Liverpool have announced their plan to honour the 97th fatality of the Hillsborough disaster, with Andrew Devine’s name to be added to the memorial outside Anfield.
Devine, then 22, suffered life-changing injuries during the tragedy in Sheffield in 1989, needing round-the-clock care for the rest of his life.
The Liverpool supporter passed away in July of last year, at the age of 55, becoming the 97th fatality of the crush at Hillsborough over three decades ago.
As a result, the club have worked to update their tributes to those who lost their lives, and this week, Devine’s name will be added to the Hillsborough Memorial outside Anfield.
The engraving will take place on Friday, with temporary hoardings in place around the memorial throughout the day and no access permitted.
“Any existing tributes will be removed and stored carefully during the works and will be replaced once completed,” it has been confirmed.
Devine has already been honoured with the renaming of 96 Avenue – running alongside the outside of the Main Stand – to 97 Avenue, while his name has been engraved on the Hillsborough Memorial at Kirkby.
“Alongside the changes to the memorials,” the club have added, “we are also updating our tribute in the ‘Anfield Forever’ stones located on 97 Avenue in the coming weeks.”
From next season, Liverpool’s shirts will be updated to include a tribute to the 97, with previous kits honouring those 96 who lost their lives in the immediate aftermath of Hillsborough.
In December, Devine was posthumously granted the Freedom of the City of Liverpool, reflecting the price he and countless others have paid due to those unlawful killings in 1989.
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