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Belfast Live
National
Damien Edgar

Natalie McNally - family say Everton stone-laying will memorialise murdered Lurgan woman

The family of murdered Lurgan woman plan to have a stone laid in her memory at Premier League club Everton's new stadium.

Natalie was an avid Toffees fan and had made the trip to the current ground, Goodison Park, many times with her family.

Tragically, the 32-year-old was found murdered in her Lurgan home in Silverwood Green on Sunday 18 December last year.

Read more: Natalie McNally tribute at Everton Premier League game

She was 15 weeks pregnant at the time of her death.

Her family have been trying to build a positive legacy for Natalie that ties in with her strong support for women's rights, her love of animals and this latest step reflects the great passion she had for Everton.

Her brother Niall told Belfast Live a scheme for supporters to remember their loved ones with a stone at the new stadium was announced not long ago and they were keen to take part.

"Obviously Everton are building a new stadium down on the docks in Liverpool and it's going to be ready some time next year," he said.

"They announced the other day that they're going to have a big walkway in front of the new stand that they're building and I just thought it would be a good idea to have something there that'll be there to remember Natalie by.

"It could be there for the next 100 years, they have a similar one outside Goodison Park at the minute."

The 'Everton Way' will feature granite stones at the new waterfront stadium, with the club saying the stones could be personalised and would "celebrate births, marriages, anniversaries and loved ones – allowing fans to forever be part of the Club’s iconic new home".

He said it would bring great comfort to the family and that it would be something they can use to still keep that connection with Natalie when they go to Everton games.

"It'll be a great one to go over and see it when the new stadium's built and get photos of it and it'll be a lasting legacy for Natalie," he said.

"Natalie would have been over with us and the family, we can't get over for every game but she would have been over for us and we've great memories of it.

"We always made a trip of it and it's a home from home for us over there -this new idea is mainly just for supporters and families of people who've passed just to make that memory in the new ground.

"They're an amazing club, that's why we love them."

The club had also previously displayed a message of support for the family during the home game with Southampton in January.

The McNally family were at Goodison Park this month and Niall said they were given a welcome befitting of 'The People's Club'.

"They brought us into the director's lounge and into the directors seats at the game," he revealed.

"Afterwards we were brought down to meet Seamus Coleman, who was just an absolute gentlemen.

"He really does epitomise the whole club, for all he does and what he done for us was unbelievable.

"He brought us a signed shirt from the whole squad and it said 'in memory of Natalie' on the back and he brought us one of his own match shirts too.

"He talked away to us for a good 15 minutes to half an hour, he was just great, so down to earth and he really was a gentleman.

"You're very proud to have that kind of man as your club captain."

Niall said he hoped that in putting in place positive markers like this and with wider events planned to help causes that would have been close to Natalie's heart, that they can redefine the legacy she leaves behind.

"That's the aim since she passed is to have a legacy for Natalie rather than the tragedy that happened to her," he said.

"We want to remember her as the fun-loving, independent strong woman she was rather than simply what happened to her."

One man has ben charged with Natalie McNally's murder.

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