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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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1Liverpool23175156213556
2Arsenal24148249222750
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest24145540271347
4Chelsea24127547311643
5Manchester CityMan City24125748351341
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle24125742291341
7Bournemouth24117641281340
8Aston Villa2410773437-337
9Fulham249963632436
10Brentford24103114342133
11Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton248973539-433
12Crystal Palace247982830-230
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd2485112834-629
14Tottenham HotspurSpurs24831348371127
15West Ham UnitedWest Ham2476112946-1727
16Everton236892328-526
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2454153452-1819
18Leicester CityLeicester2445152553-2817
19Ipswich TownIpswich2437142249-2716
20Southampton2423191854-369


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