Reds and Blues to unite for service

Speaking on the day details were announced for the service, which will take place at Anfield at 2.45pm on April 15, Margaret explained how Brendan Rodgers and Roberto Martinez will deliver readings.

She also stressed the importance of supporters acquiring their tickets early, with regards to the deadline which has been set for March 31. To see information on how to acquire tickets for the event, click here.

Margaret spoke about the support the families have received from both football clubs and supporters in the city ahead of the service and gave an insight into the progress of the investigations which are currently being carried out. Scroll down below to read what Margaret had to say in full...

Margaret, what's your message to supporters who would like to attend this year's memorial service?

I'd like to tell them that they need to get their tickets from Liverpool Football Club, at the ticket office, or they can be posted if anybody is unable get to the ticket office. It's important to try and get your tickets as early as possible this year, for the simple reason that we've had a lot of interest. The club will be allowing four tickets for every request. Obviously, if people need more than that, the club will accommodate them as much as they can. But we want people to get the tickets early this year because we want to know the numbers of how many people are coming because safety is paramount. Also, it's about the sound system to make sure everybody can hear the service. So it would be great if the tickets were acquired early on. They are available from today and there will be a closing date, after which you can't get any tickets, and that's March 31. So please, if you are coming to the memorial service, acquire your tickets as early as you can so we know how many people are coming and we can accommodate that. I've got to stress that, of course, they are free - but please make sure you get them early. We'd also appreciate it if people only apply for tickets if they're absolutely certain they'll use them.

Every year is important, but with it being the 25th anniversary, what do you have planned for this year's service?

It's more or less the same format as the one we've always had, because it's always gone very smoothly and very nicely. It may be a little bit longer, so I apologise if it's a little bit longer this time around. It will be longer for the simple reason that we have an extra speaker, which is going to be Andy Burnham, at the end of the service. We have two readers and the people who go to release the balloons. We will be having a new candle stand this time as well. It'll be more or less the same, but maybe a couple of the hymns will be different.

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In terms of the readers, can you give us a little bit more information on who might speak?

Yes. I don't think I can speak out of turn on that. We've got Roberto Martinez from Everton Football Club and Brendan Rodgers from Liverpool Football Club. They will be doing the two readings. The speaker's address at the end, as I said, will come from Andy Burnham and I'm hoping this time to have Trevor Hicks do a little bit of the talking with me, rather than just my voice! We'll have the same gospel choir, so it's more or less the same format.

What does the support from across Stanley Park and from the fans in general mean to you?

It's just been amazing. People are always saying to us that the families have achieved so much. But the families could never have achieved anything without the support of the ordinary people. They are the ones who have achieved. It was a united effort. Where we are today, with the truth on September 12, 2012, inquests verdict quashed in December the same year, going forward now with the new inquests, the families have not achieved it alone. They've achieved it thanks to all the support. And I think April 15 will be for all of those fans and all of the survivors, not just for the families, not just for the 96 who died, but this is a day for all of them. They need somewhere to remember and we have to remember their pain as well. We're not finished; we've still got a long way to go and it's going to be one hell of a next 12 months for the families, and also for the survivors, because if we can get the right verdicts, it will help those survivors as well, who have suffered so much. Their support has been tremendous to all of us. They've been with us from day one. This city has backed the families from day one. Everton Football Club has been tremendous and it's great to see the two clubs united in this. But I think it's important for all the fans who were there that day. April 15 is a day for them and for us to remember their suffering.

The families' campaign continues: the new inquests are set to begin on March 31 while the IPCC and criminal investigations into Hillsborough are also on-going. What are your thoughts at the moment as to how things are progressing?

I'm encouraged by what I've seen. I've been up there and seen the IPCC a number of times, I've seen John Stoddart's team a number of times and Operation Resolve. It seems there are so many different investigations going on and I'm encouraged by what I've seen. But please do not take that as I trust in everything, because I don't. The families don't. We always have to be on the side of caution. Not because we're being vindictive, it's because of what we've gone through in the past and what we thought we were achieving only to have the door slammed in our faces at the last hurdle. So we'll always be on the side of caution. But what I have seen has encouraged me and I just hope that this time we're not going to be disappointed.

Do you feel 'justice' is closer that ever before?

I've always said when I've spoken to people that the word justice is not one I like to use. Yes, everybody chants justice and I understand that. But I do believe in accountability. I really do believe in accountability. Somebody should be held to account for what happened in 1989. Do we feel we're on the road? Of course we do. I remember years ago people used to say, 'you'll never get the inquest verdicts quashed'. And we always said that we would and that we'd fight for it. We achieved it with the help of the people and we got them quashed. So I do believe things are changing. Things are moving, but that does not mean to say that we will get the end result. It will be nearly 12 months, maybe a bit longer with these new inquests, and we still, at the end of that period, could be so disappointed. I hope that doesn't happen. I do hope we're on the road and it's the beginning of the end, because I really want Hillsborough done and dusted. Not just for myself but for all the families and the fans who have suffered. We all need peace.