Liverpool announce new Heysel Stadium tragedy memorial

Liverpool have announced plans for a new memorial at Anfield to mark the 40th anniversary of the Heysel Stadium tragedy.

Thirty-nine fans died when a wall collapsed before the 1985 European Cup final on 29 May in Brussels as crowd trouble culminated in a surge by Liverpool fans towards their Juventus counterparts.

"The newly designed memorial will feature two scarves knotted together and gently tied - symbolising the unity and solidarity between the two clubs and the bond formed through shared grief and mutual respect in the aftermath of the disaster," said a Liverpool statement., external

"Crafted from carefully selected materials, the memorial also includes a moving inscription alongside the names of all 39 supporters who lost their lives at Heysel Stadium on May 29, 1985."

The existing plaque which marks the disaster is situated on the wall of the Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand at Liverpool's ground.

The new memorial - titled 'Forever Bound' - will be moved to a new location yet to be decided on, "to offer a more visible and accessible space for reflection and remembrance".

Former Liverpool striker, and current club ambassador, Ian Rush played in the game and witnessed the events, where 600 people were also injured.

"We must never forget why this matters, and why we continue to stand together in solidarity, all these years later," he said.

Italian side Juventus will also unveil a new Heysel Stadium memorial as part of their 40th anniversary commemorations, while Liverpool will put theirs on display later this summer.

After a five-month trial which followed the disaster, 14 Liverpool fans were found guilty of manslaughter and jailed for three years.

An investigation recommended the police and Belgian authorities should also take some of the blame.

What happened at Heysel also led to English clubs being barred from European competition for five years, with Liverpool serving an extra year.