Did Hillsborough Stadium meet the safety standards of the day?
Although Hillsborough Stadium possessed a Safety Certificate, it was identified as early as the Taylor Inquiry, and has since been confirmed in Mr Cutlack's reports, that there were various ways in which the ground in 1989 did not adhere to the recommended standards of the Green Guide 1986. For example:
there were not enough turnstiles at the Leppings Lane end for the number of spectators
the fact that Pens 3 and 4 had a shared entrance and exit
there were some areas of Pens 3 and 4 where the distance to the nearest crush barrier was more than recommended
some of the barriers were the wrong height—including one of the barriers higher up the terrace than the barrier that collapsed, which meant during the crush in the pens the collapsed barrier was subjected to a pressure greater than it had been designed to withstand
the emergency exits from Pens 3 and 4 were not suitable—the central tunnel was too steep and the gates in the perimeter fence at the front were too narrow
the permitted capacity for Pens 3 and 4 was far higher than it should have been
Despite these factors, and the fact that there had been previous crushes on the West Terrace, Operation Resolve has found no evidence that any party felt that Hillsborough Stadium was unsafe when it was considered as a venue for the 1989 FA Cup Semi-Final.
