Commemorations to mark the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough stadium tragedy began Saturday with a minute's silence before Liverpool's match against Blackburn. Before the kickoff at Anfield, Blackburn's former Liverpool player, Stephen Warnock, carried a wreath on to the pitch and laid it in front of the Kop.

The number 96 picked out in the floral tribute, marking the number of Liverpool fans crushed to death on April 15, 1989 in a fenced-in standing area of the Sheffield stadium. Liverpool was playing Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup semi-finals.

Current Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard lost his 10-year-old cousin Jon-Paul Gilhooley at Hillsborough.

A memorial service will be held on Wednesday's anniversary inside Anfield.