More Than a Number: Personal tributes to the 96
On the 29th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, read and watch personal tributes by those who knew best the 96 children, men and women who lost their lives on April 15, 1989.
In 2014, as the new inquests into the deaths at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest began, the families of those who died were asked to write and read out short personal portraits of each of the victims as part of the proceedings.
They served as a poignant and touching reminder that though collectively known as ‘The 96’, those whose lives were tragically cut short at a football match were more than a number.
Three years ago, text versions of all of the ‘Pen Portraits’ were launched, dedicated to the memory of the Hillsborough victims. They can be read by clicking here.
In addition, LFCTV also aimed to give the bereaved families the opportunity to read their loved ones’ Pen Portraits to camera, and had direct contact with almost 90 families in attempting to get in touch with each author.
Close to 80 of them chose to either record their tribute with the channel or give their permission for footage previously recorded with the BBC to be used, meaning many of the web pages housing a Pen Portrait feature a video of a reading by family members.
A programme titled ‘More Than a Number’ featured those recordings, and it can be watched in five parts below.