- A memorial service for Bill Kenwright was held at Liverpool Cathedral
- Sean Dyche and Sir Kenny Dalglish were among those paying their respects
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Footballing greats paid their respects alongside current professionals and fans at Bill Kenwright’s memorial service at Liverpool Cathedral following his death in October.
Everton manager Sean Dyche attended alongside first-team players, including Jordan Pickford and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Liverpool legends Sir Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush turned up, as did former Everton boss Frank Lampard and ex-Goodison Park favourite Tim Cahill.
Madeleine McCann’s mum, Kate, numbered among the Everton fans who paid tribute to Kenwright at the closed event.
Coleen Rooney, Andy Burnham, and Tony Bellew also attended.
Kenwright, Everton’s longest-serving chairman, passed away aged 78 on October 24 after 19 years in his role with the Toffees.
Everton boss Sean Dyche turned up to pay his respects at Bill Kenwright’s memorial service
Former Toffees chairman Kenwright passed away aged 78 in October after 19 years in his post
He had undergone surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from his liver in August.
Complications during surgery led to him spending a prolonged period in intensive care before he returned home in October.
He was one of the country’s leading theatre producers and helped direct Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber ‘s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Jesus Christ Superstar.
But the Scouser was perhaps best known for the long-running West End hit Blood Brothers, which ran for 24 years in the West End before playing for three years at Broadway’s Music Box Theatre.
Kenwright forged a love affair with Everton from an early age, inspired by his idol, the centre forward Dave Hickson. He had been on the board at Goodison Park since 1989 and was made deputy chairman after buying a 68 per cent majority share of the club from Peter Johnson in 1999.
Ahead of the service, Everton wrote: ‘The man who lived, breathed and dreamed Everton Football Club, since he stood on the Goodison Park terraces himself as a boy, would have wanted as many football supporters as possible to be present.
‘But venue-logistics mean the service will be a closed event.’
More to follow.
Madeleine McCann’s mum, Kate, attended. In 2007, Kenwright supported a campaign to distribute Everton shirts emblazoned with Madeleine’s face on them
Coleen Rooney, whose husband, Wayne, made his name at Everton, joined the gathering
Liverpool legends Sir Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush were present at the cathedral memorial
Current Everton stars Jordan Pickford and Dominic Calvert-Lewin joined their team-mates
Former Goodison Park favourite Tim Cahill paid his respects to Kenwright, who passed away after a battle with cancer
Ex-Toffees boss Frank Lampard turned up out of respect for the club’s longest-serving chairman
Tony Hibbert (left) and Tony Bellew (right) were seen outside the cathedral