Fans feared Leppings Lane ‘crush’ during Newcastle’s defeat to Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough
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Newcastle fans feared Leppings Lane would be ‘crushed’ at Hillsborough in Saturday’s FA Cup tie, 34 years after the disaster that killed 97 Liverpool supporters in the same tier, and the FA is investigating the reports following the fan complaints.
- Newcastle fans feared they would be crushed during their team’s game at Hillsborough
- The Magpies lost to Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup on Saturday
- The distance end appeared to be crowded as you entered the distance end of Leppings Lane
- One supporter said they were ‘squashed’ and had to break through a barrier to make room.
The FA is investigating reports of what Newcastle fans have described as a “crush” upon entering Hillsborough.
Images from the Leppings Lane end, where 97 Liverpool supporters were fatally injured in 1989, show Newcastle fans huddled around an entrance to the seating area.
The club’s Board of Trustees has asked the witnesses to contact them.
Newcastle fans complained about overcrowding at the visiting Hillsborough end on Saturday night
Fans packed the stadium to watch the Magpies take on Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup
For some fans, it brought back memories of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster that saw 97 die.
One Twitter user, Barry, wrote: “I was in the center of the lower tier and ridiculously packed 10 minutes before kick off. The stairwell was packed with fans and when we arrived we asked the stewards to point us in the right direction. One! He told us to go where we want!
Another fan said: ‘Awful. We were squashed so we had to remove the blue covers (from the seats) to create our own area for about 100 people.
Upstairs marshals with empty seats were turning away fans with valid tickets. A disaster.’
Wednesday won the game 2-1, with Josh Windass (centre) scoring the League One side’s first goal
One follower added: ‘Even the upper level lobby was cramped. The stairs are too narrow and the marshals direct fans to the wrong area creating more bottlenecks. This shouldn’t be happening.
Another said: ‘It was absolute chaos. The lower level is the worst I have ever seen, people had to pick up their children because it was so crowded.
Sheffield Wednesday did not respond to a request for comment.
