The police commander in charge on the day of the notorious Hillsborough disaster in 1989 is admitting he lied when he accused ticketless Liverpool fans of forcing an exit gate open to enter the soccer stadium.  In fact, it was David Duckenfield himself who ordered the gate opened, setting off a crush that killed 96 fans.

Britain’s worst sporting disaster occurred on 15 April 1989, at an FA semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

Now 70-years old, Duckenfield told the latest inquest into the avoidable tragedy, “I deeply regret what happened on the day.  It was a major mistake on my part.  I have no excuses.  I apologize unreservedly to the families and I hope they believe it is a very, very sincere apology.”  About 200 relatives of the dead were in the room and gasped as the truth most people knew all along was finally acknowledged. 

Duckenfield told the inquest that he was inexperienced with such crowds at the Hillsborough Stadium venue, and believed that if he opened the gates it would prevent a crush outside the stadium.  But about 2,000 fans surged in the narrow tunnels heading straight into a terrace that was already packed with fans. 

The tragedy was worsened by Britain’s tabloid media, specifically by Rupert Murdoch’s red-top tabloid The Sun, which baselessly accused Liverpool fans of picking the pockets of victims, urinating on cops, and beating up a constable who was trying to resuscitate a victim.  The Sun’s editor at the time later said Duckenfield confirmed the bogus report.