The Memorial Service to mark the 21st Anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster will, for the first time, become an all-ticket event. Tickets will be available to supporters and those wishing to pay their respects free of charge.The change in arrangements follows the large number of fans who attended last year's Service. Liverpool Football Club has now been advised that in order to meet Safety Certificate regulations, the annual Memorial Service on Thursday April 15th needs to be ticketed for all supporters.
Liverpool FC has worked closely with the Hillsborough Family Support Group, Liverpool City Council and Merseyside Police to establish a new procedure for the Service.
The entire Kop grandstand will be open for the Service, providing an initial 10,000 seats for those wishing to attend. Tickets, which are free, will be available from the Club ticket office at Anfield, by postal and telephone application and from the official Club stores located in Williamson Square and Liverpool One in the city centre. These will be available from March 22nd.
Last year more than 30,000 people attended the landmark 20th Anniversary Service but numbers for next month's Service are expected to be more in line with the levels seen in previous years which have always been comfortably accommodated on The Kop.
Hillsborough Family Support Group Chair Margaret Aspinall said: "Safety is our absolute priority at the Memorial Service and we fully support the new arrangements. We have worked closely with the club and the authorities to ensure the smooth running of the event and issuing tickets is the best way forward."
Liverpool FC Stadium and Operations Manager Ged Poynton added: "We want everyone who wishes to attend the service to be able to do so, but in the safest possible environment.
"We would ask all our supporters to only apply for tickets if they are certain that they are going to use them. The maximum is 6 per applicant, although of course we will be sensitive in exceptional cases to individual requests for larger numbers. All tickets will be issued on an unreserved basis and will not be available on the day of the Service. We will also provide free parking on the Stanley Park Car Park on a first come first served basis.
"The timings and the Service itself will not be affected in any other way and we look forward to welcoming our supporters and friends to Anfield on April 15th."
How to get tickets:
There will be an initial 10,000 Kop Grandstand tickets available from 22nd March which can be obtained free of charge by phoning the Ticket Office on 0844 844 0844, (Overseas (0044) 870 220 2151), by postal application to Liverpool Football Club Ticket Office, PO Box 204, Liverpool, L69 4PQ or by visiting the Ticket Office in person. If you require wheelchair space please advise when you make your application. Tickets will also be available from our Liverpool FC Official Club Stores in Williamson Square and Liverpool One.
Please note a maximum of 6 tickets per application.
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/latest-news/hillsborough-memorial-service-announcement? Glad to hear the club have taken on board their huge mistake last year of underestimating the love and support that people still feel for the families who lost their loved ones. And to pay respect to the 96.
My mother had to go home before she could get in the ground last year because she suffered a bad panic attack being caught up in the un-stewarded, tight crowds. The organisation was pathetic. Granted it might not be as busy this year, that doesn't mean plans shouldn't be put in place to make sure it's a safe and comfortable visit on an already emotional day.