English football side Portsmouth have hosted Russian rivals FC Rostov in a charity game to raise money for the families of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team who were killed in a September 7 plane crash.
The match took place at Portsmouth’s home ground Fratton Park, and was attended by over 4.000 fans.
Before the kickoff, a tribute to the victims was played on the big screen. The pictures of everyone who died were displayed along with the words: “Together in Spirit, together in Sport. Rest in peace”, the English team’s official website reported.
Earlier, Portsmouth’s chief executive David Lampitt said they decided to play a charity game because the Lokomotiv tragedy had deeply shocked not only the club, but the sports world as a whole.
As for the game itself, Portsmouth came out on top, with a 2-0 scoreline. Marko Futacs and Greg Halford were on target for the Pompeys in the last 20 minutes.
Another charity game for Lokomotiv families is to take place in the NHL on October 13. The teams of Russia’s brightest hockey stars Aleksandr Ovechkin and Evgeny Malkin – the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins respectively – will play to raise money for the cause.
The Lokomotiv tragedy happened on September 7 just outside the city Yaroslavl. A Yak-42 aircraft, carrying the players, coaches and the personnel of one of the KHL’s top squads, crashed immediately after takeoff from the local airport.
Thirty-six team members were killed instantly, while the only player to survive the crash – 26-year-old Aleksandr Galimov – passed away later in hospital.