Sunderland manager Martin O'Neill has hailed the people of Liverpool for their persistence in the 23-year fight for the truth about the Hillsborough disaster to be revealed.
The Hillsborough Independent Panel yesterday unveiled a shocking police cover-up that tried to shift the blame for the deaths of 96 Liverpool supporters onto the fans themselves.
O'Neill praised the efforts of all those involved in exposing the truth, claiming that yesterday's findings represented a hardfought victory for them.
"It's been going on for so, so long, but it is total vindication for those Liverpool people who felt this was worthy, to fight this all the way. They always felt they had been maligned greatly and it has worked for them," said O'Neill.
"I think everyone is in total agreement that it's a total vindication of their thoughts and their viewpoints at the time, and they must draw some sort of comfort from this, even though 96 people still lost their lives.
"In many aspects, it's rather late, but if there is such a thing as a victory for them, it is that. It doesn't bring people back, of course, but they have been totally and utterly vindicated."
O'Neill's Sunderland side will face Liverpool on Saturday in their first game since the findings.
Barney Corkhill
