sport news MARTIN SAMUEL: Arthur Labinjo-Hughes' tragic death calls for quiet reflection ...

sport news MARTIN SAMUEL: Arthur Labinjo-Hughes' tragic death calls for quiet reflection ...
sport news MARTIN SAMUEL: Arthur Labinjo-Hughes' tragic death calls for quiet reflection ...

Birmingham City Football Club will offer its respects to little Arthur Labinjo-Hughes on Saturday.

Supporters at the home match with Cardiff will be invited to pay tribute to Arthur after six minutes — his age, in years, when he died at the hands of his stepmother — a flag of remembrance will be installed and two memorial bricks will be cemented into the St Andrew’s stadium. It is a thoroughly decent and well-intended gesture.

We do not know if Arthur ever watched a game at St Andrew’s, but we know they were his favourite team. He had a Birmingham shirt, which his scumbag father cut up in front of him, because he knew it would cause distress.

There was applause at the weekend on the sixth minute of Premier League matches in tribute to Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, who died a horrifically cruel death

There was applause at the weekend on the sixth minute of Premier League matches in tribute to Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, who died a horrifically cruel death

So football has now adopted Arthur as one of its own. There were tributes at grounds around the country on Saturday, started by a minute of applause at West Ham’s game with Chelsea, again in the sixth minute.

At Millwall last weekend, Birmingham’s players wore T-shirts and unfurled a banner that read ‘We love you Arthur’ before the match. This was a direct reference to an unimaginably pitiful piece of film shown to the jury at the trial of Arthur’s father and stepmother, depicting him alone and weeping that nobody loved him and nobody was going to feed him, as he dragged his broken and emaciated body around the room, trying to gather a blanket for warmth as he slept apart on the floor.

So perhaps stop applauding, and think about that for a moment. We know you mean well. We know these tributes come from a place of good intentions. But there is nothing in this miserable case that is deserving of applause.

It needs silent reflection, and thought, for when Arthur needed to be heard, nobody listened.

Arthur's case is so utterly miserable that it warrants silent reflection rather than applause

Arthur's case is so utterly miserable that it warrants silent reflection rather than applause

He was an intelligent little boy. He knew it wasn’t right, this absence of love, of kindness, of care, from his life.

He knew it wasn’t right that he wasn’t fed, or was poisoned with salt. He knew enough to see how other children lived; enough to know that what was happening to him was wrong, and terrible, and terrifying, and painful, and that gentler adults should protect him, but did not.

It’s too late to tell him now how much he was loved. He’s not a little angel in heaven, looking down on us from a soft pillow of clouds, happy at last.

He is dead. He died a horrible death, if we stop to imagine those horrific last moments, his head repeatedly smashed against a hard floor, the culmination of weeks of systematic torture by his stepmother, and father. Imagine his fright, imagine his fear, imagine his agony. And applaud? That’s the fitting response? Clap, clap, clap? Football does this. A player has a bad game, tweets a trite message promising it will be better next week, and is done.

And if the sport wishes to place itself in the middle of an unbearable tragedy of wickedness and institutional failing, it cannot come with gestures, no matter how nobly intentioned they are.

Silence versus applause. We appear to have crossed the boundary in terms of what is appropriate.

Applause was a good idea for when a great athlete has passed away. After all, what in the life of George Best or Jimmy Greaves ever moved a crowd to silence? Applause feels the proper tribute, reflecting the meaning to others.

The little boy suffered systematic torture from his stepmother and his father

The little boy suffered systematic torture from his stepmother and his father 

Yet Arthur Labinjo-Hughes? He never had the chance to garner applause; he never had the opportunity to exist beyond a horrific infancy. Shouldn’t we reflect on that? Shouldn’t we reflect on the way the adult world failed him, the way it fails too many children, who never stand a chance?

And this isn’t a sermon about society in which everyone is to blame. We know who is to blame for Arthur’s death and they are a cursed, wicked pair and as a lifelong opponent of the death penalty I would look them both in the eyes and press that button tomorrow. I’m not proud of that emotion. Maybe it’s something that happens as you get older.

So wider society didn’t kill Arthur. Those applauding at football grounds are by turns moved, appalled, sorrowful and, typically, powerless. They didn’t know the boy, they didn’t know his family.

If they could have done anything to help, they would have done it. Yet they know boys; they know girls; they know families; they know what is right and what is wrong. And they know, deep down, that consoling ourselves that Arthur can see, or hear, our warmth, our banners, our bricks, our flags, our applause, makes us feel better, not him.

This is not football’s issue, really, but by noticing his sad little Birmingham souvenir, and knowing what fate befell the shirt and its pathetic, defenceless owner, football has made it so.

The least it can then do is give Arthur the memorial he deserves. Thought. A minute of silent reflection. What more could have been done for him; what more for others? Don’t just clap. That way we never hear them.

People should consider what more we could do to help other children in need

People should consider what more we could do to help other children in need 

LEWIS LEFT IN LURCH BY TEAM

No such thing as bad publicity? Mercedes might wish to reconsider that cliche after the fall-out from their deal with Kingspan. Was it really worth £3million to be tied to a company whose reputation is soiled after its connection to the Grenfell tragedy? Mercedes can get that level of investment from any number of commercial partners and the Kingspan deal has also embarrassed Lewis Hamilton, who has spoken out on issues relating to Grenfell’s victims.

Mercedes must understand that in Hamilton they have an iconic figure, outspoken on gay rights in Saudi Arabia, outspoken on green issues, on race issues, more than just a driver — even though his claim to be the greatest of all grows increasingly irresistible.

Any sponsor Mercedes place on his car should be measured against his personal beliefs and public stances. By accepting Kingspan’s money, Mercedes undermined their greatest asset.

It wouldn’t be worth that at any price — but most certainly not £3m.

Mercedes should consider whether is is really worth accepting money from Kingspan

Mercedes should consider whether is is really worth accepting money from Kingspan

IF RALF CAN GET RONALDO WORKING HARD, MAYBE OLE WAS THE PROBLEM 

Turns out the world’s fittest footballer can run about after all. Who would have thought it? With Ralf Rangnick now in charge of

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