ITV have made a new drama series called Anne, which depicts the events of the devastating Hillsborough disaster, which took place over 30 years ago.
During an FA Cup football match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, held at Sheffield’s Hillsborough ground, tragedy ensued because of overcrowding and many fans were crushed to death in what is known as the worst incident in the UK’s football history.
The series stars Maxine Peake as Anne Williams, who worked tirelessly as a campaigner for the victims of the disaster.
As the show arrives on screens, find out more about what happened on that fateful day that changed the world of football forever.
The disaster took place on 15 April, 1989.
Ninety-four people died on the day, while another person died in hospital days later, and another victim – Tony Bland – died as a result of his injuries in 1993.
What followed was a long drawn out history of the victims and their families seeking justice and an explanation for how the tragedy could have occurred.
Match commander Ch Supt David Duckenfield was cleared of gross negligence manslaughter at a retrial in November 2019, after the jury in his first trial was unable to reach a verdict.
During the time of the trial, jury members were told it was due to his ‘extraordinarily bad failings’ that 96 spectators were crushed in the Sheffield stadium.
However, Benjamin Myers QC, who defended Duckenfield said he was being ‘singled out unfairly’.
However, the jury did manage to reach a majority verdict against Graham Mackrell, then secretary and safety officer for the Sheffield Wednesday club. He was accused and found guilty of not taking reasonable care for the safety of Liverpool supporters, as he had only allocated seven turnstiles for 10,100 people.
In July 2021, Hillsborough claimed its 97th victim, as Liverpool fan Andrew Devine died 32 years after he was crushed and suffered life-changing injuries.
A coroner ruled he was unlawfully killed as a result of the disaster, making him the 97th victim.
The claim is that an exit gate was opened to relieve crowds outside the turnstiles, which allowed over 2,500 fans to enter the stadium.
This effectively overcrowded the already full central pens and caused 96 fans to be crushed. Horrific images from the day show the severity of the issue as people are pressed up against metal gates and hanging off the stadium’s walls and falling to the seating area below.
While 97 people have lost their lives as a result of the tragedy, 766 people were also injured.
Anne begins on ITV1 tonight at 9pm.
MORE : More than 600 people to get compensation after Hillsborough cover-up
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