Editing Taylor Report (section)

===Aggravating factors===
There were accusations that the behaviour of Liverpool fans contributed to the disaster; these accusations centred around consumption of alcohol before the game and attempts to enter the ground without a ticket. Although Lord Taylor acknowledged that these factors aggravated the situation, he concluded that they were secondary issues. Witness estimates of the number of drunken fans varied from a minority to a large proportion of the crowd. Although it was clear many fans had been drinking, Lord Taylor unequivocally stated that most of them were: "not drunk, nor even the worse for drink." He concluded that they formed an exacerbating factor<ref name="taylor 34">Taylor (1989), p. 34.</ref> and that police, seeking to rationalise their loss of control, overestimated the element of drunkenness in the crowd.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hillsborough.independent.gov.uk/repository/docs/HWP000000180001.pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509082916/http://hillsborough.independent.gov.uk/repository/docs/HWP000000180001.pdf |archivedate=9 May 2013 |title=THE HILLSBOROUGH STADIUM DISASTER 15 APRIL 1989 – INTERIM REPORT OF INQUIRY}}</ref>

The Hillsborough Independent Panel later noted that, despite being dismissed by the Taylor Report, the idea that alcohol contributed to the disaster proved remarkably durable. Documents later disclosed confirm that repeated attempts were made to find supporting evidence for alcohol being a factor and that available evidence was significantly misinterpreted. It noted, "The weight placed on alcohol in the face of objective evidence of a pattern of consumption modest for a leisure event was inappropriate. It has since fuelled persistent and unsustainable assertions about drunken fan behaviour."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hillsborough.independent.gov.uk/report/Section-1/summary/page-5/ |title=Page 4 &#124; Home Office |publisher=Hillsborough.independent.gov.uk |date=15 April 1989 |access-date=15 April 2014 |archive-date=26 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426172703/http://hillsborough.independent.gov.uk/report/Section-1/summary/page-5/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The possibility of fans attempting to gain entry without tickets or with forged tickets was suggested as a contributing factor. South Yorkshire Police suggested the late arrival of fans amounted to a conspiracy to gain entry without tickets. However, analysis of the electronic monitoring system, Health and Safety Executive analysis, and eyewitness accounts showed that the total number of people who entered the Leppings Lane end was below the official capacity of the stand. Eyewitness reports suggested that tickets were available on the day, and tickets for the Leppings Lane end were on sale from Anfield until the day before. The report dismissed the theory.<ref name="taylor 36"/>