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Tonight Liverpool Football Club will honour murdered Toffee fan Rhys Jones by playing Everton’s “Z-Cars theme†as they run out against Toulouse at Everton at Anfield. The Z-Cars theme tune , also known as “Johnny Todd†will be played just before Liverpool’s anthem You’ll Never Walk Alone. The players will also wear black armbands and there will be a minutes applause for Rhys.
Rhys’s uncle, Neil Jones, told the Liverpool ECHO that Rhys’ parents , who will be at Anfield wearing Everton colours were proud of Liverpool for this moving tribute:
“When I told them about the proposed tribute at Anfield, Melanie said playing Johnny Todd at Anfield would be a unique event, a complete one-off, just like Rhys, and a fitting tribute to him as it was his favourite tune.“She’s also pretty sure he’ll have a little mischievous grin on his face at the thought of being the cause of it.â€
The idea for this tribute, galvanizing the city of Liverpool in mourning, came from ECHO writer Tony Barrett, and was subsequently championed by Liverpool fans who sent thousands of requests to Liverpool FC.
James McFadden, who scored the equalizer in Everton’s 1-1 draw with Blackburn said:
“I just want to dedicate my goal to Rhys’s family. It’s tragic.I’ve a 15-month-old boy. It shakes you up.â€
Everton yesterday paid their respects to Rhys at the makeshift shrine to the 11-year-old, the entire squad came to mourn his death. Former Everton star Wayne Rooney, who grew up barely a mile from Rhys left a wreath for him in the shape of an Everton shirt, a message was attached which read:
“You’re in my heart, you’re in my soul.â€