The Purpose of Research

On April 15th, 1989, a bad decision cost the lives of ninety-six men, women, and children and injured over 700 others. The site was the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield, England, where a semifinal match was being played between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. The decision was to allow the opening of the Gate C exit off Leppings Lane in order to alleviate a crush of fans at the turnstiles rather than delay the start of the game [1,2]. When the gate was opened, direct access was given to the central pens on the soccer pitch level. The pens quickly filled and the crush became lethal within moments [1-3].