Friday 7th April 2006
ANFIELD ONLINE LFC NEWS

HILLSBOROUGH SERVICE NEWS

Both Stevie G and Robbie Fowler will give readings at this year's Hillsborough Memorial Service.

It will be the first time in 10 years that current players have taken a leading role in the event.

Previous readers include Alan Hansen, Bruce Grobbelaar and John Aldridge.

The 17th anniversary of the disaster in Sheffield, which cost 96 Liverpool fans their lives, will take place on Saturday, April 15.

Manager Rafa Benitez, with the whole squad and other club staff, will join around 2,000 people at the Kop in a minute's silence at 3.06pm, the moment when the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest was halted when officials realised fans were being crushed on the terraces.

Gerrard will read Psalm 23 The Lord is my Shepherd, and Fowler will read from Isaiah 43:1-3a "Fear not, for I have redeemed you".

During the service the 96 names of the dead will be read out and a candle lit in memory of each victim.

Chairman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, Phil Hammond, said: "We light a candle to remember each individual life that was extinguished prematurely and we rely upon the eternal flame of the Hillsborough Memorial to burn some light into the darkest night.

"Tickets are not required and we extend an open invitation to anyone to join the families, the directors, officials and players of LFC plus thousands of fellow football fans in our annual act of remembrance."

This year's service is expected to be exceptionally well attended and organisers are asking people to be in their seats by 2pm.

The team was due to play Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on Saturday but the game has been rescheduled to the following day, Sunday, April 16.

People are also warned that there will be limited car parking available because Everton FC plays a home match on the same day.

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