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How Ch Supt Duckenfield prepared for the 1989 Semi-Final

  1. As set out at the start of the chapter, Ch Supt Mole ensured that Ch Supt Duckenfield was invited to the planning meeting on 22 March. However, after that, there appears to have been minimal handover or knowledge transfer before the Semi-Final.
     
  2. At the Popper Inquests, Ch Supt Duckenfield said that he did not recall having a detailed discussion with Ch Supt Mole about the match. However, he said he had been assured by Ch Supt Mole that the plan was well prepared, and he had an experienced team under him making the arrangements.
     
  3. In evidence at the Goldring Inquests on 10 March 2015, Ch Supt Duckenfield recalled that he arranged to see Ch Supt Mole ahead of the FA Cup Semi-Final. However, he said: “I went to see Mr Mole, expecting to have a whole day with him, and he seemed, shall we say, in my view, disappointed to be moving, wanting to clear his desk, jealously guarding his relationship, I thought, with Sheffield Wednesday, and offered me little or no advice.”
     
  4. In preparation for the 1989 FA Cup Semi-Final, Ch Supt Duckenfield attended two league matches at Hillsborough Stadium.
     
    • On Saturday 1 April, he attended the game between SWFC and Millwall (attendance 18,358)
    • On Wednesday 5 April, he attended the evening game between SWFC and Wimbledon (attendance 15,777).
       
  5. He said that he toured the stadium and spoke to some of those on duty. He could not remember exactly what he had seen or who he spoke to but said he did not see anything that concerned him.
     
  6. However, he did not have any meetings with SWFC officials, who knew his predecessor in the role very well, in advance of the match. In previous years, including 1988, there had been a meeting between SWFC and SYP. It is not clear why this did not happen in 1989. 
     
  7. This meant that he did not have the opportunity to learn of any concerns that SWFC had, or of any changes to the SWFC planning. For example, this could have been an opportunity for SWFC to inform SYP in general, and Ch Supt Duckenfield in particular, of the change in turnstile arrangements for 1989.