|
|
|
FAREWELL TO THE BEAR
Pet Shop Boys pay tribute to ‘folk hero’ of Arsenal terraces
THOUSANDS of Arsenal fans have joined the Pet Shop Boys and the Sex Pistols in paying tribute to a terrace regular known for his near-religious dedication to following the club home and away.
Dainton Connell, 46, – known as The Bear – died late last Thursday in a car crash in Moscow.
In a double outpouring of grief, Gunners supporters and fans of the Pet Shops Boys – he worked for them as a bodyguard for over 20 years – have both passed their condolences onto his wife and three children.
But the most striking tribute came on Sunday when more than 1,000 fans turned up to Arsenal’s home match with Sunderland wearing black. They circled the Emirates Stadium waving flowers and teddy bears.
The Pet Shop Boys said they were “devastated” while the Sex Pistols John Lydon described him, on his website, as “a true Arsenal legend, sadly missed and very much loved.”
Mr Connell was named in a book on hooligans as the leader of a so-called ‘firm’ known as ‘The Gooners’ and reportedly had a fearsome reputation for bruising scraps at away fixtures in the 1970s and 1980s.
But friends said his notoriety came from a different age and that in his later years he had mellowed and was enjoying Arsenal’s resurgence at the top of the league.
“If you were an Arsenal fan, he was your friend, ” said one pal. “And that’s all that mattered.”... > more
|
|
|
|
|
Time, please, landlady told as she hits 60
A PUB manageress who claims she lost her job because of “ageism” won backing from her former regulars this week.
Customers at the Whittington Stone pub, in Highgate Hill, Archway, have called on the brewery to give Beryl Scrimshaw her old job back. > more |
|
Action group to oppose £20 ‘illegal’ service lease charges - A NEW Islington action group launched a cam paign this week to persuade leaseholders not... > more
Pub’s plans for erotic dancers drive neighbours up the pole - ANGRY neighbours fighting plans for pole and lap dancing at the Archway Tavern... > more
‘We won’t be bullied’ warning - A WINTER of discontent could cripple Islington after union leaders revealed plans to hold a summit which could result... > more
Attack on youth worker cuts when 30 gangs are on streets - A SENIOR adviser to the Met Police has warned that gangs are flourishing in Islington because... > more
Four deny murder charge - FOUR youths appeared in court on Monday charged with the murder of schoolboy Martin Dinnegan. > more
Shadow hangs over centre that’s ‘the one safe place’ for teenagers - A SUCCESSFUL youth centre is facing an uncertain future unless it is given cash... > more
Battle starts to save historic Smithfield Market from a ‘steel and glass’ fate - AS the fate of the historic Smithfield Market hangs in the balance, a major... > more
Festival-goers feel free to celebrate black culture - HUNDREDS of people turned out to join in the festivities at Highbury Fields’ Freedom Fest on Saturday. > more
‘Cuba all around you’ - THE colour and passion of Cuba came to the Clerkenwell last night (Thursday), as one of its leading artists salsa’ed into town. > more
Women get in the swim - A POOL is to banish men on Monday afternoons to launch free lessons for women who avoid swimming because of cultural... > more
All dressed up to start a new life - Eat your hearts out television fashion queens Trinny and Susannah. Islington’s own style gurus are about to... > more
Apology to tenants over repairs - TENANTS have won an apology for shoddy repairs carried out to council homes. > more
BT worker died after ladder fall - A BRITISH Telecom engineer died after falling from a ladder at work, an inquest has heard. > more
‘Make this killer junction safer’ - AN urgent call has been made for safety improvements at a King’s Cross accident blackspot. > more
Family history trail leads to Kew as centre nears closure - ENTHUSIASTS tracing their family history will be dealt a blow when part of a records centre closes... > more
Limbo dancer’s breathtaking show - FIRE-breathing limbo dancer Sangawara wowed students at City and Islington College last week. > more
Carjacker foiled - A COUPLE escaped a terrifying carjack attempt when a robber smashed their windscreen with a brick. > more
Coffee alert - A COFFEE day at Islington Fire Station next week will raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. > more |
|
|
|
|