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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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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool29217169274270
2Arsenal291610353242958
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest29166749351454
4Chelsea29147853371649
5Manchester CityMan City29146955401548
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle2814594738947
7Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton29121164842647
8Fulham2912984338545
9Aston Villa2912984145-445
10Bournemouth29128948361244
11Brentford29125125045541
12Crystal Palace2810993633339
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd29107123740-337
14Tottenham HotspurSpurs291041555431234
15Everton2971393236-434
16West Ham UnitedWest Ham2997133349-1634
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2975174058-1826
18Ipswich TownIpswich2938182862-3417
19Leicester CityLeicester2945202565-4017
20Southampton2923242170-499


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