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Authorities have “full confidence” in Sheffield Wednesday’s safety operations after reports of overcrowding during an FA Cup tie against Newcastle, says a leading football security official.
Some Newcastle fans claimed there was a lack of stewarding before kick-off at Hillsborough and they were crammed in.
The government’s adviser on safety at sports grounds and the Football Association have begun investigations.
But Bob Eastwood said blaming dangerous overcrowding was “premature”.
Speaking in front of MPs at a committee meeting about safety at football, Eastwood, the head of security operations at the English Football League, added: “The club have done a very quick debrief of their operation and have already instigated a number of measures in order to reduce some of the issues that caused some concerns for some fans, which didn’t amount to overcrowding
“At this moment in time I think it’s a little premature to agree with media and social media reports that there was overcrowding.”
The incident occurred at the Leppings Lane end of Hillsborough, the same stand where a crush at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest resulted in the deaths of 97 supporters.
Eastwood said there was “possibly some issue connected to the way fans have moved around in the lower tier” during the third-round tie on 7 January.
“The safety advisory group at Sheffield City Council have got full confidence in the club’s safety operation because if they hadn’t, if there were any concerns that the safety of people was compromised, especially at Sheffield Wednesday in view of the history, then the city council would issue a prohibition notice, and they haven’t,” he added.
“The deputy chair of the safety advisory group was at that fixture and there are no concerns currently that there is any way that safety was compromised.
“But nevertheless, the fans have got legitimate complaints and it’s that that we are taking very seriously.”
