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You are at:»»Tunnel closure echoes Leppings Lane

Tunnel closure echoes Leppings Lane

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

On Sunday, I entered the Janefield St tunnel from the east at 11:38 (Google tracking to the minute), and reached my turnstile (T22), which is a few meters beyond the gates.  The gates were open at this time, approximately 15 minutes before kick-off.  The tunnel was busy but orderly and there was no crushing.

Reports suggest the gates were closed 10 minutes before kick-off.  Fans continued to walk towards their turnstile, not knowing the gates ahead were closed.  This caused crushing and distress, as fans were boxed in.

There was a slightly higher footfall in the tunnel than previous games against Newco, or others.  6,000 extra Celtic fans were situated at the east of the stadium than were there during previous games against Newco.  Some of them approached the stadium from the west.  The police stopped Celtic fans walking west-to-east along London Road, leaving the Janfield St tunnel as the only available route.

This scenario is reminiscent of what happened at the Hillsborough Disaster.  Fans entered the Leppings Lane terrace through a tunnel, unaware that ahead was a solid wall of people.  Fans walking through the tunnel had no way of knowing they were trapping people in front of them.  There was no escape to the side and police refused to open gates at the pitch side of the terrace.  96 people died.

No significant crushing injuries happened on Sunday probably because the police realised the consequence of closing the gates and opened them again within minutes, and the crowd remained calm.  Those trapped in the tunnel were lucky.

Tunnels are not inherently dangerous but become so when badly controlled.  It is permissible to block people from entering them, but it is negligent to create a blockage in a tunnel that becomes a crush-point, stopping people passing through, or leaving.

I was at a serious incident on Janefield St in 1985, when four mounted police created panic by charging through the back of a crowd leaving a Celtic-Rangers game.  That evening I witnessed a bottle fly out of the Rangers end and hit an officer on the head, causing him to collapse.  Then, after the game, I saw a Celtic fan throw an object at a mounted police officer, striking him on the face.

I am sure the subsequent charge through the crowd was some sort of indiscriminate retribution for the latter incident, on a day the police suffered at least two casualties.  The subsequent investigation and findings completely contradicted what I saw.

Before Sunday’s game serious mistakes were made.  Clear acknowledgment must be made this time.

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  3. North Cyprus (Baku no more) Bhoy on

    DILLIGAFBHOY on 5TH SEPTEMBER 2018 7:57 AM

     

    Morning all from a sundrenched Ovacik.

     

    ====================================================

     

    Same here in North Cyprus – soaking in sweat all day here!

     

    Can’t find Ovacik on Google Maps. Which other towns are close by?

     

    HH

  7. North Cyprus (Baku no more) Bhoy on

    DILLIGAFBHOY

     

    A few lads I know from Baku bought places around Fethiye, and all of them loved the area.

     

    Air-conditioned bar is definitely the way!

     

    HH

  8. Dilligafbhoy on

    NCB we’re heading to the blue lagoon Olu Denis, apparently it’s quite beautiful. I can’t stay out in the sun too long so a bar is a must. HH

  10. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    CHAVEZ

     

     

    Star man,and many thanks!

     

     

    I’ll mail that to her too.

     

     

    HH

  11. KINGLUBO on

    BMCUWP

     

     

    Sorrento

     

    Great place. regards the ruins, wear a sturdy pair of shoes, it’s roughgoing.

     

    Naples is great but whatever she does do not look too flash or wealthy as you will stand out. Quite a few villains around but brilliant city nonetheless, well worth a visit. I went by train, cheap but again be careful of the arseholes wandering the train looking for mugs. Just be careful

     

     

    KINGLuBO

  12. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    KINGLUBO

     

     

    Thank you,kind sir. She’s still a bit shaken from her Janefield St experience-could do without any more trauma. I’ll forward your advice to her.

     

     

    Think they’re in Pompeii today.

     

     

    HH

  14. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    NEUSTADT-BRAW

     

     

    I’d be concerned if they were coming after us wi a baseball bat. Wi only their players to batter us,I’m remarkably relaxed.

  16. bankiebhoy1 on

    In ither news……………

     

     

    Billy “Billy” Gilmour gettin’ a Level of coverage on Shortie, previously only seen for Fleckaldinhio…….

     

    Huns must be due some wonga if he gets picked up………

     

     

     

    Hmmmmmmmmm.

  19. ? on

    Word of The Day (…courtesy of The Madman)

     

     

    excoriate

     

    verb (tr)

     

    1. to strip (the skin) from (a person or animal); flay

     

    2. med to lose (a superficial area of skin), as by scratching, the application of chemicals, etc

     

    3. to denounce vehemently; censure severely

     

     

     

    Derived Forms

     

    excoriation, noun

     

     

    Word Origin and History for excoriate

     

    v.

     

    early 15c., from Late Latin excoriatus, past participle of excoriare “flay, strip off the hide,” from Latin ex- “off”(see ex-) + corium “hide, skin” (see corium). Figurative sense of “denounce, censure” first recorded in English1708. Related: Excoriated; excoriating.

     

     

     

    KTF

  20. Neustadt-Braw on

    thanks for the Sentinel posts Bobby…will add to my Celtic downloader…

     

     

    agree with the sentiment…

     

     

    smiley Brendan Rodgers is our major asset and should be treated as such thing

     

     

    Braw

  21. ? on

    IGC on 4TH SEPTEMBER 2018 12:30 PM

     

     

    My experience is very much like yours; I arrived there just around 11:35 and it was chaos when I got to the Janefiled tunnel. t was sever crush at that time with no Police in sight. The stewards, who to be fair have no training for this team type of situation looked bemused.

     

     

    I was close to the front of the crush (probably about 10 yards at the start but as I very slowly progressed through the tunnel the flow of people from the Springfield Rd end had doubled that. I can honestly say that I didn’t see the gate being closed. As I got to about 3/4 of the way along the tunnel the crowd eased and I was then able to get round to the turnstile and got into the ground as the teams were lining up for kick-off.

     

     

    There were, IMHO, 2 separate incidents – the crush in the Janefield tunnel and the repercussion of that was a significant crush at the entrance to the tunnel as fans were prevented from moving into it.

     

     

    Police Scotland were dreadful slow in responding to this; if the pat themselves on the back for resolving the issue that they state began 10 minutes prior to kick-off, then they are admitting they were unaware of the ongoing incident which began just after 11:30!

     

     

    KTF

  22. tucobenedito on

    BMCUWP

     

    My mate is just back from Italy, he was at Pompei but says Herculanium is a far superior site to visit. It’s close to Pompei too

     

    Hail Hail

     

    Rich

  23. Parkheadcumsalford on

    Morning, all.

     

     

    i take it those on the Home Ticket Scheme will have their season tickets sorted for the Europa League rather than having to purchase any package from the Ticket Office. Could some kind soul put me straight?

     

     

    Asking for a friend, of course.

  25. Monaghan1900 on

    The FFin’ Celtic team bus?

     

     

    “Dec 29th – block the road

     

    Fans should gather early and block road to front door.

     

    Nothing violent just thousands of bears flooding the area.”

     

    ————

     

    “Too long we’ve played it the Rangers way and we are not thought of any better.”

     

    ————

     

    “I was thinking about this. We should do everything, legally, to make it as uncomfortable and daunting as possible for these c[hap]s.”

     

    ————

     

    “Be happy with violence against there fans tbh”

     

    ————

     

    “Sit down protest.Silent and peaceful but enough to rattle them a bit.

     

    As long as it’s not raining”

     

    ————

     

    “They can do you for loitering just to get you moving. I would suggest walking in wee circles or something. So long as you are moving.”

     

    ————

     

    “Yep I’d make them walk the Blue Mile.”

     

    ————

     

    “Just read this thread..let’s do it .enough is enough bears!…I’m away to watch”Loyalists,returning the serve” on youtube!”

     

    ————

     

    “I’m 100% behind this – but folks, be careful what you say on here, as there’s every chance that we’ll be giving PS a ‘heads up’ on what will happen.

     

    Our enemies are always lurking”

  26. gallagher on

    FTSFA…. CFC should be demanding a written statement outlining their reasons for not prosecuting Alan McGragor.

     

    No more back of the bus….ever!!!

  27. Turkeybhoy on

    FROM MONAGHANS POST,

     

     

    “They can do you for loitering,so I suggest walking around in wee circles”

     

     

    Has to be the post of the year.

  30. hen1rik on

    From thetracingagent

     

     

    When Celtic start the season that we go for 10 in a row, the opposition kit will include stun guns and tasers at this rate.

     

     

    ??????

  31. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    GALLAGHER

     

     

    I’d like to know how they square it with their refusal to overturn the Killie player red card the week before

     

     

    I think it’s been said before,by a better man than I,Gunga Din.

     

     

    Sort the refs,sort the problem. That includes especially when they have retired and can suddenly do damage anonymously.

  33. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    HENR1K

     

     

    Machine guns and grenades,more like. And that’s only their fans…

  38. hen1rik on

    If fans want their voices heard can you please signup to this website.

     

     

    Anyone who has yet to sign up for The Celtic Noise, you can do so by clicking on the link for the site. Get involved, folks. As a three-site amalgamation we can be the loudest voice for reform amongst the fans.

     

     

    https://celticnoise.com/

  41. mike in toronto on

    Anyone seen the new Man City third strip? A big old orange sash. Anyone fancy any more loans from them?

     

     

    Why would anyone expect anyyhing different re: McShagger? On every big decision, we gave up without a fight (at best), so they think (and they are probably right), they can do anything they want (to the league, to our players, and to our fans), and Celtic will continue to go along with it.

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