What is 1989 Hillsborough Disaster? Hillsborough Independent Panel and Its Report [PHOTOS]

Hillsborough disaster is in the news again as Liverpool is set to play its first match after the Hillsborough Independent Panel cleared its fans of the lost of lives in 1989.

Liverpool will play Manchester United on Sunday, with the captains of the teams Steven Gerrard and Nemanja Vidic scheduled to release 96 red balloons before they kick-off the Barclays English Premier League match to pay tribute to the victims of the Hillsborough disaster.

Sensing potential disorder during the Sunday clash, Merseyside Police have urged fans of Liverpool and Manchester United to stay calm and report if anybody resorts to  distasteful chanting. Manchester United fans were engaged in anti-Liverpool chants during the match against Wigan last weekend, creating fears of disorder if they repeat the same at Anfield on Sunday.

[PHOTOS OF TRIBUTE TO HILLSBOROUGH DISASTER VICTIMS] 

What is 1989 Hillsborough Disaster?

Great Britain witnessed its worst football disaster during the FA Cup semi-final match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield, in 1989.

Football fans, who came to watch the match at the stadium, fell on each other due to influx of supporters, causing the death of 96 people and injuring 100s of others. The match was called off just six minutes into the game.

Hillsborough Independent Panel

After the Taylor Report in 1990 blamed the police department for the disaster, the government appointed the Hillsborough Independent Panel in January 2010 to look into the context, circumstances and aftermath of the disaster.

The Hillsborough Independent Panel, which began its work in February 2010, is made up of nine members who have vast knowledge in their respective fields.

Headed by Reverend James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool, the Hillsborough Independent Panel members consisted of Raju Bhatt, a specialist in private and public law claims; Christine Gifford, a member of the Advisory Council on National Records and Archives; Katy Jones, a reknown investigative journalist; Dr Bill Kirkup, who has experience in public health; Paul Leighton, a former Deputy Chief Constable of the Police Service; Professor Phil Scraton, a Professor of Criminology; Peter Sissons, a reknown journalist; and Sarah Tyacke, a distinguished scholar.

Hillsborough Independent Panel Report

The Panel last week (September 12) concluded that Liverpool fans were not responsible for the death of 96 people during the FA Cup semi-final match against Nottingham Forest. It also concluded that South Yorkshire police tried to conceal the truth and divert the blame of the disaster to the victims and edited 116 of 164 police statements that were unfavourable to them. 

[PHOTOS OF TRIBUTE TO HILLSBOROUGH DISASTER VICTIMS]