For no apparent reason, the clapping began exactly six minutes after kickoff.
Next, the TV cameras moved to large screens that showed a photo of a young boy wearing a football shirt.
As players applauded, the game was halted at the pitch.
Commentator said in reverent tones this was an ode to Arthur Labinjo Hughes, six years old.
We were told that he had the sympathy of all the nation, and the sympathy of everyone.
The scene was taken at Villa Park. However, similar events took place at all other national football venues.
Arthur’s father, and his stepmother were sentenced for torturing Arthur and killing him at the first Covid lockdown.
Because I was not able to understand them, I don’t intend on repeating any of the horrific details.
For no apparent reason, six minutes into kick-off saw the start of clapping. Next, the TV cameras switched over to big screens. They were showing a picture that showed a young boy dressed in a football shirt. This was the tribute to Arthur Labinjo Hughes, six years old.
His tragic short and painful death was enough to make you scream, cough and kick.
Arthur, the latest victim of a brutalized child murder by his parents or guardians is being allegedly placed under the surveillance of the social services.
I immediately think of Jasmine Beckford, Baby Peter and Daniel Pelka.
We are always promised a “serious case review” and we will learn lessons that will never be repeated.
But no lessons are ever learned and it will — and does — happen again.
Sometimes, so-called serious cases reviews turn into complicated exercises in backside-covering and buck-passing.
Sharon Shoesmith from Haringey social service managed to play the role of the true victim in the horrible Baby P case.
She walked away with £600,000 compensation after being illegally sacked on the orders of the then Children’s Secretary, Ed Balls.
Let others dwell on the inadequacies of’safeguarding professionals’ and the permissiveness or otherwise of the sentences given to Arthur’s father and mother.
The purpose of this column is to discuss the deliberate exploitation this tragedy has been by directors and football clubs in an effort to bolster their “caring” credentials.
This ‘tribute” might have made sense if it had been an unintentional gesture of genuinely shocked spectators. It was not.
It was yet another stage-managed act of shameless virtue-signalling from a venal and amoral industry that insists on climbing aboard any passing bandwagon, anti-racism or trans rights.
The clubs had already posted on social networks their intention to offer a moment of appreciation for Arthur well before the fixtures.
The choreographed clapping would start after six minutes — one minute for every year of the boy’s life.
Birmingham City, which he supported was wearing specially printed T-shirts titled “Arthur We Love You”. On some areas, people sang “We love you Arthur”, . .
The tribute was held at Villa Park (pictured), although similar scenes took place at other football grounds in the country. Above: Leeds United’s Elland Road ground.
Anyone who refuses to join in the clapping or singing along will be cursed. You have to show that you care. After that, it was time to yell obscenities at each other and ask about the paternity of the referee.
I’m sure it was pure coincidence that this ostentatious pageant of compassion came just a couple of days after the publication of the official report into the drunken, drug-addled disorder at the European Championship final at Wembley in the summer — variously headlined ‘Football’s Day of Shame’.
I wonder how many of those mobster thugs, who had gatecrashed the stadium prior to the match, were present at the weekend and cheered wildly.
It is possible that the famous Chelsea fan, who was seen in Leicester Square holding a light flare to his back after downing 20 Strongbow cans, sang at London Stadium Saturday: “We love you Arthur.” . .’
Probably.
Regular readers know that I dislike almost everything related to professional football.
After 35 years of watching Spurs, I decided to cancel my tickets because I was not prepared to pay money for anyone who would insist on “taking the knee” in support Black Lives Matter.
The constant repetition of this absurd gesture renders it meaningless.
After 35 years, my Spurs season tickets were canceled because I didn’t want to spend money on anyone insisting that they ‘take the knee’ for Black Lives Matter.
Why does football clubs believe they have the right to tell their supporters how to think or feel.
Although they claim to be raising awareness for fashionable causes, all that they do is draw attention to their own actions.
Tottenham put on a light show to support the LGBT Rainbow Laces campaign last Thursday at Daniel Levy’s Leisuredome (formerly White Hart Lane).
Rainbow Laces is the brainchild of the increasingly intolerant Stonewall, now at daggers drawn with feminists over its insistence that people with penises can call themselves women — something probably 95 per cent of us disagree with, even if you believe, like me, trans people should be treated with understanding.
It is not fair for football fans to be forced into supporting such divisive, hostile organisations. Black Lives Matter is the same.
Like I said, when Spurs Chairman Levy steps down, in favor of a Black Lesbian from nearby Broadwater Farm, estate, I will take their anti-racism and pro-equality posture seriously.
Coopting an innocent child who was murdered 18 months back, so that they feel better about themselves, is a shocking act, even by football’s depressingly cynical standards.
A sentient human being cannot help but be horrified at the horrific pain of Arthur Labinjo Hughes. It’s possible, however, to find stomach-churning vicarious grievances whipped up on football fields over the weekend.
They’ve just done it again, right when you thought football couldn’t go any lower. Let’s give you a round o’ applause, guys.
No one has been hospitalized, there have been no fatalities and the symptoms are not severe. This was yesterday’s Mail headline.
Omicron, which is found in 38 different countries, has not been confirmed by the World Health Organisation.
South Africa where the variant was discovered for the first time says that there wasn’t any panic before Great Britain learned about it.
And then the entire world was a madhouse. Again, Zero Covid lockdown lovers are having a field day.
The dream is coming true for all those “experts” we’ve witnessed over the last few years.
BBC Breakfast still broadcasts the Cambridge Professor Branestawm’s Covid clock.
No one has been hospitalized, there have been no deaths… the symptoms are “only mild”. RICHARD LITLEJOHN writes that the Mail’s headline yesterday was this.
The scary-looking Scottish woman, who coordinates her jumpers and flowers with the vase in front of her, is likely already thinking about which Christmas tree colour she likes best.
Two hippos from Belgium have been found to be positive for Covid, and this is a fresh threat.
They have been isolated, even though they don’t have anything worse than runny noses.
The virus has claimed the lives of three snow leopards in Nebraska. It can also be spread to dogs, cats, and deer.
What will it take for our Government to order all domestic pets and zoo animals to use barking and masks until further notice?
You should know that Covid can wipe out all the muntjacs in my North London backyard.
Is there any chance it could infect the badger that is digging my lawn up?
Pixie Balls Cooper, Shadow Home Secretary of Labour is back at Labour’s front benches.
She’ll probably be traveling to Dover in order to welcome more immigrants to her lovely home.
But she actually did make a promise six years back that she would take refugees from Syria. She later changed her mind, protesting that she wasn’t properly trained.
She must still have been able to finish her foster training. Ed Balls, her husband is most likely painting in the spare room right now.
SNP member Wee Burney would like to ban the use of pejorative terms, like addict or alcoholic.
What would you describe Doon Mackichan’s Dipso Cathy from Two Doors Down who slurred to her way back onto our screens last night?
What would you do with Methadone Mick from Still Game, a well-known substance abuser? You know what, this is it, boy. It’s hard to imagine Rab C. calling himself an alcoholic abuser.
SNP leader Wee Burney wants to eliminate the use of pejorative terms like addict and alcoholic. Doon Mackichan, Two Doors Down’s dipso Cathy who slurred last night on our screens, is this how we would describe her?
He is proud to be an alky bastard and self-professed it. Rab said that he was never sober enough for him to count how much he drank.
He was told that he had only one year left to live due to the condition of his liver.
Ten days after storm Arwen, thousands of North homes remain without power.
This isn’t a single-occurring natural disaster. It will be the future if the Government stops using fossil fuels as part of its mad pursuit to Net Zero.
You will get used to it. It doesn’t take a meteorologist to tell you which direction the wind is blowing.