Everton have paid tribute to the 96 victims of the Hillsborough disaster following last week’s report into the tragedy.
Prior to their match against Newcastle on Monday night at Goodison Park, the players were led out by two mascots – a girl in Everton kit and a young boy in Liverpool kit. They wore number 9 and 6 on their back to represent the 96.
As the names of the 96 were displayed on the big screen “He ain’t heavy, He’s my brother” played as fans applauded the moving show of solidarity.
The Everton ball boys also wore number 96 on the front of their shirts, while manager David Moyes wrote in his programme notes:
“I and everyone at Everton stands alongside the Hillsborough families. I am a football supporter and a father and I applaud the families who continued to fight for the ones they loved.”
Even more poignantly, Anne Williams – who lost her son Kevin – previously explained:
“The only time Michael [Kevin’s older brother] broke – I had the radio on, so it must have been a couple of years after because I’d started putting the radio back on, and the Hollies’ “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” was on. I heard all this crying. It was Michael. He said, “Mum, I carried him [he was a pall bearer at Kevin’s funeral]. I didn’t just lose my brother, I lost my best mate.” And he broke his heart.”
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