"It wasn't a nice walk," says Southport manager Jim Bentley. "When we arrived at the police cordon, it really hit home. The majority of my players have kids and to see all 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 in a knife attack as they attended a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, died from her injuries in hospital the following day, while eight other girls and two adults were injured. The attack in the quiet seaside town in the north-west of England happened less than a mile from Southport Football Club, who opened the doors to their Big Help Stadium ground to provide a safe and supportive space for those affected by the horror.
In the days that followed, Southport supporters helped clean up after violence broke out, raised thousands of pounds for Alder Hey Children's Hospital - where some of the survivors were treated - while Bentley and his players visited the police cordon on Hart Street to lay flowers. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper visited the football club, while there was a moving tribute to Bebe, Elsie and Alice before a home friendly with FC United of Manchester, as Southport fan and Salvation Army member Brian Johnson addressed the crowd and said: "Fly high three beautiful butterflies." "The grief and fear that Southport has endured will no doubt have a lasting impact on the community," Peter Mitchell.