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Hillsborough Anniversary: 96 reasons to pay tribute
On April 5, 1989, 96 fans went to a football match and never came home
On April 5, 1989, Liverpool met Nottingham Forest at the home of Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough Stadium to play out an FA Cup semi-final.
What should have been a joyous afternoon turned into a nightmare when overcrowding led to the deaths of 96 fans.
The deaths were originally deemed accidental, leading to the start of a long, arduous but ultimately successful campaign by loved ones and survivors to bring justice to those they lost. In 2012, the High Court quashed the original verdict and new inquests were held.
Justice has since been done, with mistakes made by officials unearthed and admissions of guilt made.
During the court proceedings in early 2014, the families of the 96 were asked to write Pen Portraits of their loved ones, which were read out in court. It was a process that brought home the scale of the loss and made those that died more than a number.
Liverpool have a dedicated website where these tributes can be read or heard. Particularly today, it's worth a visit. Click here for the site.
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