Liverpool's Anfield stadium will witness emotionally charged scenes on Sunday when it marks the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster before their Premier League game with Manchester City.
In tribute to the 96 Liverpool fans who died in the stadium tragedy, kick-offs in matches across England have been moved back by seven minutes this weekend.
The supporters were killed after a crush during an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium on April 15, 1989, which caused play to be halted in the sixth minute.
Sunday's match will be preceded by a rendition of the Liverpool anthem, 'You'll Never Walk Alone', and there will be a minute's silence immediately prior to kick-off at 13:37 (12:37 GMT).
During the minute's silence, a mosaic bearing the words '96 25 years' will be help up by fans in Anfield's iconic Kop stand.
City greats Mike Summerbee and Joe Corrigan will present wreaths to their Liverpool counterparts Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush before the game.
A memorial service is due to take place at the stadium on Tuesday, which will mark exactly 25 years since the tragedy occurred.
Fresh inquests into the deaths of those killed at Hillsborough opened recently in Warrington, near Liverpool, after a campaign led by families of the deceased prompted the publication of a damning independent report in 2012 that criticised the authorities' handling of the disaster.
The original coroner's verdicts of accidental death were subsequently quashed, and two investigations are under way after evidence emerged that police sought to deflect the blame for what happened onto the fans.
Liverpool's game against City is being billed as a Premier League title decider. Both sides know that they will be crowned champions if they win all of their remaining games.
Source: AFP
