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Two men charged in connection with a ‘Murderers’ banner hung from a Manchester bridge before Liverpool’s Europa League clash at Old Trafford have denied being involved.

The banner, which had the date of the Hillsborough disaster marked on it , caused widespread outrage, sparking a furore on social media and inflaming tensions at the match itself.

It was unfurled around six weeks before the unlawful killing verdicts were handed down at the end of the two-year-long inquests into the 1989 FA Cup semi-final disaster in Sheffield, exonerating LFC fans who had been blamed for the tragedy.

Greater Manchester Police launched a criminal investigation into the banner, and in April charged Ainsley Meanock, 24, from Oldham, and Jay Cornforth, 20, from Manchester, each with a public order offence.

That charge was replaced after the pair appeared at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court last week.

Meanock instead faces a charge of sending by public communication network an offensive, indecent, abusive or obscene message or matter.

He has pleaded not guilty.

His co-accused, Cornforth, also had his public order charge changed to an offence of causing to be sent by public communication network an offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing message or matter.

He also denied the charge.

Both men will now stand trial in July.

They were given conditional bail.

The ‘Murderers’ message was hoisted on the bridge at the end of the M602 motorway in Salford – the route many Reds fans took travelling to the Red Devils’ stadium.

Later, at the game, which was drawn 1-1 and saw Liverpool knock Man Utd out of the Europa League, police were faced with a violent confrontation that broke out in the East Stand between a small number of home and away supporters.

It led to a young child, caught in the crossfire between the two sets of fans, sustaining minor injuries after being hit by a plastic seat thrown by one of the fighters.