Tributes paid to bereaved father who helped lead Hillsborough campaign
Fellow campaigners and Liverpool FC have paid tribute to Phil Hammond.
A father who helped lead the fight for truth and justice after his son was killed in the Hillsborough tragedy has died, according to a campaign group.
Phil Hammond, the former chairman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group (HFSG), was remembered as a “very kind, fair, honest and humble man” by other people bereaved in the 1989 disaster.
He became a driving force in the campaign after his 14-year-old son Philip died in the crush at the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield resulted in the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans during the club’s FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.
Hillsborough Survivors Support Alliance said on X: “We are saddened to hear of the passing of Phil Hammond, who was once the chairman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group. Reunited with his son Philip. Our thoughts are with his family and everyone who knew him .”
Liverpool FC added: “All at LFC are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Phil Hammond.
“He lost his 14-year-old son Philip at Hillsborough, went on to become chair of the Hillsborough Family Support Group and helped lead the fight for justice for the 97. RIP Phil. YNWA”
In a tribute on X, Louise Brookes, whose brother Andrew died in the tragedy, said she was “extremely saddened” to hear of Mr Hammond’s death and described him as “a very kind, fair, honest & humble man”.
A Liverpool City Council spokesman said: “This is sad news indeed. Phil was a lovely man.
“His role in the fight for truth and justice over the Hillsborough disaster will never be forgotten. May he rest in peace.”
Mr Hammond worked with support group solicitor Ann Adlington to gather documentary evidence that was sent to the Home Office and led to then-home secretary Jack Straw ordering a new probe.
He grew up in Liverpool’s Dingle neighbourhood and, after losing his right leg in a work accident, become manager of the Lark Lane postal sorting office.
The bereaved families spent years campaigning over a range of issues including the failure of authorities to protect people, attempts to blame the fans and doubts over the original coroner’s inquest.
In an interview with The Guardian in 2015, Mr Hammond and his wife Hilda, a nurse, remembered Philip as “a joy, always”.
Their lives were “complete” as a family with their second son Graeme, who was 12 when his brother died at Hillsborough, the couple said.
He also told the newspaper that former prime minister David Cameron’s statement about Hillsborough in 2012 was “the first apology we have had from anyone in the government for 23 years”.
Mr Hammond was secretary, vice-chairman and then chairman of the HFSG from 1999 until 2008, when he suffered a brain haemorrhage after banging his head on a shelf while working in the group’s offices.
In 2014, Mr Hammond was in a wheelchair at an inquest into the deaths, listening to the evidence including from his wife, who remembered Philip as a “typical” 14-year-old boy.
Mrs Hammond told the court their son played football, was a member of the Boys’ Brigade, loved golf and had the odd teen temper tantrum when he would “stomp up to his bedroom shouting ‘I hate this house!'”.
His old school, Calderstones in Liverpool, named its new sports hall in his honour, with his parent proudly attending the opening ceremony, the inquest heard.
Mrs Hammond said: “Hopefully you can understand how much we miss him. We were certainly blessed to have such a lovely boy, even though it was for only 14 short years. We still miss him very much.”
In September, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the Government would bring forward a Hillsborough Law by the time of the next anniversary of the disaster, in April, to force public bodies to co-operate with investigations into major disasters or potentially face criminal sanctions.
