Wembley remembers Hillsborough dead
london — Wembley was at the forefront of English football’s tributes to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster on Saturday as grounds across the country fell silent in memory of the dead.
The tragedy, which took place on April 15, 1989, saw 96 Liverpool fans die as a result of a crush at the Leppings Lane end of Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough ground, where the Merseyside club were playing in a FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest. Play was halted in the sixth minute as fans desperately climbed over barriers in order to reach the safe haven of the pitch.
This weekend, all major match- es in England kicked off seven minutes later than normal, with a minute’s silence observed before kick-off. At Wembley, where Arsenal were playing Wigan in a FA Cup semi-final, 96 seats were set aside and each had a Liverpool scarf laid upon it. Both captains laid wreaths in the technical area before kick-off and players and match officials wore black armbands as a mark of respect while a number of the families of the 96 were in attendance. At Hillsborough, for their Championship tie against Blackburn, Wednesday replaced 96 blue seats with white seats bearing red roses at the end of the stadium where the Liverpool fans died. —