a police officer told the hillsborough inquest if a big gate had not been opened to relieve the crush at the turnstiles, ‘we would have been dealing with bodies outside the ground’ john morgan, a south yorkshire police sergeant on duty  on the day of the football disaster, also said he would have opened the gates himself if more senior officers had not given the order some 96 liverpool fans died after a crush on the leppings lane terrace of sheffield’s hillsborough ground as the fa cup semi final against nottingham forest kicked off on april 15, 1989 scroll down for video  evidence: john morgan (pictured today in a court sketch), a police sergeant on duty on the day of the football disaster, also said he would have opened the gates himself if more senior officers had not given the order  around 2,000 fans entered the ground when match commander chief superintendent david duckenfield ordered gate c at the leppings lane end to be opened at 252pm but many fans headed straight for the tunnel under the seated upper stand and leading directly to the already packed central pens of the terrace behind the goal the tunnel was not closed off by police beforehand and the numbers of fans in each pen was not restricted   with police and club officials having a policy of allowing supporters to ‘find their own level’ by distributing themselves along the terraces in the run up to kick off mr morgan was in charge of a serial of officers inside the ground at the leppings lane end when a massive crowd built up at the turnstiles with those at the front being crushed and ‘screaming for help’ he said: ‘i just could not understand what i was seeing because it was unprecedented what i would say, i froze, in fact i was gobsmacked it was an alarming situation ‘one guy i remember getting hold of my anorak and saying, “do something, people are getting crushed, open the gates”’ shocking incident: some 96 liverpool fans died after a crush on the leppings lane terrace of sheffield’s hillsborough ground as the fa cup semi final against nottingham forest kicked off on april 15, 1989  mr morgan went outside and with other officers managed to pull some fans out of the crush amidst an ‘aura of menace’ and ‘alarm’ due to the numbers and the crushing ‘i thought people were going to die there was imminent danger,’ he added mr morgan said he had ‘formed an intention’ to open the gates to relieve the pressure but would have first had to get permission from more senior officers first later he made a statement, saying if gate c had not been opened, ‘we would have been dealing with bodies outside the ground’ he said he ‘assumed’ there would be a controlled opening of the gates to allow fans to filter into the ground, but was left surprised when gate c was ‘flung open wide’ at 252pm a police officer stands outside hillsborough as jurors on the inquest into the fans' deaths visit the stadium  the former officer told the jury: ‘at that stage, that took me by complete surprise and i’m forced through the gates and i turn around in mid stream and try to force my way back outside 'i thought i was going to be trampled under the press behind me’ christina lambert qc, counsel for the inquest, asked mr morgan if he had himself instructed stewards to open the gates   a suggestion dismissed by the witness ms lambert continued: ‘why are you confident you did not give the instruction?’ mr morgan replied: ‘because i can’t remember it it’s not within my memory, that i knocked on that door and spoke to anybody i just did not do it i don’t think i had the rank to be able to issue that order’ liverpool football fans pay their respects to the dead at anfield stadium two days after the disaster in 1989  he said there was ‘every possibility’ gate c was opened at 252pm on the orders of mr duckenfield after the gate was opened mr morgan went to help other fans outside then he heard a call on his police radio calling for help with a pitch invasion but he was left ‘shocked’ when he got to the scene with fellow officers, ‘standing in disbelief’, in front of the leppings lane pens with fans crushed against the perimeter fence mr morgan then went to the back of the stand through the tunnel to get fans off the terrace to relieve pressure at the front ex chief superintendent mr duckenfield will give evidence to the inquests, in warrington, tomorrow sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article
south yorkshire police john morgan liverpool hillsborough
south yorkshire police sergeant john morgan gives evidence at inquest . he 'would have opened gates if more senior officers had not given order'. 96 liverpool fans died after shocking crush at hillsborough in april 1989 . 2,000 entered ground when match commander  ordered gate to be opened . but many headed straight for tunnel  towards already packed lower terrace 