How Everton Stood by Liverpool in the 26 Years Since Hillsborough Disaster

Liverpool players, staff and supporters gathered on the Kop for the 26th Hillsborough Memorial Service on Wednesday afternoon.

The city of Liverpool fell silent at 3:06 p.m.—the time the FA Cup semi-final was stopped in 1989—to hold a minute's silence in memory of the 96 supporters who innocently lost their lives that fateful day.

The service saw Steven Gerrard and Phil Jagielka, the respective captains of Liverpool and Everton, release balloons in memory of the deceased. Former Everton player Graham Stuart also provided a reading.

It was another poignant moment that demonstrated how Everton have been Liverpool's "brothers in arms" in the 26 years since the disaster.

In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, Merseyside was engulfed in grief, and fans arrived at Anfield to adorn the Shankly Gates with flowers and scarves.

Peter Kemp/Associated Press

Labour leader Neil Kinnock visited Anfield, with the pitch and Kop goal containing thousands of flowers. "You only have to look here to see there’s almost as much blue as red," he said, according to Peter Lupson in Across The Park (via Liverpool's official site).

Reds and Blues stood together. Evertonians lost loved ones. Then-Everton manager Colin Harvey added: "We are not a divided city. There are Evertonians and Liverpudlians in the same family. "

The Mile of Scarves

As written by Lupson:

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The bonds between Everton and Liverpool were much in evidence in the immediate aftermath of Hillsborough, but there was no symbol of their unity more powerful than 'The Mile of Scarves'...

The first scarf was tied to the gates of Goodison Park by Everton star Ian Snodin and from there the chain continued out of Bullens Road, over Walton Road, across Stanley Park and through the Bill Shankly Memorial Gates at Anfield to the Kop. On Saturday 22 April a moving ceremony led by Archbishop Worlock and Bishop Sheppard was held at Anfield for the tying of the final scarf to the Kop. It was attended by thousands, including the players of Everton, Liverpool and Tranmere Rovers.

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1989 FA Cup Final

TONY WHITE/Associated Press

Fittingly, the 1989 FA Cup final saw Everton and Liverpool at Wembley. On May 20, 1989, the match itself wasn't what mattered, though.

A pre-match rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone" by Gerry Marsden saw Liverpool and Everton fans "intertwined as a show of unity." Recalling the day, Ben Blackmore wrote for ESPN, "The role of Everton Football Club should never be forgotten, with footballing allegiances discarded as the Merseyside people nursed each other back to health."

Mascot Tribute

In more recent years, and following the release of the Hillsborough Independent Panel report in September 2012—which saw Prime Minister David Cameron issue an apology in the House of Commons and quash the original finding of accidental death—Everton paid tribute prior to their Premier League game against Newcastle United days later.

Two mascots, one young girl in Everton blue with the No. 9 on her back and one young boy in Liverpool red with No. 6 on his, led the players onto the pitch. They held hands as The Hollies’ "He Ain’t Heavy, He's My Brother" played around Goodison Park.

The Mirror reported how the choice of song "was down to Everton chairman Bill Kenwright, who opted to play the song at Goodison as an expression of Merseyside unity in the immediate aftermath of the publication of the Hillsborough Independent Panel's report."

The Justice Collective, featuring a host of pop stars and celebrities, went on to record their version of the moving song, and their Hillsborough tribute single topped the 2012 Christmas charts.

Kenwright Speech

Five months later, on the 24th anniversary in 2013, Kenwright gave an impressive and emotional speech.

"They took on the wrong city—and they took on the wrong Mums," he declared.

Clint Hughes/Associated Press

The next month, Liverpool fans said thanks to Everton ahead of the Merseyside derby with a mosaic on the Kop. The tribute was the brainchild of Mirror columnist and Liverpool supporter Brian Reade.

Martinez Speech

Last year's 25th memorial service saw manager Roberto Martinez give a superb speech in which he repeated what Kenwright had said:

"What happened afterwards was not right or fair but, as my chairman said last year, they took on the wrong city. I do not have to tell you that Everton are with you. Everton remembers. We will always."

Memorial Plaque at Goodison

Earlier this year Everton unveiled a permanent memorial plaque ahead of the Merseyside derby at Goodison, as noted by the BBC:

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Everton fan Stephen Kelly, whose brother Michael died in the 1989 tragedy, said: "I have always been grateful of the support from the blue side of the city. "I hope that when Evertonians look at this they will feel proud of the way we've supported our neighbours."

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Truth and Justice

CLINT HUGHES/Associated Press

Throughout these past 26 years, Everton have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with their city rivals in pursuit of the truth and in support of justice for the families of the 96.

MP Andy Burnham said at last year's service: "How can it be that an entire city was crying injustice for 20 years and no one was listening?"

The answer to that and many more questions should be answered when the current inquests into the disaster are concluded.