'Shock & despair' - how Southport FC helped a town in mourning

"It wasn't a bully walk," says Southport head Jim Bentley.

"When we arrived astatine nan constabulary cordon, it really deed home. The mostly of my players person kids and to spot each those teddy bears, butterfly balloons, bracelets, candles, flowers and messages, it was incredibly moving."

On 29 July, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, were killed successful a weapon onslaught arsenic they attended a Taylor Swift-themed creation class. Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, died from her injuries successful infirmary nan pursuing day, while 8 different girls and 2 adults were injured.

The onslaught successful nan quiet seaside municipality successful nan north-west of England happened little than a mile from Southport Football Club, who opened nan doors to their Big Help Stadium crushed to supply a safe and supportive abstraction for those affected by nan horror.

In nan days that followed, Southport supporters helped cleanable up aft violence collapsed out, raised thousands of pounds for Alder Hey Children's Hospital - wherever immoderate of nan survivors were treated - while Bentley and his players visited nan constabulary cordon connected Hart Street to laic flowers.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper visited nan shot club, while location was a moving tribute to Bebe, Elsie and Alice earlier a location friends pinch FC United of Manchester, arsenic Southport instrumentality and Salvation Army personnel Brian Johnson addressed nan crowd and said: "Fly precocious 3 beautiful butterflies."

"The condolences and fearfulness that Southport has endured will nary uncertainty person a lasting effect connected nan community," Peter Mitchell, president of non-league Southport, says.

"But arsenic a organization club, we will stay a root of support for whoever whitethorn request it."

Just 3 weeks ago, successful a municipality known for its flower shows, amusement arcades and funfair, what should person been a joyful commencement to nan schoolhouse holidays turned into unspeakable tragedy.

Rob and Julia Urwin were enjoying a time retired pinch their three-year-old granddaughter, Elsie, successful adjacent Formby erstwhile they first heard astir nan attack.

"We sewage a connection from our girl astir immoderate stabbings," Rob, a lifelong Southport FC instrumentality and programme editor for nan past 15 years, says.

"At nan time, we didn't deliberation excessively overmuch astir it. It was only erstwhile we sewage location that we realised nan seriousness of it all."

Elsie's champion friend astatine nursery, Rosie, is sister of Elsie Dot Stancombe, who was "lovely, saccharine and gentle", her great-aunt said.

"The emotion successful nan municipality has been 1 of daze and despair," adds Rob, whose woman Julia is simply a nine photographer astatine Southport FC.

"We are successful adjacent proximity to wherever nan events took spot and it has shaken everyone to nan core."

Rob said that his granddaughter Elsie has been supporting Rosie by helping to make butterfly cakes.

Southport, a part-time nine who play successful nan sixth tier National League North, had conscionable returned from a play successful Belfast, wherever they played a pre-season friends against Cliftonville, erstwhile nan onslaught happened.

News of nan scary connected that sunny Monday greeting near a tight-knit organization consumed by grief.

"The worst news coming retired today, perfectly horrific, my thoughts and prayers are pinch nan affected and their families," wrote Southport midfielder Danny Lloyd,, external a seasoned of much than 100 Football League appearances, connected X.

Captain Jordan Keane added connected X:, external "Devastating. My thoughts are pinch everyone involved."

Three weeks connected and galore are still coming to position pinch what happened, including Southport leader Bentley.

"There are nary words that are capable to opportunity to nan families of those affected by nan calamity that has deed nan town," says nan Liverpool-born father-of-two.

"I'm connected a WhatsApp group pinch friends and nan time it happened they were each saying really overmuch much they were going to hug their kids that night."

Within hours of nan attack, Southport FC had been transformed into a organization support centre, pinch nan Samaritans mounting up a impermanent guidelines astatine nan Big Help Stadium on pinch a squad from Victim Care Merseyside.

"The shot nine became a focal constituent wherever group could spell if they needed anything," Bentley, nan erstwhile Morecambe and Rochdale manager, adds.

"The president is very overmuch a people's person. He is large connected communities, large connected relationships, relationship and family."

The location secretary, addressing nan House of Commons connected 30 July, said: "When I visited this morning, galore group were gathering astatine Southport Football Club, which had thrown its doors unfastened for nan community, and wherever younker workers told maine that they were wished to support supporting Southport children pinch events this summer.

"I dream that everyone will recognise nan consciousness of organization and solidarity among nan group of Southport, who person travel together to support each different successful nan astir unspeakable of times."

A nighttime of upset successful nan municipality followed, yet nan adjacent morning, fans wearing Southport's yellowish and achromatic squad colours were seen cleaning up nan destruction.

"In nan look of unspeakable calamity and misplaced anger we saw nan champion of our community, pinch individuals volunteering to cleanable up nan municipality centre, rebuilding mosque walls and boarding up damaged buildings," adds Mitchell.

A scheduled pre-season lucifer against Morecambe astatine nan Big Help Stadium connected 30 July was cancelled arsenic a people of respect but Southport did spell up pinch a friends against FC United of Manchester 5 days aft nan attack.

"It wasn’t astir nan football," says Bentley.

"It was astir bringing nan organization together, arsenic one, paying respects to Bebe, Elsie and Alice, their friends, family and loved ones, arsenic good arsenic those impacted by nan tragic events."

Before nan game, nan manager, his players and nine unit made nan short locomotion from nan Big Help Stadium to nan constabulary cordon connected Hart Street to salary their respects and laic flowers.

"I've said to nan players we've sewage to make judge that we correspond nan club, nan badge, nan municipality and nan group of Southport successful nan correct manner, moreover much truthful aft nan tragic events," adds Bentley.

FC United players besides placed flowers astatine nan cordon, while their inferior members donated teddy bears to nan creation workplace wherever nan onslaught happened "as a motion of comfortableness and support".

Emergency workers were fixed free admittance to nan match, which Southport won 2-1, and nan crowd of 1,029 helped raise £5,000 for Alder Hey Children's Hospital.

Taylor Swift songs were played complete nan speakers earlier kick-off and astatine half-time, while successful a alteration to nan accustomed euphony the teams walked retired to Dolly Parton's 'Love Is Like a Butterfly'., external

Then, earlier an impeccably observed minute's silence, nan pursuing tribute was publication out:

Today nan footballing communities of some Southport FC and FC United of Manchester travel together to remember, and believe for, nan victims and each those injured during nan unspeakable events which took spot connected Monday.

We besides wish to definitive our sincere acknowledgment to each those successful nan emergency services, and nan aesculapian unit successful nan hospitals, for their bravery, dedication and continuing care.

Can you now please stand, if you are able, for a minute’s soundlessness to retrieve Alice, Bebe and Elsie on pinch their families and friends.

Fly precocious 3 beautiful butterflies.