Borussia Dortmund fans are to pay tribute to the victims of the Hillsborough disaster when they visit Anfield for Thursday’s Europa league quarter-final second leg.
The game takes place just a day before 27th anniversary of the tragedy in which 96 Liverpool fans died during the club’s FA Cup semi-final tie against Nottingham Forest in 1989.
Dortmund have said that fans in the away end will form a “choreo” (choreographed display) that will show the No. 96.
This is not the first time the Bundesliga club and its fans have commeomrated the tragedy. On the 25th anniversary Dortmund dedicated their version of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” to the victims prior to their game against Wolfsburg that year.
A memorial service for the victims will be held at Anfield the day after the game. Earlier this year, the Hillsborough Family Support Group announced that this year’s service will be the final one to be held at the ground.
The chair of the HFSG, Margaret Aspinall, said in January: “The 96 will never be forgotten. It is likely that the inquests will be concluded before the anniversary so this final memorial service will provide the families with some closure. The HFSG would like to thank everyone for all the support the families have received over the past 27 years and all those people who have attended the service at Anfield each year.
“We would also like to extend our thanks to Liverpool Football Club for their continued support over the past 27 years and for hosting the service each year at Anfield. We hope that the public and fans respect the decision of the HFSG and will continue to remember the 96 in their own perhaps more private way.”
Liverpool fans mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.
