Sheffield Wednesday lost 3-0 to AFC Sunderland in the English second division. But the football game fades into the background: two Sheffield Wednesday fans laugh and present a picture of Bradley Lowery. A Sunderland fan who died of cancer aged six.
Bradley Lowery was a small and oversized AFC Sunderland fan. Small because he only lived to be six years old due to a rare form of cancer. Great because he became a kind of mascot for the traditional club during his fight against the disease and even after his death in 2017. His friendship with his favorite footballer Jermain Defoe was symbolic of this: the 57-time England international even left the training camp to attend Lowery’s funeral. In an England jersey. With the name “Bradley” on the back. The boy’s coffin bore the colors and logo of his favorite club.
Accordingly, Bradley Lowery was and is well known, far beyond Sunderland. The AFC is currently playing in the Championship, the second English league, and met Sheffield Wednesday there last weekend. After just 31 minutes, Sunderland was leading 3-0, which was the final score, an actually enjoyable away trip. If two Sheffield Wednesday fans hadn’t misbehaved completely: pictures show one of the two laughing and holding up his cell phone with a picture of little Bradley Lowery on it. Apparently with the aim of provoking the Sunderland fans.
Police in South Yorkshire have located the two men. A 27-year-old and a 31-year-old were taken into custody on suspicion of violating public decency. A spokesman for Sheffield Wednesday condemned the alleged behavior of the two men and said it would support the investigation. “We can only apologize for the distress this has undoubtedly caused to Bradley’s family and friends,” it said.
Fundraiser raises more than £17,000
The Bradley Lowery Foundation, founded and run by his mother Gemma Lowery, wrote in the social media, having received countless calls and messages: “Thank you for all your kind words, that really helped. Let’s do what we do best at the Bradley Lowery Foundation: turn something negative into something positive.” She also included a picture of Bradley smiling. Gemma Lowery wrote that she could absolutely understand the anger and annoyance of many people about the pictures of the two fans: “If I wasn’t so upset, I would be angry too.”
However, Lowery also thanked “Sheffield Wednesday for their quick condemnation and the fans for the support they have shown”. Because from the “Women’s Supporters Group” from Sheffield Wednesday was one Fundraising campaign for the foundation been initiated. “We don’t want these despicable actions of a few to define our club,” said X, formerly Twitter. The goal listed there is 5,000 British pounds (around 5,770 euros) – by midday on Monday, more than 17,000 pounds (around 19,600 euros) had already been raised through more than 1,150 donations. The foundation announced that its slogan had once again been proven: “Cancer Has No Colors.”
A message that was sadly confirmed shortly after the incident in the stadium. “We are devastated,” shared Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday, “about the news of the death of Jude Mellon-Jameson.” The five-year-old had battled cancer for two years. According to media reports, it was even the same rare species as Bradley Lowery. Jude’s father Arron Jameson moved up from Sheffield Wednesday’s youth team to the professional team in 2008 and was under contract there until 2014. His mother Lucy wrote on Facebook: “Jude died peacefully. He lay in my arms while Arron held us.”