‘Hillsborough’ is an in-depth, moving account of Britain’s worst sporting disaster in which 96 men, women and children were killed, hundreds injured and thousands traumatised. Beginning with that fateful day, April 15th 1989, the film details the horror of the tragedy, told through the experiences of those directly involved: fans, survivors, family members and police officers. Many speak publicly for the first time.
It captures the horror of the crush on the terraces, revealing the prejudices held by the police towards football fans. It exposes the police commanders’ abject failure in leadership as the tragedy unfolded, and their deceit and determination to deflect responsibility for their failures in crowd management onto those who survived.
‘Hillsborough’ exposes the lack of dignity shown to bereaved families as they arrived in Sheffield to identify their loved ones laid out in body bags on a gymnasium floor. It considers the impact of the orchestrated vilification of fans in the media and, as a consequence, their public condemnation. Interviewing those involved, it recounts the 27-year campaign for justice fought on behalf of the 96 who died.
Phil Scraton is Professor Emeritus in the School of Law, Queen’s University, Belfast. Director of The Hillsborough Project 1989-95 he was principal author of Hillsborough and After: The Liverpool Experience and No Last Rights: The Promotion of Myth and the Denial of Justice in the Aftermath of the Hillsborough Disaster. Phil was also Head of research for the Hillsborough In…dependent Panel, lead author of its 2013 Report, Hillsborough, and adviser to the families’ legal teams throughout the inquests. The new edition of his book Hillsborough: The Truth was published in 2016.
For his work over many years to achieve justice for the families of those bereaved on that fateful day Phil was awarded Freedom of the City of Liverpool and honorary DLaws by its university, his alma mater. He was also awarded The Political Studies Association’s Campaigner of the Year Award.
In 2016 Phil turned down an OBE in protest against those who failed to help survivors of the disaster and their bereaved families. He said he refused the honour in protest “at those who remained unresponsive” to efforts for truth and justice after the tragedy.
Phil was factual consultant on and contributor to the 2017 BAFTA winning documentary Hillsborough.
Admission £5
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