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Roberto Martinez backs late kickoffs

Roberto Martinez backs the seven-minute kickoff delay at the weekend's football matches in England.

Everton manager Roberto Martinez has backed the decision to kick off this weekend's games seven minutes late as a tribute to the victims of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989.

Liverpool's match with Nottingham Forest was called off at 3.06pm on April 15 that year following a crush in the stands that killed 96 Reds supporters.

Martinez said that it was a good gesture that allows Everton and the rest of the football community to show their support to the families of the victims.

"It's a very important gesture," BBC Sport quotes Martinez as saying. "For us it's an important week, in terms of showing our respect and giving all the support we can to the families and to be all together in this moment."

Everton are currently fifth in the Premier League, just a point behind Arsenal.

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Everton manager Roberto Martinez shows his emotions during the Barclays Premier League match between Everton and Cardiff City at Goodison Park on March 15, 2014
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool1210112481631
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Fulham125341717018
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle125341313018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd124441313016
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham124351519-415
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Ipswich TownIpswich121651323-109
19Crystal Palace121561017-78
20Southampton121110924-154


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