TWO Inverclyde men met families affected by the Hillsborough disaster during an emotional tribute to the victims at Celtic Park.

John Grant and Charles Lynch, who are both members of the Celtic Supporters’ Club in Greenock, were invited along to the stadium to welcome campaigners who fought for justice for the 96 Liverpool fans who died in the disaster.

The pair, who were asked to represent the Celtic Supporters Association, joined the campaigners on the pitch for a poignant tribute.

John told the Tele: “It was an emotional day.

“When the families walked out on the park there was a standing ovation and ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ was played, which is of course a song associated with both clubs.

“Celtic captain Scott Brown then presented one of the campaigners with a floral tribute which they took back to Liverpool to place in the memorial garden.”

John says he has a certain degree of empathy with the families as he was at the Old Firm match when the Ibrox disaster happened back in 1971 and 66 people were killed in a crush on a stairwell.

He said: “I was at Ibrox back in 1971.

“Back in those days there were no mobile phones or anything like that, so we’d walked out of the stadium and got back on the bus and were completely oblivious to what had happened.

“When I got home I heard that there had been a serious accident.

“But it wasn’t until the following day when I saw the newspapers that I realised the magnitude of the situation.”

Last month the jury at the Hillsborough inquests found the 96 who lost their lives in the 1989 tragedy were unlawfully killed.

The verdict came after two years of evidence.

John says he admires the Hillsborough campaigners for their tireless quest for justice.

He said: “You have got to admire the tenacity of the families who saw it through and made a stand.”