Anfield remembers Hillsborough
A banner remembering the 96 killed at Hillsborough on show during last night's Champions League match
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Wednesday, 15, Apr 2009 09:33
Thousands of people have attended a memorial service at Liverpool's Anfield Stadium to mark the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.
On April 15th 1989, 96 Liverpool supporters were crushed to death on the Leppings Lane terrace of Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough football ground during an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.
The event still represents one of the worst tragedies and losses of life in football history.
And to mark the anniversary of the disaster, three separate vigils were held in the north of England - in Sheffield, Nottingham and the main one at the home ground of Liverpool FC.
Thousands of people were present in Anfield, including the families of the victims, the majority of the current Liverpool squad and coaching staff and several members of the 1989 team.
The Right Reverend James Jones took charge of the service where candles were lit for each of the victims, while their names were read aloud.
Trevor Hicks - whose daughters Vicki and Sarah Hicks were among the victims - also spoke before a two-minute silence was held at 15:06 BST - the exact time 20 years ago that the game was halted.
A choir then gave a rousing rendition of Liverpool anthem You'll Never Walk Alone, before then-Reds manager Kenny Dalglish gave an emotional reading.
Who was to blame for the tragic event is still a contentious issue, with many of the families still embroiled in the 'Justice for the 96' campaign that seeks answers from South Yorkshire police over the way the crowds were handled.
The event ultimately resulted in the Taylor Report from Lord Justice Taylor - published in the early 1990s - which recommended all football grounds in England be made all-seater and the wire fencing that contributed to the crush at Hillsborough be torn down.