HILLSBOROUGH match commander David Duckenfield admitted yesterday that his failure had caused the deaths of 96 Liverpool fans in the 1989 disaster.

Questioned yesterday at an ongoing inquest, Duckenfield admitted that his decision not to close a tunnel leading to a fenced-off standing area was “the direct cause” of the fans’ deaths.

Duckenfield, now 70 and retired, had previously told the inquest that it was his first time in charge of policing a football match and that he didn’t know what he was doing.

He ordered Gate C opened to relieve crowding at the Leppings Lane turnstile, leading 2,000 supporters to enter the stadium and go down the tunnel into the already full central pens.

Under questioning by Paul Greaney QC, for the Police Federation, Duckenfield conceded that he “froze.”
“Do you agree with the following, that people died in a crush in the central pens?” asked Greaney.

“Yes sir,” Duckenfield said.

“That if they had not been permitted to flow down the tunnel into those central pens that would not have occurred?”
“Yes sir.”
“That closing the tunnel would have prevented that and therefore would have prevented the tragedy?”
“Yes sir.”
“That you failed to recognise that there was a need to close that tunnel?”
“I did fail to recognise that sir.”
“And therefore failed to take steps to achieve that?”
“I did sir.”
“That failure was the direct cause of the deaths of 96 persons in the Hillsborough tragedy.”
“Yes sir.”

During his earlier evidence, Mr Duckenfield denied he “bottled it” and “simply froze” during the FA Cup semi-final tie between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, and didn’t know the geography of the ground.

His admissions are utterly damning, having originally told the contemporary Taylor inquiry that he made the right decisions on the day.

In the wake of the April 15 1989 tragedy police staged a cover-up to hide their responsibility for the deaths, with statements made by officers doctored by South Yorkshire Police and a disgusting campaign against the victims conducted by the media and politicians.

The original inquest recorded verdicts of “accidental death,” and only the determination of the bereaved families has led to the truth finally becoming uncovered.

Duckenfield will continue to give evidence tomorrow.

by Our Sports Desk