might not expect to be allowed in, even for payment. Secondly, no trouble of the kind alleged was encountered at the 1988 semi-final when Liverpool visited Hillsborough. Thirdly, Liverpool visited Hillsborough again in January 1989 without any trouble. Finally, no forged tickets were in use on 15 April apart from three crude photocopies.
No Conspiracy
208. I have already found that there was not an abnormally large number of fans without tickets on this occasion. With one or two exceptions, the police witnesses themselves did not subscribe to the "conspiracy" theory. I am satisfied that the large concentration at Leppings Lane from 2.30 pm to 2.50 pm did not arrive as a result of any concerted plan. There were, I accept, small groups without tickets who were willing to exploit any adventitious chance of getting into the ground. They, together with the minority who had drunk too much, certainly aggravated the problem faced by the police. But that main problem was simply one of large numbers packed into the small area outside the turnstiles.
The Police Operation at Leppings Lane
209. The Operational Order for 15 April followed closely that laid down for the 1988 semi-final. The emphasis was on maintaining law and order. Side roads were to be blocked off to prevent damage in residential areas. Pairs of officers were to patrol streets to prevent "clash of rival supporters". Officers were to watch public houses, shops and supermarkets "where looting could take place". Outside the turnstiles, officers were to ensure supporters entering did not have banners, weapons, missiles or alcohol.
210. Unfortunately, hooligan behaviour has made all these steps necessary. But the only written provision aimed at effecting controlled entry to the turnstiles was one enjoining officers "to ensure orderly queues are formed". There was no provision for controlling the entry of the crowd into the turnstile area.
211. As long ago as 1924, the Departmental Committee on Crowds stated:"The control of crowds should begin at a point some considerable distance from the entrance to the ground. The advantages of an arrangement of this kind are... in preventing congestion at the entrances to grounds." This was particularly important at Leppings Lane where the turnstile area was so small and awkwardly laid out. If a large crowd was permitted uncontrolled entry through the perimeter gates, the forming of queues at the turnstiles and control by officers, whether on foot or mounted, would become impracticable. Those waiting at the turnstiles would become a single growing mass. Once that happened, it would be difficult to retrieve the situation.
212. Whether steps were taken and what steps to avoid this happening was left to oral briefing and ad hoc instructions on the day.
Previous Experience
The senior police officers said it had never happened before so there was no reason to foresee it. In fact, the only two previous occasions when the Leppings Lane terraces had been used to fill the whole of the north and west sides of the ground were at the two semi-finals, in 1987 and 1988. In 1987, the match was on a Sunday, scheduled for 12 noon, and kick-off was postponed for a quarter of an hour because of late arrivals.
Policing in 1988 As to 1988, there was a very large and consistent body of evidence that, on the day, the police in Leppings Lane conducted an efficient filtering exercise designed to keep away those without tickets and control the flow of fans towards the ground. I do not believe that so many witnesses without either opportunity or reason to put their heads together could be mistaken about what they experienced on that occasion. Yet, the police maintain that no filtering exercise other than on a random basis was conducted in 1988 and that their policy and practice then were no different from those of 1989.
215. The answer to this conflict must, I think, be that whilst the policy may have been no different, in practice the policing in 1988 was more efficient and was not put to the same test and strain as a year later. There was not so large a swell in numbers approaching the ground from 2.30 pm to 2.50 pm as in 1989. Nevertheless, there had been warning signs in 1988. Detective Superintendent McKay gave the following evidence:
