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Mayor of Camden Nurul Islam congratulates a winner of the Unity Cup four weeks after footballer Daniel Noel, 18, collapsed and died after scoring the winning goal on the first day of the tournament |
Mixed emotions as Daniel Cup finishes
THIS year’s Camden Unity Cup, which finished yesterday (Thursday), will always be remembered for the tragic death of young footballer Daniel Noel. But it will also be remembered as an event which united a community.
The cheers and award-giving of the final day celebrations at the Warren football pitch in Whitfield Street, Fitzrovia, were tempered by the memory of the 18 year-old Pimlico boy, who collapsed and died on the opening day of the tournament after he scored the winning goal.
Organisers wore T-shirts with Daniel’s picture on, which had been printed for his funeral, as a mark of remembrance. And the hundred-strong crowd observed a minute silence before kick-off.
The London Tigers team, who Daniel played for, all wore their trademark orange shirts specially emblazoned with the word “Noel” and the number “1”.
Raja Miah, the project manager of the cup, and the first person to try to give first aid to Daniel, said: “Often with teenagers there’s a lot of messing about but everyone was very respectful – in the one minute silences you could hear a pin drop.”
In future years organisers Fitzrovia Youth in Action plan to name the Player of the Tournament cup in Daniel’s memory.
Andre Schott, one of group’s founders, said Daniel’s death had had a “massive effect” on the tournament and the local community.
He said: “At the moment he collapsed everybody gathered together for prayers. When he died all the young people left flowers. They showed solidarity and unity, they showed that they cared. We didn’t play on the pitch for a week as a mark of respect to Daniel, but we’d like to think Daniel would want us to be playing football here today.” |
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