At tomorrow’s eagerly-awaited FA Cup Third Round clash with Liverpool at One Call Stadium, we will pay a poignant tribute to the Reds supporters who lost their lives at Hillsborough in April 1989.
Cards bearing the names of each of the 96 supporters who died during the tragedy will be placed on the empty seats which separate home and away fans in our ground.
Our operations director, Paul Broughton, explained: "We wanted to do something in light of what has happened this year in terms of Hillsborough and as it's been so long since the two sides met.
"One of our fans suggested we place a name on each of the empty seats in the segregation section of the stadium. The idea sent shivers down my spine. It was an amazing idea.”
Margaret Aspinall, chairwoman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, said: "I felt moved when I heard that Mansfield had planned this tribute.
"To me, it sums up where we are at, in terms of how everyone around the country is starting to realise what we’ve known for a long time about Hillsborough.”
She added: "It will be a lovely gesture and I think it's entirely appropriate for us going forward in our fight for justice. It means a great deal and I would like to thank Mansfield on behalf of the HFSG for what will be a beautiful gesture."
