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Reds planning Hillsborough scarf tribute

Liverpool are asking sports fans across the world to donate a scarf as part of a plan to mark the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.

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And former Reds player and manager Kenny Dalglish has written to every club in the Premier and Football League asking them to help.

Dalglish, now a director at Anfield, is asking each of the other 91 league clubs, in addition to the English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish Football Associations, to donate a scarf in memory of the 96 victims of the 1989 tragedy.

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caption:Scarfs will play a central role in this year's Hillsborough tribute.
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Liverpool want supporters from around the world to send in any type of club scarf, regardless of sport, as a mark of support for the families of the victims.

Each scarf received will be laid out in the shape of the number 96 on the Anfield pitch for the Hillsborough Memorial Service, which will take place there on Apr. 15.

The victims of the disaster were crushed to death on an over-crowded section of terracing when they attended Liverpool’s FA Cup semifinal against Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday’s Hillsborough stadium on Apr. 15, 1989.

Margaret Aspinall, chair of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, which is campaigning for justice on behalf of the victims and their families, said: “The annual Memorial Service in memory of the 96 is always a moving occasion for the families and survivors.

“We already receive so much support from people worldwide, but if we could create what would be a fantastic symbol of unity on the pitch from donated scarves from across the world, this would be a truly moving way of bringing the world together for the 25th Anniversary of Hillsborough.”

After the service, all scarves received will be donated by the Liverpool FC Foundation -- the club’s official charity -- to local good causes, including homeless charities.

Dalglish, who was Liverpool’s manager at the time of the disaster and gave great personal support to the families of the victims in its aftermath, will also take charge of a team of former Reds players in a charity match to mark the 25th anniversary of Hillsborough.

That match -- against another team of ex-Liverpool stars managed by Gerard Houllier -- will take place at Anfield on Easter Monday, Apr. 21.

The club are asking all donated scarves to be sent to: Hillsborough Scarves, 20 Chapel Street, Liverpool L3 9AG. Scarves should arrive by Tuesday, Apr. 8 to be guaranteed that they are included in the pitch display during the memorial service.