Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson will join the potential football stars of the future at a special tournament honouring the Hillsborough 96.
The finals of the Hillsborough Memorial Cup and Hillsborough Memorial Plate – a competition initiated by Mayor Joe Anderson – take place on Friday 28th March at the Liverpool Soccer Centre in Walton.
The under-13s competition brings together secondary schools from across the city, to raise awareness among young people about the tragedy and celebrate the city’s footballing heritage.
It was launched last year to mark the 25th anniversary of Hillsborough – with the initial knockout rounds taking place in October.
The schools that have made it through to Friday’s finals will be led out onto the pitch at the start of the occasion by Mayor Anderson. The Mayor will stay to watch the action, before handing out the trophies at the end.
Mayor Anderson said: “We will never forget those who lost their lives at Hillsborough, or the impact the disaster has had on all those who knew and loved them. As we approach the 25th anniversary of the disaster, it’s more important than ever that we continue to show our support for the families and their long fight for justice.
“The Hillsborough Memorial Cup and Plate is a fitting way of honouring the 96, and reinforcing our commitment to standing together as a city to remember them. It’s also a really effective way of educating our younger generation about the tragedy.
“I’m looking forward to joining our talented young footballers for the tournament. I’m sure it will be an unforgettable event for all involved.”
The tournament is backed by representatives of the families and Liverpool and Everton Football Clubs.
The schools involved who took part in October’s knock-out competition were:
St Francis Xavier’s (SFX), University Academy Liverpool (UAL), Alsop, Archbishop Beck, Childwall, De La Salle, West Derby, Gateacre, Calderstones, North Liverpool Academy, St Margaret’s, Fazakerley, Bluecoat, Cardinal Heenan, King David, Broadgreen, Parklands, St Francis Assisi and Enterprise South Liverpool Academy (ESLA).
The finalists are:
Hillsborough Memorial Cup: Cardinal Heenan vs St Francis Xavier (SFX)
Hillsborough Memorial Plate: Alsop vs Broadgreen
The event gets underway from 4.15pm on Friday 28th March. Games will be 30-minutes each way, with five-minute half-time intervals. There will be seven-minutes each way extra time and penalties if required.
