- By Ewan Gawne & Monica Rimmer & PA Media
- BBC News
Bill Kenwright died earlier this year after a long battle with illness
Hundreds of people from the worlds of football, theatre and film have attended a memorial service to remember the life of Bill Kenwright.
Coleen Rooney, Tony Bellew and Kate McCann were among those at the service at Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral.
Kenwright donated money to support the McCanns in the aftermath of their daughter Madeleine’s disappearance.
Kate McCann was pictured entering the service wearing an Everton scarf
Coleen Rooney, the wife of football star Wayne Rooney, was seen entering the service at Liverpool cathedral dressed in black.
Rooney, currently manager of Birmingham City, was handed his first-team debut in August 2002 by then manager David Moyes.
Boxing star Bellew, who came second in I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here earlier this month, arrived with former Everton player Tony Hibbert, who made 265 appearances for the club.
Tony Hibbert and Tony Bellew arrive for the ceremony at Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral
Victor Anichebe and Joleon Lescott, both former Everton players, went to the service
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham was also in attendance at the service, as well as former Everton manager Frank Lampard and a number of players including club captain Seamus Coleman.
Mr Burnham was among those offering tributes to Kenwright after his death, praising him for his reaction to the Hillsborough disaster, where 97 Liverpool fans were killed due to a crush at a match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest on 15 April 1989.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham praised Kenwright’s caring nature
Much of Everton’s first team players attended the memorial, along with current manager Sean Dyche
He said: “I saw the care he had for the Hillsborough families when they were going through everything that they went through.
“That was Bill Kenwright.
“Before people think about anything else, that was him, that was the man, just somebody of warmth, of generosity.”
Coleen Rooney was among the celebrities at the service
Kenwright produced more than 500 West End, Broadway, UK touring and international theatre productions, films and music albums over the course of his career.
He worked with Sir Tim Rice and Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber on Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita and produced the hit West End show Blood Brothers.
He had been on the board at Everton since 1989, taking over as chairman at Goodison Park in 2004.
Ex-player Tim Cahill scored 56 goals during his time at Everton
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Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
