94 fans went to a football match and never came home.
For 27 years, the British establishment blamed the victims until a small group of families took on the system and uncovered one of the biggest cover-ups in UK history.
Trailer for “Hillsborough” (30 for 30)
I couldn’t find a trailer for 30 for 30 so I included this 2 min. clip from BBC instead:
Watch “Hillsborough” (30 for 30)
The only place I can find to watch “Hillsborough” is on ESPN (often requires $ depending on your streaming plans) at https://www.espn.com/watch/catalog/be944763-7f1c-453d-bdfe-beab9fb152b1/hillsborough.
For example, I watched it on YouTube TV which recorded it off of ESPN and I then saved it in my Youtube TV library.
Ratings:
- My Rating: 93/100
- IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: na
Release Date: April 15, 2014
My Review of
The Setup
The “30 for 30” documentary “Hillsborough” tells the tragic story of the 1989 disaster where 97 Liverpool fans died at an FA Cup semifinal.
Just 21 days before the match, a top police officer was replaced due to a scandal. His replacement, David Duckenfield, had little knowledge of soccer or the stadium.
When Liverpool fans were funneled into overcrowded sections, disaster struck. Instead of admitting their mistakes, the police falsely blamed the fans.
Director’s Note — “Hillsborough” is directed by Daniel Gordon (also known for great sports docs like “9.79” (also a “30 for 30”), “George Best: All by Himself” and “The Game of Their Lives”.
You Can’t Make This Sh*t Up
- Pens (caged sections) were added in 1985, preventing fans from escaping crowd surges.
- Six-foot fences kept fans from getting onto the field when the crush began.
- Duckenfield ordered a gate to open, letting more fans into an already packed area.
- Later, he lied and blamed Liverpool fans, saying they rushed in.
- A police officer said, “It was like looking at fish in a net.”
More Highlights from the Doc
- The Sun newspaper lied, saying Liverpool fans pickpocketed the dead and urinated on police.
- The Taylor Report (1990) blamed police and stadium design, not the fans.
- In 1991, an inquest wrongly ruled the deaths accidental.
- Families fought for over 25 years for justice.
- A 2012 report exposed a police cover-up and cleared the fans.
- In 2016, a new inquest ruled the deaths unlawful.
Lesser-Known Details from the Doc
- The FA knew Hillsborough was unsafe but still used it for big games.
- Survivors were breathalyzed at the hospital as police pushed the “drunken fan” story.
- Some fans were alive at 3:15 PM, but emergency care was stopped.
- In 1981, a similar crush happened at the same stadium, but warnings were ignored.
- Duckenfield never learned proper safety rules for the stadium before the game.
Wrap Up
Daniel Gordon’s “Hillsborough” exposes decades of lies and a fight for truth that took way too long. This isn’t just a sports story—it’s about how regular people stood up to corruption and finally won.
If you care about justice, this documentary will stay with you. If you also like football (soccer to us americans), it’s a must-watch.
Thanks for reading!
Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc