Fans feared Lepping’s Lane was ‘crushed’ during Newcastle’s defeat by Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough
Newcastle fans feared Lepping’s Lane in Hillsborough could be “crushed” in Saturday’s FA Cup tie – 34 years after the disaster that killed 97 Liverpool supporters in the same stand – and the FA reports after complaints from supporters checked
- Newcastle fans feared being crushed during their side’s game at Hillsborough
- The Magpies lost to Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup on Saturday
- The guest end seemed crowded upon entering the Leppings Lane guest end
- A supporter said they were “crushed” and had to tear down a barrier to make room
The FA are examining reports of what Newcastle fans described as a ‘crush’ as they entered Hillsborough.
Pictures from the end of Leppings Lane where 97 Liverpool supporters were fatally injured in 1989 show Newcastle fans crowding around an entrance to the seating area.
The club’s Supporters’ Trust has asked witnesses to get in touch.
Newcastle fans complained about overcrowding at Hillsborough on Saturday night
Fans thronged the stadium to see the Magpies take on Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup
For some fans, memories of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, in which 97 people died, were awakened
One Twitter user, Barry, wrote: “I was in the middle of the bottom row and it was ridiculously crowded 10 minutes before kick off. The stairwell filled with fans and when we arrived we asked the stewards to point us in the right direction. Someone told us to go where we want!’
Another fan said: “Terrible. We were devastated so had to rip off the blue covers (from the seats) to create our own area for about 100 people.
“Stewards upstairs with empty seats turned down fans with valid tickets. A mess.’
Wednesday won the game 2-1 with Josh Windass (centre) scoring the League One team’s opener
A supporter added: “Even the top tier concourse was rammed tight. Staircases that are too narrow and stewards directing fans to the wrong area create further bottlenecks. That should not happen.”
Another said: “It was absolute chaos. The bottom row is the worst I’ve ever seen. People had to pick up their kids because it was so tight.”
Sheffield Wednesday did not respond to a request for comment.
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11612585/Fans-feared-Leapings-Lane-crush-Newcastles-defeat-Sheffield-Wednesday-Hillsborough.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 Fans feared Lepping’s Lane was ‘crushed’ during Newcastle’s defeat by Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough