The world of football was once more thrust into mourning as the news filtered through the wires and news services that Gary Ablett had lost his fight against cancer. The 46 year old former Liverpool, Everton and Birmingham footballer had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lympoma 16 months ago.

Gary Ablett was one of handful of footballers to cross the divide of Liverpool and remain popular with both sets of fans. Starting his career with Liverpool he went onto become a lynch pin of a side that would go onto win the F.A. Cup in 1989 and more importantly was one of the public figures alongside Kenny Dalglish who bore a very public presence at the funerals of those who needlessly lost their lives at Hillsborough against Nottingham Forest.