Barriers at cup match ‘insensitive’

A CAMPAIGNER for the victims of the Hillsborough disaster said it was “insensitive” to use crowd control barriers for an FA Cup game at the Sheffield stadium this weekend.

Margaret Aspinall, whose 18-year-old son James died in the football tragedy in 1989 when Liverpool took on Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semi-final, said she could not understand why police were testing the use of the barriers.

South Yorkshire Police and Sheffield Wednesday announced they were trying out the new barriers for the cup game against West Ham today.

It was chosen as a trial ahead of the potentially explosive derby match against Sheffield United next month.

Aspinall, chairman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, said: “I am quite disappointed about this.

“I think it is very insensitive, especially as they are doing it for an FA Cup game.”

She said she felt using the barriers at the Leppings Lane end where 96 Liverpool fans received fatal injuries was particularly insensitive.

Liverpool fans were crushed to death and many could not escape as they were penned in by fences surrounding the pitch.

Police announced on Thursday that they would test the use of the barriers on the approach to the Leppings Lane away end of the ground.