Expansion of the Main Stand at Anfield has seen the Hillsborough Memorial relocated, with a service held for its reopening on Wednesday morning.
Liverpool’s home has undergone a series of changes over the summer, including the expansion of the Main Stand, with a further 8,500 seats added to the overall capacity.
While much of the focus has been on the redevelopment of the stadium’s interior, there are significant differences outside too.
Most notably, this has come with the unveiling of 96 Avenue, a stretch of path running adjacent to the Main Stand into Stanley Park.
Along the Avenue is the new home for the Hillsborough Memorial and a service was held to officially unveil the relocated memorial on Wednesday.
Attended by members of the Hillsborough families—including James Moorcroft, uncle of David Mather, one of the 96 to lose their lives at the disaster in 1989—the service saw the memorial take pride of place outside the Main Stand.
“[It was] done very nicely by one of the canons from Liverpool cathedral, where the Eternal Flame had been stored during the renovation of the Main Stand,” Moorcroft explained on Facebook.
“A few words were spoken by Bill, who is the LFC club chaplain.
“The Memorial is now in the perfect place, dead centre of the new stand, on the newly named 96 Avenue.”
The Shankly Gates were also unveiled in their new place outside the Centenary Stand on Tuesday, with Liverpool legend Ian Callaghan joining members of Bill Shankly‘s family.
An official opening event takes place on Friday, to be attended by John Henry, Tom Werner and Jurgen Klopp.
