner

 

[ZoneManWilf]

I was there that night in the top tier, main thing I remember is looking at the mangled and bent crush barriers below and realising how bad it must have been to bend solid metal like that with a human crush.

And going barmy for Bob Booker's late equaliser, but being depressed at Sheridan's excellent winner, where it seemed like he went past half the team without anyone putting a tackle in.

 

[Kenilworth]

No, Atkinson got the first and Sheridan got the winner

I don't bloody remember anything do I

Thanks for the correction Silent

 

[CarlingBlade]

I was in the corner terrace that night and there definitely was a crush closer to the front.

I think the way the stand is set out meant fans pushed forward to get a better view, being only 12 years old at the time it was very close and I had to be pushed under a crush barrier by another blade to avoid any serious damage being crushed against it.

I recall maybe 10 fans having to jump from the terracing onto the lower terrace to avoid getting crushed.

Like someone else said seeing the mangled barriers down below was a little disturbing considering what had happened 6 months earlier, that stand should have been knocked down.

 

[Bladesman]

I was in the corner terrace that night and there definitely was a crush closer to the front.

I think the way the stand is set out meant fans pushed forward to get a better view, being only 12 years old at the time it was very close and I had to be pushed under a crush barrier by another blade to avoid any serious damage being crushed against it.

I recall maybe 10 fans having to jump from the terracing onto the lower terrace to avoid getting crushed.

Like someone else said seeing the mangled barriers down below was a little disturbing considering what had happened 6 months earlier, that stand should have been knocked down.

The whole place needs flattening and I hope their new owner realizes what a crap hole he has bought in to.

 

[Droppingwell]

I was at the front of the upper tier and it was unnerving seeing all the mangled crash barriers in the empty terrace below. Even the concrete was scraped and scratched. I saw the crush in the derby match mentioned in the recent enquiry but it was the first I had ever heard of it.

 

[metalblade]

I was in the corner terrace that night and there definitely was a crush closer to the front.

I think the way the stand is set out meant fans pushed forward to get a better view, being only 12 years old at the time it was very close and I had to be pushed under a crush barrier by another blade to avoid any serious damage being crushed against it.

I recall maybe 10 fans having to jump from the terracing onto the lower terrace to avoid getting crushed.

Like someone else said seeing the mangled barriers down below was a little disturbing considering what had happened 6 months earlier, that stand should have been knocked down.

Metalblade - I think you are wrong. I was there, and stood on that terrace, and the report is accurate. That was the only time that terrace (the corner one) was used after the disaster. A few memories:

1. The safety gangways were full of people, which was of course not allowed.

2. The crush was getting so bad around kick off time that people started screaming at the police to do something. Eventually they did move a number of people into the North Stand I recall.

3. It was still very tight even after they moved a few people - so much so that when Deano scored our first goal I was lifted off the ground in the surge. That's the only time that has ever happened to me at a game.

The police had learned nothing.

I took my son (who was 10 yr old at the time) to the game so we stood at the front so that he could see and there was definitely no crush where we were stood. I don't know about higher up at the back but the only thing that sticks in my mind was SYP constantly putting a video camera on the fans in that corner and as others have said the wreckage behind the goal of crush barriers flattened to the floor.