A touching tribute on an emotional day. After 27 years of relentless, indefatigable campaigning, the Hillsborough Justice Campaign and the Hillsborough Family Support Group have been rewarded for their courage: the 96 individuals – men, women and children – who lost their lives were found to have died unlawfully; the supporters present that day were cleared – unanimously – of any wrongdoing.
During a break from the inquest the families of the victims gathered outside the court and delivered a beautiful rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone. The club anthem was a fitting song to express their experiences: despite years of injustice, untruth, betrayal and agony, these families have united in order to defend and honour their loved ones. Despite everything standing in their way, they have shown a spirit of determination and courage that is difficult to pay tribute to with mere words. They are the best of us all: beacons of humanity and honesty.
It is impossible to imagine the trauma these families have went through over the last 27 years. Not only did these people lose their loved ones, they had to suffer the double injustice of lies and deceit in the aftermath. Justice should have been granted from the very beginning, but these families had to content with agony after agony.
The 96 can, at long last, rest in peace. The untruths and injustice that have been wrongly appropriated for so many years have now been eradicated, the truth delivered, justice realised. The years of hardship, the incredible resolve of women like Margaret Aspinall, the togetherness of all Liverpool fans and the wider support of fans of all teams and no teams, the countless renditions of You’ll Never Walk Alone in honour of the 96, and the hope in all of our hearts that justice would one day be served has all contributed to this day. It is testimony to the will, and strength of character of the amazing people of Liverpool, who would never have allowed for anything less than justice.
My mind casts back to the 20th anniversary of the disaster, the Hillsborough Memorial Service of 2009, when the supporters in attendance bellowed out “Justice for the 96”. This was a statement of intent: we will never stop fighting for justice, we will continue to fight, wherever it takes us, whatever it takes.
27 years may have passed since the disaster unfolded, but one thing is for certain, the 96 who died that day will never be forgotten: their memories will continue to burn, eternally, in the hearts of everyone associated with Liverpool Football Club and the city of Liverpool. The eternal flames will never perish, and, to the families, survivors and individuals who fought tirelessly for justice, you will never walk alone.
Check out Forzared's blog here