Hillsborough Stadium: MP requests 'urgent' meeting over Sheffield Wednesday's Leppings Lane capacity reduction

The capacity of the Leppings Lane end of Sheffield Wednesday’s ground was cut from 4,700 to 3,700 following a review by Sheffield Council’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG), overseen by the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA). The review took place after Newcastle fans voiced concerns about safety in the away end at the stadium during their side’s FA Cup third-round defeat by the Owls in January.

The capacity was reduced despite the review concluding the Owls had not breached their safety certificate and the number of fans in the Lower and Upper West Stands were below the numbers permitted. Sheffield Wednesday have appealed against the decision, and now Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough MP Gill Furniss has called for clarity about how the decision was made.

Improved communication ‘desperately needed’

Ms Furniss has written to Councillor Joe Otten, who chairs the council’s Waste and Street Scene Policy Committee, asking for an urgent meeting to discuss the ‘communication and transparency’ of the decision-making process by the SAG, which includes representatives from South Yorkshire Police, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue and Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

She said: “There has been a significant amount of uncertainty around the steps that have been taken by Sheffield’s SAG since Sheffield Wednesday played Newcastle United. The council and the SAG play an essential role in keeping events in our city safe but it is imperative that the club, fans and local community are given all the information available about decisions to ensure safety at Hillsborough stadium. I have requested this meeting in order to press for the improved communication on these matters which is desperately needed.”

‘A most contrarian decision’

Former Sheffield councillor John Hesketh, who was cabinet member for planning and highways, has also questioned how what he described as a ‘most contrarian’ decision was made.

He said: “It seems that there was no credible material evidence of Leppings Lane safety problems at the match at Hillsborough Stadium on January 7, despite the complaints by some Newcastle United fans. Nonetheless, a publicly funded body (Sheffield Council’s SAG) has ruled that capacity (and therefore income) is to be reduced at a local Sheffield business (SWFC). Given the hard evidence publicly available, it seems a most contrarian decision by SAG. Astonishing, looked at in the cold light of day.”

Ninety-seven Liverpool fans died as a result of a crush in the Leppings Lane End at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest. Mr Hesketh said that Sheffield Wednesday continue ‘to pay a heavy price for an incident that was primarily the fault of other players, notably South Yorkshire Police (represented on the SAG, of course)’.

Hillsborough Stadium never breached its capacity

The council review followed a social media post which included an image taken nine minutes before kick-off in the Newcastle game, purporting to show ‘fans in distress and a lack of stewarding’. However, evidence from matchday records revealed no reports of CCTV footage of spectators in distress recorded by event control, and stewarding numbers were in excess of safety certificate requirements.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe last week said the Premier League club fully supported fans for raising concerns.

Richard Eyre, Sheffield Council’s director of street scene and regulations, has said that following concerns about crowd movements at Hillsborough ‘minor recommendations’ were made, which included a review into the capacity of the stands.

“Although there was no immediate recommendation to do so, the club voluntarily offered to reduce the capacity in the Upper and Lower West Stands. Sheffield City Council agreed this was the right thing to do prior to a robust review having taken place and since then the reduction request has become a formal requirement so to improve the matchday experience,” he said. “It should be made clear that Hillsborough Stadium never breached its capacity or its Safety Certificate at any time.”