Just three weeks ago, in a city known for its flower shows, amusement arcades and fairs, what was supposed to be a joyful start to the school holidays turned into an indescribable tragedy.

Rob and Julia Urwin were spending a day with their three-year-old granddaughter Elsie in nearby Formby when they first heard about the attack.

“We got a message from our daughter about some stabbings,” says Rob, a lifelong Southport FC fan and programme editor for 15 years.

“We didn’t think much of it at the time. It was only when we got home that we realized the seriousness of the situation.”

Elsie’s best friend at kindergarten, Rosie, is the sister of Elsie Dot Stancombe, who was “sweet, sweet and gentle,” according to her great aunt.

“There was a mood of shock and despair in the town,” adds Rob, whose wife Julia works as a club photographer at Southport FC.

“We are in close proximity to the places where the events took place and they have shocked everyone.”

Rob said his granddaughter Elsie has been supporting Rosie by helping to bake butterfly cakes.

Southport, a part-time club playing in the sixth tier of the National League North, had just returned from a weekend in Belfast for a pre-season friendly against Cliftonville when the attack happened.

The news of the horror that sunny Monday morning left a deep sadness in a close-knit community.

“The worst news that came out today is absolutely appalling. My thoughts and prayers are with those affected and their families,” wrote Southport midfielder Danny Lloyd,, external a veteran of more than 100 appearances in the Football League, at X.

Captain Jordan Keane added on X:, external “Devastating. My thoughts are with everyone involved.”

Three weeks later, many are still trying to come to terms with what happened, including Southport boss Bentley.

“There are no words that would be enough to support the families of the victims of this tragedy that has struck the city,” says the Liverpool-born father of two.

“I’m in a WhatsApp group with friends and the day it happened they were all saying how much more they were going to hug their children that night.”