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 motorway or fog. I accept that the thinking behind this policy was not callous or punitive. If kick-off is postponed whenever a proportion of fans choose to leave the public houses late, the practice may grow and kick-off times would become meaningless. But, a commander must deal with the problem of the day. Faced with a situation which was becoming dangerous, crowd safety should have been his paramount consideration. Kick-off should have been delayed.

Summary

The layout of the turnstiles and the number they were required to serve left no margin of safety against an uneven flow of fans. Because police strategy in advance and on the day did not cater for it, the arrival of a large number of supporters between 2.30 pm and 2.40 pm created an unmanageable crush. The presence of a substantial minority of fans who had drunk too much aggravated that problem. Having lost control and rejected the option of postponing kick-off, the police were faced with a serious danger of deaths or injuries. They were left therefore with no alternative but to open the gates. Superintendent Marshall was right at that stage to ask for it and Mr Duckenfield was right to agree. But the possible effects of so dramatic a step required other action. Rh