LFC to honour Bill Kenwright and Sir Bobby Charlton at Anfield
Liverpool FC will use the next two home games at Anfield to pay tribute to Bill Kenwright and Sir Bobby Charlton.
Ahead of tonight’s Europa League clash with Toulouse, the club will mark the sad passing of Everton chairman Kenwright by playing The Hollies’ He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother prior to kick-off.
This song has been chosen because – as part of his and Everton’s unwavering support for the victims of the Hillsborough disaster – Kenwright personally picked it to be played at Goodison Park following the release of the Hillsborough Independent Panel Report in September 2012.
His choice of song that evening perfectly summed up the solidarity that united Reds and Blues everywhere. Two children holding hands in the centre-circle, one in a Liverpool shirt and the other in Everton blue, became another powerful symbol of the fight for justice.
The song was later re-recorded by a group of musicians and celebrities under the name ‘The Justice Collective’, to raise money for charities associated with the families of the victims. It was released in December 2012 and became that year’s Christmas No.1 in the UK.
“The song just seemed to sum up everything about the relationship between Everton and Liverpool,” Kenwright later said.
Also in his honour, the players, managers and backroom staff will wear black armbands during the game against Toulouse.
On Sunday afternoon, LFC will also pay its respects to Sir Bobby, the legendary Manchester United player and club director, who died last weekend.
A true footballing great, Sir Bobby was a key figure in England’s World Cup triumph in 1966 and retired from international football having earned 106 caps and scored 49 goals.
Across a 17-year playing spell with United, meanwhile, the midfielder totalled 758 appearances and 249 goals, helping his club to three league titles, the 1968 European Cup and an FA Cup.
Off the pitch, Sir Bobby was close friends with Bill Shankly and was part of a tribute to the victims of the Hillsborough tragedy in September 2012 at Anfield, following the publication of the Independent Panel Report into the disaster.
He later personally invited families of the 97 fans who died as a result of the tragedy at Hillsborough in April 1989 to watch a match between United and Liverpool at Old Trafford.
In memory of Sir Bobby, Anfield will come together ahead of kick-off against Nottingham Forest for a period of applause. The players, managers and backroom staff will also wear black armbands.