Hillsborough

This week has seen the publication of the findings of the inquest in the Hillsborough disaster where 96 Liverpool football fans were trampled to death. It, rightly, lambastes the Police and the Emergency Services for their response and the subsequent cover-up; it also blames the Police for opening the gate that allowed the surge.

And one thing is clear - the victims were innocent. They were already in the ground. They had taken their places.

Dreadful, and inexcusable.

However, the Gorse Fox is not totally at ease with the findings.

There were many thousands of fans outside the stadium, which was already full. They could not all have had tickets as it was way beyond the capacity of the ground. What if the gate had not been opened late on, but had been open throughout? What would all the fans stuck outside have done when they heard the kick-off whistle? (Remember the ground was already full to capacity). GF has been in similar crowds and been in the surge as people push and even fight to get in (look at the news footage of the first day of the sales). He is afraid that it is too easy just to blame the Police, and by doing so it ignores the culpability of those trying to force their way into an already packed stadium.