The match, positioned as the show-piece event in a day dedicated to celebrating the lives of the 96 Liverpool supporters lost in one of the worst football tragedies England has ever seen, was organized by the Hillsborough Family Support Group and featured a team made up of former “local” Reds fans favourites from the UK and Ireland squaring off against an international outfit filled with stars from abroad. There were a few rusty legs, but in front of a sold out Anfield, the legends played out a wholly entertaining 90-minutes to both raise money for the families affected by the tragedy and to remember the dearly departed.
The local side, managed by living legend and two-time Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish, featured the likes of Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen, John Barnes, David James and Gary McAllister. The international side saw the return of treble-winning manager Gérard Houllier to the Anfield technical where he took a hold of a talented packed side bolstering Luis Garcia, Sami Hyypia, Jan Molby and Dietmar Hamann.
We won’t ruin the fun and tell you what happened, but suffice it to say that it was an extremely enjoyable experience — even if it was played at a much slower pace than you remember these guys being able to manage!
