By Josh Reich April 15 (Reuters) - Thousands gathered at Liverpool's Anfield Stadium on Tuesday to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster in which 96 of their fans died during an FA Cup semi-final, one of the darkest days in the history of English soccer. The supporters lost their lives in a crush at the Leppings Lane End of Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough ground at the start of the match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest on April 15, 1989. Over 20,000 people attended the memorial service, where the number 96 was spelled out on the pitch using scarves donated by fans from around the world following an appeal by Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool's manager at the time of the disaster. The names of the 96 victims were read aloud, the youngest being 10-year-old Jon-Paul Gilhooley, the cousin of current Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, who attended the ceremony along with his team mates.
More...