Stuff You Should Know

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The Hillsborough Disaster

Explore episode Jun 30, 2026
History
97 deaths total

The Hillsborough Disaster · Jun 30, 2026

95 people died at Hillsborough on the day, 700 were injured, and 2 more died in subsequent years, bringing the total to 97.

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The Match Stops — Too Late

At 15:40 · chapter starts 14:00

Even as people were dying in the pens, the police response was catastrophically confused. Officers who hadn't been briefed on the situation assumed the crowd surging toward the fences was a pitch invasion — a familiar enough sight in 1980s British football. Some formed a cordon on the field facing the crowd. Others opened pen gates or dragged people to safety. Match commander Duckenfield called for Operation Support reinforcements but gave no explanation of what was actually happening. Meanwhile, photographer David Cannon captured close-up images of fans pressed against the fencing — images that helped convey the reality to anyone who saw them. At 3:06 PM, the superintendent physically walked onto the pitch and told the referee to stop the game — two minutes after the control box had already signalled for a halt that was ignored. The game stopped 6 minutes in. The damage was done.

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