Sons of Late Police Officer Lead Manchester United as Mascots

The sons of PC Matthew Blades led Manchester United as mascots for the Premier League match against Ipswich at Old Trafford on Sunday.

PC Matthew Blades was known as a “proud Red” by the club. He often attended games at Old Trafford.

Manchester United honored him in the match programme. His wife was at the game with their children.

PC Blades and his colleague, PC Tom Clough, died in a crash on 22 August. Their police car collided head-on with a vehicle driving the wrong way on the A66 near Middlesbrough. Five people in the other vehicle also lost their lives.

United expressed their sadness about the deaths of the two officers. They said, “Matthew was a proud Red, a devoted family man and a police officer who dedicated his life to helping others,” in the tribute.

At Elland Road, match officials for Leeds United’s game against Brentford wore black armbands. Referee Tony Harrington was a friend of PC Blades.

On Saturday, a minute’s applause took place in memory of PC Blades and PC Clough before Middlesbrough’s Championship match against West Brom at Riverside Stadium. Their pictures were shown on a screen.

Fans also gathered to pay tribute during Seaton Carew FC’s game against FC Hartlepool. PC Blades had coached junior football at both teams.

Earlier this week, police arrested 17 people related to the crash investigation. This brought the total number of arrests to 24.

The people in the other vehicle, a Passat, included Michael Robert Cahill, 23, Jacob Matusiak, 23, Makai Saddington, 18, Theo Rae, 17, and Cole Robert Worthy, 17. They also died in the accident.