Coventry City investigates fan’s abuse of Bradley Lowery’s memory

Coventry City has launched an investigation into a circulating video appearing to show a fan taunting Sunderland supporters with an image of the late Bradley Lowery during the teams’ meeting last Saturday. The club said it rejected this behaviour and would work with security and the relevant authorities to identify those involved and take the necessary action.

Bradley’s mother, Gemma Lowery, expressed her sadness in a statement published by the charity named after her son, saying that his memory should be associated with love and appreciation, not hatred. She added that using his image in this way had reopened the family’s pain, and called on the charity to respect the feelings of families whose children had died from chronic illnesses.

Bradley, a well-known Sunderland supporter, had appeared on several occasions alongside the team’s players and attracted widespread sympathy before his death in 2017, aged six, after he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare type of cancer that affects children.

The video prompted a reaction across English sport, with supporters of various clubs expressing solidarity with the Lowery family and Sunderland. The Bradley Lowery Foundation raises money to support children with cancer and their families and to fund medical research.