On 15 April 2009, the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, Andy Burnham, then secretary of state for culture, media and sport, faced an unexpected backlash at Anfield. During his speech at the memorial service, sections of the Kop began to boo and jeer, with shouts of "When do we get justice?" and "Hypocrite." The reaction marked a turning point that ultimately led to a new inquiry and the quashing of the original inquest verdicts.
A day of raw emotion at Anfield
Visitors from as far afield as Australia had been laying flowers, scarves and messages under Anfield's Eternal Flame since dawn. These memorial services were usually subdued and respectful, with 10,000 mourners sitting on the Kop. But on this day, an hour before the service began, the Kop was full and the other three stands were swelling with numbers. By the time Burnham walked with the families to the front of the Kop, 29,000 people stood to give them a heartfelt ovation.
After two decades, the wounds of Hillsborough were still gaping, with anger at the lack of admission of guilt from above. Players from 1989, including Steven Gerrard, who lost his 10-year-old cousin Jon-Paul Gilhooley, and Jamie Carragher, took their seats to warm applause. When 96 candles were lit in the Kop goalmouth and names were read out, tears still flowed. A two-minute silence was broken only by babies' cries, while church bells outside signalled its end.
Burnham's controversial invitation
Burnham, scouse-born and an Evertonian, had been invited to speak by Margaret Aspinall, who lost her 18-year-old son James at Hillsborough and was chair of the Family Support Group. She said: "We had never allowed an MP to speak at the service because we hadn't really had any meaningful support from any of them. But I wanted to give Andy a chance."
Burnham agonised over whether to accept, knowing that Gordon Brown's Labour government had nothing new to offer the families. His main worry was whether he could get through the speech without breaking down. He started well, receiving nods of approval when he called the disaster "man-made" and praised the fans' actions. But when he said he brought a message from the prime minister that the victims would never be forgotten, the Kop began to boo.
The chant that changed everything
From the back of the Kop, a chant of "Justice for the 96" broke out and spread across the entire stadium. The message was clear: words are easy, actions hard. Burnham nodded at the Kop with an "I get it" expression. Aspinall said: "I was on eggshells throughout Andy's speech. When the Kop began chanting for justice our former chairman Trevor Hicks looked at me as if to say: 'What have you done, Margaret? Let's say something.' But I thought: 'No, let them carry on, don't say anything. Let the Kop tell the government and the country how angry we all feel.'"
The scene of a cabinet minister being barracked led every news bulletin and made every front page. Burnham later said: "When the first justice chants rolled off the Kop, I was not surprised, as I half-expected them. And, actually, I wanted the country to hear them. The people on the Kop that day were right to barrack me. I don't hold anything against anyone who shouted at me. It helped me find the political courage to do something."
A turning point for justice
Burnham urged Gordon Brown to heed the Kop's calls, and despite some cabinet opposition, the prime minister backed him. By the end of 2009, a Hillsborough Independent Panel was set up to scrutinise hundreds of thousands of unseen documents. Its 2012 report highlighted calamitous mistakes by police and emergency services, showed how lives could have been saved, and revealed a massive cover-up.
David Cameron gave a grovelling apology to the families and Liverpool fans from the floor of the Commons. The original inquest verdicts of "accidental death" were quashed, and new inquests in 2016 returned 96 verdicts of "unlawful killing," exonerating the fans of all blame. Aspinall said: "We would never, ever have got the verdicts of 'unlawful killing' without the support of the Kop. The fans played a vital part over the years in supporting us and getting accountability. But the turning point definitely came when those chants of 'justice' came at Andy Burnham. That day the Kop changed everything."
Five years later, Burnham addressed the 25th anniversary service, facing a banner reading "Thank You, Andy Burnham" instead of boos. He said: "Five years ago things changed, not because of me but because of all of you. You made your voices heard and thank God you did. Your voices carried off this Kop into every living room in the land and into the heart of the establishment. I knew you were right and they were wrong. With that chant of 'justice' the dam burst. You were asking the most profound question about our country and how it is run. How can it be that an entire city shouted injustice for 20 years and no one was listening? There is still an uncertain road ahead but the country is with you now. The families will prevail because of all of you. You have made this city stronger and you will make our country fairer. You have given hope to people the world over. What was your call five years ago is my call today; justice for the 96."
