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NOTTINGHAM FOREST HISTORY
15 April, 1989

Hillsborough disaster at FA Cup semi

On this day in Nottingham Forest history in 1989 the Hillsborough disaster occurs during the Liverpool v Forest FA Cup semi-final.

Community and social impact

Memorials or tribute events officially recognised by the club
The Hillsborough Memorial at Hillsborough Stadium, commemorating the 96 people who died after the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.
The Hillsborough Memorial at Hillsborough Stadium, commemorating the 96 people who died after the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. Image: Superbfc, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Liverpool v Nottingham Forest FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough became one of the darkest days in English football history.

The match was abandoned after the disaster in the Leppings Lane end, where 97 Liverpool supporters ultimately lost their lives. Football quickly became secondary to grief, confusion and the scale of the human tragedy unfolding inside the stadium.

The Hillsborough Memorial at Hillsborough Stadium, commemorating the 96 people who died after the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.
The Hillsborough Memorial at Hillsborough Stadium, commemorating the 96 people who died after the 1989 FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. Image: Superbfc, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

For Forest, the event is remembered with care because the club was present in the fixture, but the tragedy belongs above all to the Liverpool supporters, their families and the long fight for truth and accountability that followed.

This calendar entry should be treated as a moment of remembrance rather than a football occasion. The abandoned semi-final remains part of Forest’s history, but its meaning is shaped by respect, loss and the lasting impact on the wider game.

Sources

IOPC; Liverpool FC; The FA

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Notts County 0–2 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 3–0 Blackburn
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Vitória SC 1–1 Nottingham Forest
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Portimonense 1–2 Nottingham Forest Sporting CP 4–1 Nottingham Forest
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Udinese 1–0 Nottingham Forest Barcelona 1–0 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 2–1 Bayer Leverkusen
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Nottingham Forest 2–0 Stade Brestois 29
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Nottingham Forest 0–1 Leeds
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Nottingham Forest 0–2 Leeds
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Liverpool 2–2 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 0–0 Tottenham
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Aston Villa 1–2 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 0–1 Coventry
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Crystal Palace 14:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 16:30 Arsenal
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Ipswich 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Brentford 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 17:30 Manchester City
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Bournemouth 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 20:00 Chelsea
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Hull City 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Brighton
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Sunderland 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Everton
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Manchester United 16:30 Nottingham Forest
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Newcastle 19:30 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Fulham
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Nottingham Forest 19:30 Hull City
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Manchester City 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Bournemouth
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Chelsea 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Brentford
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Fulham 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Manchester United
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Everton 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 20:00 Newcastle
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Tottenham 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Aston Villa
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Leeds 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Liverpool
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Sunderland
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Brighton 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Crystal Palace
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Arsenal 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Ipswich
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Coventry 16:00 Nottingham Forest
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On this day in …
1978
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Trophies and titles
1989
Hillsborough disaster at FA Cup semi

The Liverpool v Nottingham Forest FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough became one of the darkest days in English football history. The match was abandoned…

Community and social impact