Final Hillsborough memorial service at Anfield postponed due to coronavirus
Jurgen Klopp: "Today is the most significant day for our football club each year"
Wednesday 15 April 2020 20:27, UK
The final Hillsborough memorial service, which was due to take place at Anfield on Wednesday, has been postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The Hillsborough Family Support Group was due to hold its last service at the home of Liverpool, 31 years since the disaster at the side's FA Cup semi-final in 1989.
But the service, in memory of the 96 supporters who died in the match against Nottingham Forest, has been postponed due to coronavirus.
Players and staff will hold a minute's silence and flags will be flown at half-mast.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp delivered a special message to the families of those who died on the club's social media channels.
"Today is the most significant day for our football club each year. The plan was that we would be together at Anfield today, but this is not possible," Klopp said.
"The only thing we can make sure of is that we are in each other's thoughts, and believe me, you are in our thoughts.
"You have our thoughts, you have our prayers and, most of all, you have our love.
"You'll never walk alone."
Margaret Aspinall, chairwoman of the group, said the service was due to be the last of its type as the families would remember their loved ones "in their own way" on future anniversaries.
She said: "In light of recent events, a decision was made collectively by the families to postpone our final memorial service at Anfield.
"We wish to keep as many people safe as possible and we believe this is the right approach.
"On behalf of the HFSG, I would like to thank everyone for their understanding in this matter."
Fresh inquests held in 2016 found the 96 men, women and children were unlawfully killed and found that blunders by South Yorkshire's police and ambulance services "caused or contributed to" their deaths, and exonerated Liverpool fans of wrongdoing.
It was announced in February that the families of the victims had decided to hold a last service after former police match commander David Duckenfield was cleared of gross negligence manslaughter following a retrial in November.
