The Battle of Orgreave

Photographs of our major live recreation for TV filmed on 17 June 2001 and first screened on Channel 4 on 20 October 2002. The event (organised under our limited company name, EventPlan) was a major project involving the recruiting, organising and training of 800 extras. EventPlan's Howard Giles scripted then controlled and directed the action in two real time takes whilst Mike Figgis directed the filming, which followed the action as it unfolded.

This ground-breaking live re-enactment was so realistic, it is virtually impossible to tell recreated action from footage of the original confrontation on 18 June 1984. Click the link for details of how the recreation took place, or read an account of the actual events that took place over 20 years ago.

Preparing for battle Despite unpleasant cold & wet weather (in stark contrast to the blazing heat of June 1984), our 800 re-enactors and extras threw themselves into their roles. Because of the weather, uniform/period clothing was not fully worn until Sunday morning. “Riot Policemen” square-bashed and were trained by Lancashire Constabulary instructors in the use of long and short shields, whilst the “bobbies” practiced forming a cordon and holding their ground against the expected “pushes” by the “miners”. The latter practiced advancing and running away in loose formation, looking unorganised although for the purposes of our re-enactment, being highly organised through a “command structure” not dissimilar to our “police”.


The battle lines are drawn As the original location of the initial confrontation in front of the coking plant had long since disappeared into an open-cast mine, Part 1 of our re-enactment utilised a similar field on the other side of the Rotherham to Worksop railway line. Here the initial phases of the battle were to be recreated, with 450 “police” confronting “350” miners in a scaled-down but spectacular replay of the events of 18 June 2001.



Battle commences Miners advance against the police line, but are forced back. The recreation was strikingly realistic, especially when the long shield cordon smoothly parted to allow a dozen “mounted police” to canter in and out through the line, chasing the miners up the hill. After a brief lull and walk along the police line by “Arthur Scargill”, battle recommenced, with a major Police sweep up the field, driving the miners off amidst (recreated rather than actual) scenes of confusion and violence. Despite very cold weather, a number of miners took off their shirts in pursuit of authenticity! Throughout the recreation, camera crews under Hollywood director Mike Figgis captured the action for his Channel 4 documentary.



Over the bridge and into the village After a break to reform and move to the Part 2 start positions, the battle recommenced, at the point it had left off, with the police capturing the Rotherham-Worksop railway bridge and then advancing up Highfield Lane into the centre of the village. Unlike Part 1, this was re-enacted on the actual ground, which has hardly changed in 17 years. Some of the heaviest “fighting” took place around the railway bridge, with a barrage of “stones” and other “missiles” raining down on the police line until, true to history, the latter charged and forced the demonstrators up Highfield Lane. For many, this was the most exciting and realistic re-enactment they had ever taken part in.


The charge to the crossroads The Police break out from their defensive shield cordon outside No.31 Highfield Lane (on the exact spot as in 1984) and charge up the road (with camera crews in the thick of the action). However, our miners - particularly real Orgreave “veterans” - fought back rather harder than originally scripted, making the “Police” operation all the more exciting! Stuntmen convincingly recreated some of the more violent incidents that occurred in 1984. Whilst the main confrontation took place along Highfeld Lane, another contingent of “miners” was pursued along the back of the houses by a large force of “police”. The battle finally came to an end on cue, but not until after the mounted police pursued miners over the crossroads and up Rotherham Road, just as happened in reality. Hairs stood on end amongst many of the 3,000 onlookers due to the very realistic nature of the recreation.


After the battle Throughout the weekend emphasis was placed on how all the re-enactors and extras, irrespective of “side”, were taking part as friends and colleagues. This was never clearer than at the end, where “miners” and “police” shook hands and embraced in genuinely emotional scenes. Many ex-miners had tears in their eyes as they felt able, for the first time for 17 years, to openly talk about their experiences on that hot, traumatic day in June 1984. A healing process had begun and organisers, re-enactors and extras alike felt honoured to have participated in something very special.

The Battle of Orgreave recreated