BLACKBURN Rovers boss Gary Bowyer paid tribute to his side’s ‘magnificent’ supporters on the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.

Bowyer was furious at his players for letting a two-goal lead slip in the 3-3 draw at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

But he had nothing but praise for both sets of fans and clubs for their conduct in a moving pre-match ceremony to remember the 96 Liverpool supporters who lost their lives at Hillsborough during an FA Cup semi-final tie against Nottingham Forest on April 15, 1989.

Bowyer said: “Our supporters were magnificent and, having the paid respect that they did for the 96 magnificently well, they should have been going away celebrating the win.

“We haven’t been able to provide them with that and that is majorly disappointing.

“Sheffield Wednesday and their supporters need credit for the way it has gone too. I think it was marked properly.”

After an impeccably observed minute’s silence Bowyer, who was in the Nottingham Forest end as a fan on that fateful day at Hillsborough 25 years ago, joined his Owls counterpart Stuart Gray in picking up the wreaths they had placed in the centre circle and laid them in front of the Leppings Lane end, where 96 died and hundreds others were injured.

Wednesday boss Gray added: “No father, no mother, or no son or daughter should lose anybody at a football game.

“It was just a sad, sad occasion, what happened 25 years ago.

“But I think the players played their part, the fans played their part and both clubs played their part today.”