Forest to leave 97 seats vacant for Liverpool game to honour Hillsborough victims

Nottingham Forest will leave 97 seats vacant when they host Liverpool in Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final to honour the fans who died at the Hillsborough Stadium in April 1989 when the two sides last met in the competition.

Ninety-four Liverpool supporters were crushed to death in an over-crowded and fenced-in enclosure at the stadium in Sheffield before an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Forest.

Three other victims succumbed to their injuries, with the 97th dying last June, 32 years after suffering severe and irreversible brain damage.

The abandoned match was replayed the following month at Old Trafford, with Liverpool advancing and eventually winning the trophy.

"Never forgotten. 97 seats will be left vacant at tomorrow's match in honour of those who lost their lives at our FA Cup semi final in 1989," Forest said in a statement https://twitter.com/NFFC/status/1505198910993620992.

"We look forward to welcoming Liverpool FC to the City Ground."

Liverpool responded with a message saying: "Thank you for your solidarity."

(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; editing by Clare Fallon)