Liverpool bans The Sun over notorious Hillsborough coverage

There is no room for The Sun at Anfield, Melwood training ground, or any of Liverpool FC's buildings.

On Friday, a campaign known as "Total Eclipse Of The S*n" announced that, following conversations with Liverpool's directors, The Sun's journalists are no longer able to enjoy access to the Reds' premises. As the Guardian's David Conn explains, the ban is over the tabloid's notorious coverage of the Hillsborough disaster, in which 96 supporters were unlawfully killed in a crush.

According to Conn, the decision to ban The Sun is understood to have been taken by Liverpool's owners after club executives had discussions with families whose relatives were killed at Hillsborough Stadium in 1989, during the FA Cup semi-final between the Reds and Nottingham Forest.

On April 19, 1989 - four days after the disaster and with 95 people confirmed dead - The Sun ran an infamous front page accusing Liverpool supporters of picking the pockets of victims and urinating on "brave cops." The coverage resulted in an immediate boycott of the tabloid on Merseyside, and as Conn notes, apologies have never been accepted by bereaved families.

(Courtesy: Liverpool Echo)

Last year - 27 years after the Hillsborough disaster - the jury at the new inquest into the tragedy determined the 96 people who died were unlawfully killed and that a catalogue of failings by police and ambulance services contributed to the deaths.

Related - Hillsborough inquest: 96 victims unlawfully killed, Liverpool fans exonerated

After the ban was announced, The Sun responded with a statement, saying: "The Sun and Liverpool FC have had a solid working relationship for the 28 years since the Hillsborough tragedy. Banning journalists from a club is bad for fans and bad for football. The Sun can reassure readers this won't affect our full football coverage.

"The Sun deeply regrets its reporting of the tragic events at Hillsborough and understands the damage caused by those reports is still felt by many in the city. A new generation of journalists on the paper congratulate the families on the hard fought victory they have achieved through the inquest. It is to their credit that the truth has emerged and, whilst we can't undo the damage done, we would like to further a dialogue with the city and to show that the paper has respect for the people of Liverpool."

Total Eclipse of The S*n describes itself on Facebook as a "group of people, red and blue, working to promote establishments that, not only DON'T sell the S&n, but also shops that WON'T have it on their premises." Its campaign was supported by the Hillsborough Family Support Group.