Newcastle United fans have been invited to take part in a minute’s applause in the ninth minute of tonight’s match with Tranmere Rovers to mark the tragic passing of Olivia Pratt-Korbel. The nine-year-old girl was shot dead inside her own home on Monday evening and Rovers’ vice chairman Nicola Palios has encouraged both sets of supporters to show their respects.
Ahead of tonight’s match, Palios posted the following statement on her Twitter account: “Everyone at Tranmere Rovers has been shocked and sickened by the senseless death of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel.
“We have a policy at Tranmere Rovers only to do an official minute’s silence prior to a match following the death of someone very closely connected to the club, because otherwise it becomes impossible to choose whose passing to mark, without risk of offending the loved ones of those who aren’t.
“Tragically, Olivia is one of three young people who have lost their lives to gun crime in Merseyside in the past 10 days, and the families of Ashley Dale and Sam Rimmer are also grieving.
“However we can and do support fans who want to show their respects for others, and a number have suggested a minute’s applause in the ninth minute of the game, to show support for Olivia’s family.
“We fully endorse this action, and hope that it serves as a mark of respect for all three families, and as a demonstration that we as a community are united against such pointless and mindless violence.”
