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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

Simon Rice
Wednesday 15 April 2015 09:39 BST
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The 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster
The 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster

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.

The Hillsborough disaster cost 96 Liverpool fans their lives

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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