Thousands of mourners lined the streets for the funeral of Bradley Lowery, the six-year-old whose battle with a rare cancer helped raise more than £1m for charity.
The streets of Bradley’s home village of Blackhall, Country Durham, came to a halt on Thursday as thousands paid tribute to the Sunderland football club mascot, who died last Friday.
Jermain Defoe, the former Sunderland striker whose close friendship with Bradley captured the hearts of many, wore an England shirt with Bradley’s name and the number six on the back, while the crowds filling the former mining village wore a variety of football shirts at the request of Bradley’s family to show that “cancer has no colours”.
Father Ian Jackson led the service and paid tribute to the boy’s “wonderful personality”, adding: “Bradley was a bright, brave, loving, cheeky monkey.”
The six-year-old was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare cancer of the nervous system, when he was 18 months old.
Last season, he was mascot for Sunderland, Everton and England, striking up a remarkable friendship with Defoe, who left training in Spain with his new club Bournemouth to be at the funeral.
Sunderland players John O’Shea, Lee Cattermole and Vito Mannone and the former manager David Moyes were among those packed into St Joseph’s Catholic Church, where Bradley had been baptised.
His coffin was brought to the church in a horse-drawn carriage, led through the village by a piper playing Amazing Grace and followed by people dressed as superhero characters. Speakers broadcast the funeral service to those unable to fit inside the small church.
A vigil including a minute’s applause was held at Grey’s Monument in Newcastle city centre and balloons were released at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light.
Sunderland AFC’s chaplain Marc Lyden-Smith told the church that football sometimes got a bad press - but not today.
He said: “Today the football world stands united, whatever our colours, to pay their respects to this incredible little boy with a huge personality.
“Bradley Lowery has done much more than just touch the hearts of so many football fans. His lasting legacy is that he has, with his pure and innocent love of the beautiful game, brought people together.
“He has been an inspiration and a friend to sports stars. He has been a light to many people in the darkness of suffering. He has been more than a mascot to Sunderland football club, he has been an encouragement to many and a loving smile to all of us.”
Lyden-Smith praised Bradley’s parents, Gemma and Carl, for the dignity and love they showed throughout his ordeal.
Bradley’s mother, Gemma, told the congregation: “He had a smile so big and beautiful it could brighten any room. A real brave superhero, he left us all too soon.
“He touched the hearts of many – the most inspirational boy. A loving, caring son and brother – a beautiful star. Although your time with us was short, you must have a job to do in heaven with the angels as God has chosen you. For now my baby we’ll say goodbye. We’ll meet again our superhero high up in the sky.”
