each radial fence. When those gates are open, the back row of the terracing is intended to permit access from pen to pen along the whole west side. In practice, when substantial numbers are present, those gateways are not readily visible or accessible. The present layout of the pens, fences, crush barriers and gates has resulted from a series of piecemeal changes. The nature and effect of those changes must be considered later.
The Turnstiles
29. Because of the housing in Vere Road there is no access from the north side of the ground. Along Penistone Road North there are some 46 turnstiles which usually give access both to the Kop and to the east end of the north stand. They are marked 43 to 88 inclusive on the plan. The 12 numbered 77 to 88 are designed to feed the north stand but were not used for that purpose on 15 April in order to segregate supporters of the two teams as appears later. Two of them, 77 and 78, were however used for access to the Kop.
30. At the south side of the ground there were 24 turnstiles (numbered 19 to 42 on the plan). Those numbered 37 to 42 led to the Kop and the rest to the south stand.
31. In summary, the south and east sides of the ground accommodated some 29,800 whose access on the day was through 60 turnstiles.
32. The other two sides of the ground, north and west, with a capacity of 24,256 were fed solely from the Leppings Lane entrance where there were only 23 turnstiles.
Travel to the Ground
33. Most supporters were expected to come by road although rail transport was available. Nottingham supporters travelling by train would arrive at the main line Sheffield Midland Station whence they would be directed and escorted northwards by the police. They would arrive at the ground along Penistone Road. Nottingham supporters travelling by coach, mini-bus or car would approach Sheffield from the south mainly on the M1. Again their arrival at the ground would predominantly be via Penistone Road or Merries Road.
34. Liverpool supporters travelling by normal rail service would arrive at Sheffield Midland Station just like their Nottingham counterparts. The police aimed to segregate the rival fans and put them into separate coaches. Liverpool fans could alternatively travel by special train to Wadsley Bridge, a British Rail station catering solely for football supporters and situated to the north of the ground. A police escort was available to conduct them on foot to the Leppings Lane entrance. Those coming from Liverpool by road would approach Sheffield either via the M62 and down the M1 from the north or across the Pennines from the north west. All such routes would bring them to the ground via one or other limb of Leppings Lane as shown on Appendix 1. Broadly, therefore, arrivals from Liverpool would be from the north and west; arrivals from Nottingham would be from the south and east.
Allocation of Places and Tickets
35. Experience in recent years has produced a policy of segregation to prevent trouble between supporters of rival teams. The need for this policy to be maintained was endorsed and emphasised by the Popplewell Report following the Bradford City disaster in 1985. Accordingly, before the 1988 semi-final the police decided that sections of the Hillsborough Stadium should be allocated so as to achieve efficient segregation of Liverpool and Nottingham Forest fans. The section to be granted to each was determined by the direction whence each predominantly approached. Thus, Liverpool were allotted the north and west sides of the ground for which access was from Leppings Lane. Nottingham Forest were allotted the south and east sides with access from Penistone Road.
36. The effect of the decision was that for this all-ticket Cup Tie, Liverpool were allotted only 24,256 places as against 29,800 for Nottingham Forest. This, although average attendance of supporters at home matches was substantially higher at Liverpool than at Nottingham. Moreover, with standing tickets at £6 and seats at £12, Nottingham Forest had 21,000 standing places compared with Liverpool's 10,100. So, Liverpool's allocation was more expensive as well as smaller. Understandably, Liverpool were aggrieved by the allocation of places and tickets. They sought with some support from the host club and the FA to have it changed in 1988, but the police were adamant. To switch ends would, in their opinion, have involved rival supporters crossing each other's paths when approaching the ground thereby frustrating attempts at segregation and creating a risk of disorder. In 1989, when the same plan was proposed, Liverpool again challenged it. The police, however, maintained their view, adding that those who had attended in 1988 would be familiar with the arrangements and that any change would lead to confusion.
