Only 20 years too late!!

Plans for Leppings Lane stand where 96 Liverpool FC fans died

THE infamous Leppings Lane stand, where 96 Liverpool fans lost their lives, could finally be consigned to history.

Sheffield Wednesday has submitted new £22m proposals to transform Hillsborough.

And first on the list is a complete remodelling of the West Stand, formerly the Leppings Lane terrace, the scene of Britain’s worst ever football disaster.

Outline planning permission for £22m proposals have been submitted to Sheffield council to revitalise the stadium into a 44,825 capacity venue by 2013.

Leppings Lane was renamed the West Stand when the former terrace became seated following Lord Justice Taylor’s report into the tragedy.

If approved, the current two-tier stand will be in line for a large extension, consisting of a sizeable third tier, crowned by a towering cantilever-style roof.

The stand’s total capacity will rise to 7,345 with space and access for wheelchair supporters.

The pillars that presently support the stand will be removed and a wall separating the first two tiers knocked down and replaced with a glass front. That barrier was where Liverpool fans sitting in the upper tier desperately tried to haul up fellow fans who were being crushed below.

In the heart of the stand, behind the seating area, will be a modern 1,000 square metre learning zone that overlooks the pitch for fans to visit.

Today, Sheffield Wednesday promised to hold talks with the Hillsborough families to ensure the new proposed designs were “sympathetic” to them.

A club spokesman told the ECHO: “We are completely aware of the issues surrounding these plans and we are keen to engage in dialogue with the families of the 96.

“We want to make sure they understand any development which is taking place.”

It is unclear if the two stairwells leading to the infamous tunnel, which became fatally packed with Liverpool supporters spilling into the two Leppings Lane central pens – crushing those at the front near the fences – will remain or be demolished.

Over the last two decades, there have been calls for the stand to be completely bulldozed to ease the painful memories for those families whose loved ones died in the FA Cup semi-final in 1989.

Margaret Aspinall, chairwoman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, today welcomed the news.

The mum, who lost her son James, 18, in the tragedy, said: “As long as it’s safe for supporters to get in and watch a game in comfort, we support it.

“But this should have been done a long time ago, we shouldn’t have to wait 20 years.”

Sheila Coleman, spokeswoman for the Hillsborough Justice Campaign, said: “We would want an acknowledgement or memorial to the 96 people who lost their lives there.

“We would welcome any opportunity to go and sit down with the club about this.”

Sheffield Wednesday said they would press ahead with the development even if the stadium was not chosen as part of England’s World Cup bid for 2018.


http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2009/08/20/plans-for-leppings-lane-stand-where-96-liverpool-fc-fans-died-100252-24486432/

All I can say is, about bloody time as well.  :

maybe I'm being a synic here, but isn't it funny how they are now bothered about making their ground safer when a world cup bid is coming up.

Worthy thought.

maybe I'm being a synic here, but isn't it funny how they are now bothered about making their ground safer when a world cup bid is coming up.

That view has got some mileage to it and indirectly its got to be true but the government are probably lashing money about like crazy with the World Cup bid coming up and no doubt a good proportion of that is Euro funded. The mingebags wouldn't do a F***ing tap as has been proved in the years since the tragedy because that might infer the structures are as unsafe as the world and his wife knows they are.

Lets be fair it took them long enough just to have a memorial near their ground.

About time :

Thank God. Pull your fingers our and do it already

So Am I correct in assuming that the terrace area is relatively the same, but with seats?  They never widened the stairwells or passage areas?

So Am I correct in assuming that the terrace area is relatively the same, but with seats?  They never widened the stairwells or passage areas?

Spot on mate, and the new stand will not have any widenning of the passages or stairwells either.

Thats insane. You have a stadium which has a design flaw in one section where 96 people died due to these design flaws and they never fixed them? So theirs no reason to assume it wouldn't happen again in the same stadium, in the same section.

Then they design a new addition and renovation of the section and keep the flaws in the design. I cant believe that the stadium didn't fix those areas the day after the incident. That pisses me off.

They have to be mentally Ill if they think their going to host a World Cup game there.  Plus, I thought you had to be an "Elite" stadium, ranked by FIFA to host World Cup games or CL matches.