Testimony to Sunderland’s ‘greatest fan’
STAND PETITION SURPASSES CAPACITY OF STADIUM OF LIGHT
A petition to rename a stand at the Stadium of Light in honour of Bradley Lowery has officially surpassed the capacity of the ground itself.
The online campaign now has support from more than 50,000 people, more than could actually fit inside Sunderland AFC’s home stadium.
Bradley, described by the petition’s creator as “Sunderland’s greatest ever fan”, was laid to rest on Friday after he lost his battle with neuroblastoma.
His hometown of Blackhall Colliery came to a standstill as huge crowds turned out to say goodbye to the courageous sixyear-old.
A devoted Sunderland AFC fan, he became closely linked with the club and was cherished by fans of all colours.
Former Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe, Bradley’s “best friend”, attended the service, along with ex-boss David Moyes, new manager Simon Grayson and owner Ellis Short.
Chris Collier, who set up the stadium petition, posted: “We have reached a huge milestone. My target of 49,000 signatures.
“This constitutes the capacity of the stadium.
“This might not be ‘the straw on the camel’s back’, when it comes to Sunderland AFC actually doing this, but it is hugely symbolic.
“Once again, thank you to everyone who has signed and shared. Please keep sharing on behalf of Sunderland’s greatest ever fan.”
Crowds gathered outside St Joseph’s Catholic Church, the place where Bradley was christened, following a spectacular and moving procession through the town centre.
Led by Avengers superhero characters and flanked by thousands of people applauding, the little boy was carried in a carriage drawn by horses emblazoned with Sunderland AFC’s crest.
Mum Gemma, dad Carl and Bradley’s brother Kieran held each other as they made their way to the church in matching Sunderland shirts with ‘Lowery 6’ on the back.
After the service, a touching memorial was held at Blackhall Colliery Primary School where Bradley’s young classmates are having to come to terms with his death.
Head teacher Joanna Clark said: “We just wanted to make it as much of a celebration as we possibly could.
“I wanted every child to go home feeling proud that Bradley Lowery was their friend and their classmate, because I think he is an inspiration to us all.”
The day also saw hundreds turn out for a vigil at Newcastle’s Grey’s Monument, where a pair of buskers who had been performing at the entrance to Monument Metro station played a spontaneous rendition of the hymn ‘Amazing Grace’.
In another touching tribute, the Millennium Bridge on the Quayside was lit up blue in his honour.
The use of a blue heart to show solidarity with Bradley has become widespread on social media in recent weeks.
People up and down the country wore football shirts to work to celebrate the all-tooshort life of the youngster. Gateshead’s Millennium Bridge lit up in blue in memory of Bradley Lowery