The Boy who United Football...

All around the world, footballers are loved and adored by people of all ages. They are idolised, admired and hero worshipped. Their names are printed on the back of replica kits, so that young boys and girls can imitate their heroes.

In an age, where the top players can earn millions of pounds for simply kicking a ball around, they also take on a responsibility for those that love them. One such player who took his responsibility as a role model to another level, was Jermain Defoe. At the match between Sunderland and Everton the Premier League, a young boy named Bradley Lowery met his hero – the star striker Defoe. That moment, Defoe went further than most footballers meeting mascots. The footballer and the young fan made a friendship which united football fans and people in general, with the love which was clearly apparent between the pair.  

Bradley had been fighting a battle with a form of cancer named Neuroblastoma since he was 18months old. Having beaten the disease once, he was in remission for a number of years before it returned in 2016. His family battled and campaigned to raise vital funds to send him to the US for life saving treatment, but they were given the heart-breaking news that his illness was terminal. So the family vowed to continue to fundraise, and make a foundation in Bradley’s name, to help with the fight for other families affected. Part of the fundraising campaign included Bradley becoming a match day mascot at his beloved Sunderland football club, where he would meet his favourite player Jermain Defoe.

Bradley led the team out on multiple occasions, always holding Defoe’s hand. At times when he was clearly feeling weak, Defoe would carry the little boy in his arms. In the match against Chelsea, he was photographed with the team, and scored a goal which won the ‘Goal of the Month’ competition on the iconic show ‘Match of The Day’. Sunderland players visited Bradley in hospital, with one instance the little boy falling asleep cuddling his hero in bed. Other football clubs and fans offered their support, with Everton donating £200k to the fund to fight for his life, and he was a mascot for them in their match against Manchester City, wearing a Sunderland shirt with ‘Thank You Everton’ on the back.

Coinciding with Defoe’s recall to the England national side, the Football Association invited Bradley be a mascot for the national side. Captain Joe Hart stepped aside and invited Defoe and Bradley to lead the team out at Wembley Stadium. During this time, some beautifully poignant photographs were taken, of Bradley shielding his ears from the noise of the 90,000 crowd singing the national anthem, and turning to hug Defoe. Defoe states that this was a huge honour, and something which was truly special for him in his football career.

After the news broke that Bradley wouldn’t be able to win this fight, Defoe attended his birthday party, and continued to give love and support to the boy and his family, and continued his hospital visits.  

As a father, the story continues to choke me up. To see the love that was genuinely shared between the two is humbling. The way that Bradley looked at Jermain; it was a form of escapism for him. I wonder if Defoe will ever truly know the effect that his love, time, generosity and friendship had on Bradley and his family. Bradley pulled on the heartstrings of the nation. His smile was infectious, and the photos and videos that appeared of him in the football environment, showed a boy who for those moments forgot his was deeply ill. He was able to be the star for a short time, removed from the days spent in hospital. Defoe often said he felt the matches were more special knowing Bradley was in attendance. I am sure for Bradleys family, any time Jermain was able to give to Bradley, was every so more special seeing their little boy's eyes light up once again. Any parent would do anything to take away the pain, and for those moments, I am sure Defoe was able to do that for them, and help their son. It truly brings tears to your eyes to listen to the way Defoe spoke about the friendship. It was real. It wasn't because the PR team at the club told him to do so. It was raw love, raw emotion, raw human instinct in wanting to love and help someone.

Bradley sadly died on July 7^th, surrounded by his loving family. Social media accounts of footballers and football clubs offered their condolences and best wishes to the family. After Bradley passed away, Defoe tweeted: “Goodbye my friend, gonna miss you lots. I feel so blessed God brought you into my life and had some amazing moments with you and for that I'm so grateful.  I'll never ever forget the way you looked at me for the first time, the genuine love in those cute eyes. Really finding it hard to express what you mean to me.”

Thousands of mourners lined the route to his funeral, where attendees including Defoe, wore football shirts, with his name on the back, with a message on social media that Football Had No Colours, meaning the football world would come together to remember this brave little boy. His favourite superheroes were in attendance, and balloons were released to the sky.

Although there are hundreds and thousands of gravely ill children around the country who do not get the level of attention that Bradley received, Bradley was able to raise awareness for many of them. His legacy will inspire many people and his foundation has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds, which will go into helping those families. Events are being hosted in his honour, including a celebrity football match at Everton’s Goodison Park ground. Additionally Sunderland donated a corporate box for each match to a family who are going through these struggles, so that the ill child can have this great experience.

To make a contribution visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/bradleylowerysfight

In a time where astronomical figures are being spent for footballers, with their earnings and responsibilities in the spotlight, when compared with more everyday life hero's such as those in the Emergency services, it is great to see the human side of the sport. 

Such love, such compassion, such emotion, such support.

RIP Bradley. 

You touched the nation with your strength and your smile. You united football fans throughout the country. My thoughts and deepest sympathies are with your family, friends and your 'best mate' Jermain Defoe, the hero who showed us his human side.

2016 - The Dark year for much loved Celebs...

Despite the year only approaching its fifth month, we have already lost many much loved stars and personalities. 2016 had already seen the passing of global stars such as pop-star David Bowie, actor Alan Rickman, and arguably Europe’s best ever footballer Johann Cruyff. Whilst here in the UK, icons such as Sir Terry Wogan, Ronnie Corbett and Victoria Wood have also lost brave battles with illness.

Prince, live in Abu Dhabi 2010

Yesterday a true global icon passed away aged just 57. Prince, was a superstar, whose music touched millions. He inspired a generation, and his music will live forever. I was lucky enough to watch him perform live in Abu Dhabi in 2010, at the closing party for the Formula 1 Grand Prix. He performed for over three hours, embracing the crowd with three encores, inviting 50 fans onto the stage to dance with him, and giving the thousands in attendance a night they would never forget. His passing, similar to David Bowie’s in January has led to their back catalogue of albums and singles storming back to the top of the music charts, bringing their music to a new generation of fans.

The BBC have reported that nearly double the number of obituaries have been used at this stage in a year, than in previous years. Almost five times the number from this time four years ago.

It is interesting to know, that major broadcast produce obituaries in advance of people dying. There is a catalogue of obituaries which are updated accordingly over the years, in advance of someone passing away. According to a BBC article, they have 1500 obituaries on file, waiting for the celebrity, sports star, politician, or even member of the Royal family to pass away, so that they can run the footage if the sad news breaks.

But why has 2016 been such a dark year in terms of much loved people passing away? There have been various articles and news pieces in recent days, and it raises some very interesting points.

Firstly, the rise of popular culture in the 1960s and the arrival of the television in most households lead to more people becoming famous. Back then, if you became a star, you would be in front of an audience of millions. It launched the start of celebrity as we know it. In the UK for an example, a popular light entertainment show could attract 18million viewers on a Saturday night. In that pre internet, pre social media, pre YouTube generation, if you were on television, you would become a genuine house hold name, instead of the Z-listers we have forced down our throats nowadays.

Secondly, the people who became icons in the 1960’s or 1970’s are now in their 70s and 80s and simply starting to die, as is common for us all as humans. It certainly helps that the boom in people becoming famous had led to higher figures. There are simply more famous people than there used to be. Many of these people were born in the post WW2 era, where the population grew due to the famous baby boom. With more babies born in the baby boom, at the same time where these babies grew into the age of the launch of television and pop culture, more and more people became famous.

Thirdly, various reports state that we, as the social media generation, are highlighting and spreading the word of more deaths than ever before. We post #RIP messages about people and share our stories or our pictures of said celebrity, which we probably learned of their passing via social media. In the old days, you wouldn’t find out that someone had passed unless they were important enough to make it on to the evening news, or in a newspaper obituary column. 

This image titled 'Dear Cancer...' went viral after the passing of three global stars. Motorhead front man Lemmy, David Bowie and Alan Rickman

We as this current generation, have grown up watching these older figures, and have formed an affinity to them. Alan Rickman for example was, to me, The Sheriff of Nottingham in one of my favourite movies, Robin Hood – Prince of Thieves. As I mentioned, Prince was one of the best gigs I have ever seen. Sir Terry Wogan was a UK television and radio legend who I watched every year for Children In Need. As a boy I learnt the ‘Cruyff turn’ from very early football training sessions inspired by the Dutch football icon’s signature move. David Bowie to me, was the actor in Labrynth, which was the last film my Grandfather ever worked on, who referred to Bowie as the ‘young rock star’ despite Bowie approaching his 40^th birthday when they made the film. I didn’t become a fan of his music until much later in life. When each of these people died, I, like thousands of others, wrote our own words on social media to pay our respects.

As the year rolls on, there is a huge chance that we will continue to lose many much loved stars. But that is life, and life goes on. Death waits for no man. It is just such a shame when we lose someone we care about. 

Top to bottom (L-R) Alan Rickman, David Bowie, Denise Robertson, Sir Terry Wogan, Victoria Wood, Ronnie Corbett

David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Sir Terry Wogan, Lemmy, Johann Cruyff, Harper Lee, Sir George Martin, Paul Daniels, Ronnie Corbett, David Gest, Chyna, Victoria Wood, Prince and all of the others who I haven’t mentioned. #RIP