Liverpool greats to mark 25th anniversary of Hillsborough

A special one-off charity match will be played at Anfield to commemorate loss of 96 fans

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Kop great Kenny Dalglish will manage a "home" team at a charity match to honour the 96 fans who died in the Hillsborough incident in 1989. Photo: EPA

Published: 10:36pm, 27 Feb 2014

Former Liverpool players will return to Anfield for a special one-off charity match to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster in April.

A “home” team managed by Kop great Kenny Dalglish will include Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler, Steve McManaman, John Barnes, David James and Jamie Carragher.

They will face an “international” team of former Liverpool players, including Jan Molby, Dietmar Hamann, Vladimir Smicer, Luis Garcia and Stephane Henchoz and will be managed by former Reds boss Gerard Houllier.

Everyone here at Liverpool Football Club is behind this event and it is also great to see so many former players travelling in to make this a special day

Kenny Dalglish

The match dubbed “The Celebration of the 96” is being held on April 21 and will celebrate the lives of the 96 Liverpool fans crushed to death in an FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield on April 15, 1989.

Margaret Aspinall, the leader of the Hillsborough Family Support Group who lost her 18-year-old son James in the tragedy, told the Liverpool website (www.liverpoolfc.com): “We wanted to host an event to celebrate the lives of the 96 and give the people the chance to come to Anfield for a fun afternoon.”

Dalglish added: “This is a great opportunity for the families and fans to come together at Anfield for a celebration in honour of the 96.

“Everyone here at Liverpool Football Club is behind this event and it is also great to see so many former players travelling in to make this a special day.”