The 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster may have passed, but that didn't stop Everton FC from honoring the 96 lives that were taken that fateful afternoon.
Before the start of their 3-2 loss to Crystal Palace—a loss that kept the club out of the final UEFA Champions League spot in the Premier League table—Goodison Park was flooded with a chain of blue and red scarves. A minute of applause was featured and accompanied by the Holies' "He Ain't Heavy" playing in the background.
The 44-year-old classic, which features the fitting lyric "He ain't heavy. He's my brother," symbolizes the familial relationship that exists between Liverpool and Everton. Though they are intense rivals, the one mile of separation between the two grounds makes the Merseyside Derby one littered with communal narratives.
So though the Hillsborough disaster directly impacted Liverpool FC, it was truly felt by all. Even manager Roberto Martinez (h/t Pro Soccer Talk). "As a family, we couldn't believe the pain and horror the families would get by receiving the news that their loved ones wouldn't be coming home from a football match," Martinez said.
"How can anyone die watching the game they love? That isn't right. That isn't fair. What happened after wasn't right or fair, either," he added.
"To have to fight for the good names of the ones you lost was appalling. But as my chairman said a year ago, the authorities took on the wrong city if they thought they were going to get away with that."
With new inquests into the disaster beginning in March, only time will tell if Martinez's words ring true.
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