LFC Academy hosts annual Hillsborough Memorial Tournament
The Liverpool FC Academy this week hosted the annual Hillsborough Memorial Tournament, ahead of Monday’s 35th anniversary of the disaster.
Teams from Liverpool, Everton and Nottingham Forest took part in events at U9, U10 and U11 level on Thursday, with the U12 and U13 age groups following suit on Saturday.
In addition to a tournament, off the pitch the children and their parents took part in an education programme based on the theme of accountability.
As well as learning about the events of the tragedy on April 15, 1989, the young players heard from Margaret Aspinall, former chair of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, about the subsequent fight for justice.
Another special guest was West Derby MP Ian Byrne, who spoke about the Hillsborough Law, which seeks to place a legal duty on public officials and authorities to reveal the truth in any future situations, as well as providing equal legal representation for campaigners.
All the children and parents then visited the Hillsborough memorial at the AXA Training Centre for a period of reflection led by club chaplain Bill Bygroves.
The Academy head of foundation level, John Thompson – who organised the event alongside head of education Caitlin Hawkins – said: “It’s really important for the boys to understand the history of our football club and to understand Hillsborough in terms that are relevant to their age group.
“It was inspirational to hear from Margaret Aspinall after all these years of continuing to campaign with such dignity and class.
“A massive thank you to Bill Bygroves and to Ian Byrne for updating us on the Hillsborough Law and how it could help people in the future.
“The football in the tournament was brilliant and played in a fantastic spirit, with some unbelievable moments. The U9s was won by Liverpool in a penalty shootout against Everton, and the U10s/11s was won by Everton.”
The games in the tournament were refereed and supported by players from the Academy’s U18s group as part of their own education programme, while the parents of the Liverpool players involved were continuing their parental learning programme, which looks at increasing understanding of the club and the city.