ABSTRACT
This article examines the Hillsborough disaster of 1989 that led to the deaths of 96 people and the long protest by the Hillsborough families in the search for justice. In April 2016, a special Coroner's Court ruled that the Hillsborough dead had been unlawfully killed and a campaign for justice that had run for well over two decades was concluded. The paper argues that the protest and justice campaign centred on the Hillsborough disaster was essentially a battle against agencies of the state who had withheld the truth from the families. The paper also highlights the acquisition of Liverpool FC by the Fenway Sports Group and their embrace of the Hillsborough disaster as part of the club's heritage which further added to the uniqueness of the Liverpool brand and how the club, the disaster and the justice campaign have become synonymous with each other.
