from football 365 winners & losers:
Everton’s gesture
Whatever their problems on the pitch and in the dugout, Everton came together as a club before kick-off on Saturday to pay tribute to the astounding work done by the Hillsborough families, who finally got justice after 27 years last week. The cover of Everton’s matchday programme was a wonderfully simple but meaningful gesture, with the pre-match messages incredibly emotional.
In his column for The Guardian this weekend, Daniel Taylor expressed his sadness that football is increasingly played out on a stage of anger. Mercifully, there are glowing exceptions to that rule, however isolated. Everton did their city proud.
Last week’s verdict, as well as finally allowing some closure for the loved ones of the 96, confirmed something to the wider footballing world, a fact that supporters have long suspected: It really could have been your club, your friends, your family, you. That is the true human tragedy.
Football is indeed a place of great anger, bitterness and resentment. But look in the right places, and you can still find the best of people.