Ahead of the 40th anniversary of the Heysel disaster, Liverpool FC have announced that they plan to install a new memorial at Anfield in tribute to the 39 people who died.
May 29 marks 40 years since the tragic passing of 39 fans in Brussels, at the Liverpool vs. Juventus 1985 European Cup final.
In tribute to those who passed away at Heysel, the club have unveiled plans for a new, larger memorial at Anfield to replace the current plaque that sits on the side of the Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand.
The new memorial, named ‘Forever Bound’, won’t be unveiled on the anniversary of the disaster, but will instead be installed later this summer.
This is out of respect for Juventus who are also unveiling a new memorial for the 40th anniversary.
Ian Rush and CEO Billy Hogan will be travelling to Turin for the ceremony, and Juventus officials will make the journey to Anfield when the Merseyside tribute is officially unveiled.
Former Liverpool players, including Bruce Grobbelaar who played on that night in 1985, were present on Wednesday as the club revealed its plans at Anfield.
The location around Anfield where the new memorial will sit is yet to be decided, with consultation still to take place.
It is approximately 2.2 metres by 1 metre in size and bears the phrase ‘In Memoria E Amicizia’, translated from Italian as ‘In Memory and Friendship’ – the same words mark the current plaque at Anfield.
Made from cast bronze, below will be a sculpture of two scarves knotted together that features the Liverbird and Juventus’ prancing zebra.
Engraved into the white Italian porcelain beneath will be the names of the 39 people who died followed by ‘YNWA’.
Rush said: “To see a new memorial created with such care means a lot and it’s incredibly important to have a fitting tribute to remember the 39 fans who lost their lives.
“We must never forget why this matters, and why we continue to stand together in solidarity, all these years later.”
What happened at Heysel?
Thirty-nine people died as a direct result of their injuries at Heysel, four of whom were Belgian, two French, 32 Italian and one man, Patrick Radcliffe, was from Northern Ireland.
They were killed when a wall collapsed before kick-off due to fighting which culminated in a group of Liverpool fans surging through a neutral section.
As Juventus fans started fleeing, their exits were blocked by authorities so moved towards a dilapidated wall. Under the pressure of fans crushed against it, the wall collapsed and buried the people beneath.
Despite opposition, the match still went ahead and Juventus won 1-0, but football didn’t matter.
Fourteen Liverpool fans were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and given a three-year prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. They each ended up serving about a year behind bars.
Then UEFA president Jacques Georges and Hans Bangerter, his general secretary, were threatened with prison but given conditional discharges.
The former secretary-general of the Belgian FA, Albert Roosens, was given a six-month suspended prison sentence for negligence regarding ticketing. The same was punishment was given to police captain Johan Mahieu, who was in charge of policing the stands.
English clubs were given an indefinite ban from UEFA competitions. This lasted five years and one further season for Liverpool.
