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Kenny Dalglish’s autobiography unexpectedly became a key text for the Hillsborough inquests when the former Liverpool FC manager gave evidence.

The Reds legend wore a Liverpool crested suit and ‘96’ badge when he took to the witness box to answer questions about the FA Cup semi-final on April 15, 1989.

Amidst the heartache of the inquests process, Hillsborough Family Support Group chairman Margaret Aspinall said she remembered the day of Mr Dalglish’s evidence because it “gave us a bit of a laugh”.

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John Beggs QC, representing match commanders David Duckenfield, Roger Marshall and Roger Greenwood, had produced a 2011 edition of Mr Dalglish’s autobiography My Liverpool Home as he began asking the Scotsman questions.

Quoting from a section about the cup final at Wembley in 1986, he said: “I also saw, on TV, Scousers climbing through windows, dropping down ropes and pulling each other up, bunking in to the most famous stadium in the world for the oldest football trophy in the world.”

He went on: “When Wembley announced the official attendance as 98,000 I just laughed as there must have been at least 110,000 crammed in beneath the Twin Towers.”

Mr Beggs began to ask Mr Dalglish: “So you, an icon, I am going to suggest a very important role model to young men who support Liverpool, laugh at the fact that they break the law by going in without tickets...”

He was stopped by Mr Dalglish, who said: “No, I don’t think you’ve read that properly, sorry, if I can interrupt you.”

He added: “Well, I laughed at the official attendance being announced as 98,000. I didn’t laugh at people trying to get in for free.”

As Mr Beggs attempted to continue his questioning the former striker began to laugh.

He told the court: “I’m laughing because I don’t know - you’re the one that used the word ‘icon’, not me, and I’m only a guy, I’m only a normal human being that had a good job and, if other people think something of you, that’s up to them.

“I don’t think I’m actually judge and jury on how people should behave and shouldn’t behave, so I don’t see what right I would have to say in there that people were wrong.”

Mr Beggs went on to refer to a report about the 1989 FA Cup Final, between Liverpool and Everton, which formed part of the Taylor Inquiry.

He was stopped by coroner Sir John Goldring, who questioned how Mr Dalglish could give evidence relating to it, and then interrupted by families’ barrister Michael Mansfield, who raised a concern.

The coroner sent the jury and witness out of court for legal discussion to take place and when they returned, just over 10 minutes later, Mr Beggs continued his questioning.

Mr Dalglish said he had no evidence of fans “bunking in” to Wembley for the 1989 final but told the court: “I know that the clamber for tickets at Merseyside was overwhelming because of the occasion and because everyone in Merseyside, whether you were Red or Blue, wanted to show their unity and the support for families who had lost their loved ones at Hillsborough.”

Mr Beggs began asking questions about Mr Dalglish’s views on the fencing at Heysel, where 39 football fans died in a disaster in 1985.

As the questions continued, the coroner interrupted: “Where is this going, Mr Beggs?”

He asked how the jury’s knowledge was being expanded by the line of questioning.

Mr Beggs told the court: “It is because an icon in British football is making the very point that I have been making throughout these inquests, which is, unless you have robust fencing, you have the sort of disaster that unfolded at Heysel.”

But Mr Dalglish said: “Excuse me, I don’t think I’m endorsing what he’s saying.”

He added: “Well, if I am, I don’t wish to.”

Questioning the footballer about the day of the disaster, Mr Beggs asked if he would agree that if 2,000 to 3,000 fans had turned up late to the match they might have contributed to the disaster.

But the coroner stopped him from answering.

He told him: “He cannot answer that question, Mr Beggs, as you perfectly well know.”

As Mr Beggs continued to make his point, Sir John went on: “Mr Beggs, please don’t argue with me.”

The jury and Mr Dalglish were sent out a second time for legal discussions to continue.

Mrs Aspinall said: “I think Beggs had his own agenda but Kenny handled it brilliantly.

“Kenny’s always been there for the families and he didn’t in any way shape or form let us down.”

Mary Corrigan, mum of 17-year-old victim Keith McGrath, said: “It’s good to be able to laugh in court.

“Beggs must have been thinking ‘I’ve got this fella and I’m going to make him look as small as I can’.”

She added: “I was made up he put Beggs in his place.”

Barry Devonside, whose 18-year-old son Christopher died in the disaster, said: “When Kenny Dalglish came to give evidence the behaviour of John Beggs I thought was to embarrass Kenny, but he turned it on him.

“I thought Kenny conducted himself well.”

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Once back in court, after some more questions about his autobiography, Mr Beggs finished his questioning and Rajiv Menon QC, on behalf of some of the families, asked Mr Dalglish to clarify some of the figures Mr Beggs had quoted from his book.

Answering him, Mr Dalglish said: “if you read the book I said - well, the ghost writer said...”

Sir John asked him: “You mean it wasn’t you, Mr Dalglish, who wrote it?”

He replied: “No, no. I’m not intelligent enough.”

More Hillsborough reports in our dedicated channel here