Sheffield Wednesday will reduce the size of their away end after Newcastle United fans raised safety concerns during an FA Cup clash between the two sides back in January.
Some 4,500 Newcastle fans travelled down to Hillsborough Stadium to watch their side on Saturday, January 7, with the majority of the away support located in the Leppings Lane end of the ground. A large portion of the travelling support shared their experiences of 'overcrowding' in the away end, with images of the packed stand shared on social media in the hours and days following the game.
The Football Association promised to conduct an investigation into the matter, while Newcastle - in consultation with individual supporters and Newcastle United Supporters Trust - requested, under the Freedom of Information Act, greater transparency in regards to fan safety.
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Releasing a statement on Monday, Sheffield City Council confirmed a meeting had taken place and Wednesday would be further reducing the capacity in that area of the ground
"We have attached the minutes of the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) meeting of 20 January 2023, which reviewed the match between Sheffield Wednesday and Newcastle United on 7 January 2023," the statement read.
"We have redacted the names of meeting attendees of the SAG under section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 on the grounds that it is personal data and disclosure would contravene the data protection principle under Article 5(1)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation that processing of personal data must be lawful, fair, and transparent."
The statement added: "Regarding capacity reduction, we can advise that: The Upper West Stand now has a further reduced capacity of 2400 (down from 3200 as a result of the recent review) for a stand with a holding capacity of 419.
"The Lower West Stand now has a further reduced capacity of 1300 (down from 1500 as a result of the recent review) for a stand with a holding capacity of 2366."
Responding to the statement, Newcastle United Supporters' Trust tweeted: "NUFC fans and the club have worked together to bring about this outcome which will make that away end safer in future for visiting fans. United."
The Leppings Lane end of Hillsborough Stadium was the scene of the disaster in 1989 that tragically claimed the lives of 97 Liverpool supporters. Ian Byrne, the MP leading the Hillsborough Law Now campaign, expressed relief that 'No Newcastle fans were injured or worse' and has called for an enquiry to take place.
Chi Onwurah, the MP for Newcastle Central, called the reports of overcrowding and safety risks 'unacceptable' and said she would be asking the Government what actions would be taken.
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