A Liverpool FC fan said the "Hillsborough families should know everyone remembers the 97" as she plans to unveil a memorial to Andrew Devine in South Africa.
Sioux Gijzen told the ECHO a group of South African LFC fans, led by the late Guy Prowse, funded a memorial bench in honour of the victims of the disaster in 2010. The memorial bench, made of 96 slats with a plaque above it listing the 96 names, is a permanent fixture at Spion Kop Lodge, South Africa.
Sioux, a native South African who now lives near the Brecon Beacons in Wales, said the bench is also branded with two eternal flames in memory of those who lost their lives at the Heysel and Hillsborough disaster. A group of Liverpool fans, including Sioux and piper Dave Walters, held a memorial service every year between 2007 and 2016.
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Following the death of Andrew Devine, Sioux and Dave discussed how they could remember the 97th victim of Hillsborough. Andrew died aged 55 in 2021 - 32 years on from suffering horrific injuries at the FA Cup semi final in April 1989.
The pair decided to add a single-seat chair next to the bench along with a plaque with Andrew's name on. Sioux has called on Liverpool fans from around the world to help with her plans to add the chair on the hill.
Sioux told the ECHO: "When Andrew passed away we knew we had to do something to incorporate a memorial into what was already at Spion Lodge. We started crowdfunding for the chair about a year ago and at first the uptake for donations was quite disheartening.
"I made the decision to put down the deposit on the chair. If we can't get enough donations I will pay for the chair myself.
"The Hillsborough disaster should never have happened. And it's important that it's never forgotten so something like this will never happen again. The more exposure to it means youngsters understand the impact it had."
The hill where the chair will be unveiled is located near the Tugela River in the KwaZulu-Natal Province. The location, which translates as Spy Hill, was the site of a historical victory over the British during the Boer War in 1900 which saw over 300 British soldiers, many of them from Liverpool, die. Several years later, Liverpool's new stand had similarities to the hill leading it to be named the Spion Kop.
Sioux, who comes from a family of LFC fans, added: "It's important to remember the 97 at such an iconic location. It ensures the memory of the 97 lives lost will live on worldwide.
"If we raise enough money we would like to bring over Andrew's family or another Hillsborough family to the bench. It's important that the Hillsborough families know we support them - even though we have never met. We want to ensure the families of the 97 know that they will never walk alone."
Sioux and the LFC fans in South Africa will unveil the chair on April 15 - the 34th anniversary of the disaster.
You can donate towards the fundraiser here.
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