Hillsborough Attitudes Survey Report

Conducted for Radio City, Liverpool, and Radio Hallam, Sheffield Rex Nash and Sam Johnstone, Football Industry Group

University of Liverpool, April 1998

The following is a summary of the research report presented by the FIG to Radio City and Radio Hallam, based on a survey of 1,350 members of the public, addressing their attitudes towards the Hillsborough Disaster. Respondents were not necessarily football fans.

The research formed a major part of the radio stations' news coverage of the ninth anniversary of the Disaster, in April 1998.

Area

Of those surveyed, 59% of people in Sheffield blame Liverpool fans for the disaster, whilst in Liverpool, 89% blame South Yorkshire Police (SYP). In both areas, the vast majority have never changed their view of the disaster (81% in Sheffield and 93% in Liverpool). 97% of those who blame Liverpool fans have never changed their view, nor have 85% of those who blame SYP. Regional trends are also clear over the Home Secretary's decision not to reopen the inquiry into Hillsborough - 59% of Sheffield respondents agree with Jack Straw, while 88% of Liverpool respondents disagree. 60% in Sheffield agree it was time to move on from the disaster, but 79% in Liverpool disagree; 70% in Sheffield feel an apology is enough for people to move on from the disaster, but 88% in Liverpool think it insufficient.

Blame

92% of those who blame SYP also think Jack Straw is wrong not to re-open the inquiry, but 92% of those who blame Liverpool fans support him. 87% of those who blame SYP think Hillsborough should remain a political issue, while 94% of those who blame Liverpool fans, think the matter should be closed. Similarly, 86% of those who blame SYP think it is not time to move on, while 95% of those who blame Liverpool fans think it is. Of those who blame SYP, 86% consider an apology insufficient, but 92% of those blaming Liverpool fans disagree. 85% of people whose views have changed to blaming SYP cite McGovern'sdocumentary as the turning point. His impact is not uniform: he has had very little influence on Liverpool fans (only 1.5%) and Evertonians (4%), a marginal impact on people who support no club (9%) and SWFC fans (11%), but more on SUFC (17%), all other fans (17%) and other Yorkshire and Derbyshire fans (25%).

Jimmy McGovern's documentary, broadcast by Granada, December 1996

McGovern clearly influenced most those not directly affected by the disaster. Importantly 86% of those influenced by McGovern feel Hillsborough should still be an active issue, 85% blame SYP, and 88% feel it is not time to move on. Of those who have changed their view (11% of the total sample), 83% cite McGovern as the reason.

Club Affiliation

97% of LFC fans, 93% of Evertonians, 41% of Yorkshire and Derbyshire fans and74% of all others blame SYP, whereas 61% of Blades and 78% of Sheffield Wednesday (SWFC) fans blame Liverpool fans, suggesting regional and club loyalty. Similar divisions were found elsewhere: 58% of Blades and 81% of SWFC fans agree it is time to move on, while 92% of LFC fans, 79% of Evertonians, 47% of Yorkshire and Derbyshire fans, and 65% of all other fans disagree. Equally 93% of LFC fans oppose Straw's decision, as do 93% of Evertonians, 52% of Yorkshire and Derbyshire fans, 74% of all fans and even 43% of Blades, but only 22% of SWFC fans.

Of those who do not support any club, opinion is heavily divided: 52% blame SYP and 24% Liverpool fans, 58% oppose Jack Straw's decision, 51% feel it should remain an active issue, and 52% think it is time to move on.

Essentially, as you get further away from SWFC, people attach more blame to SYP. SWFC fans are the most vociferous in blaming Liverpool supporters, followed by SUFC, other Yorkshire and Derbyshire, all other clubs, and then Merseyside. This suggests regional and club loyalty play asignificant role, along with the local media. As you move further away from Sheffield-based media (which regularly carry interviews with SYP officers, along with articles by those who support them), so people become more hostile towards SYP, and there is more sympathy for the campaign.

(c) Football Industry Group, University of Liverpool Last modified on 8th October 1999