Dale Houghton, from Rotherham, appeared before Sheffield Magistrates' Court on Monday morning in connection with the incident, which took place at the Championship match between Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland on Friday
Monday 2 October 2023 13:10, UK
A 31-year-old man has pleaded guilty to a public order offence after an image of a six-year-old Sunderland fan who died of cancer was displayed at a football match.
Dale Houghton, from Rotherham, appeared before Sheffield Magistrates' Court on Monday morning in connection to the incident, which took place at the Championship match between Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland on Friday.
Police said they have also applied for a football banning order. He will be sentenced next month.
A 27-year-old man, also arrested on Saturday, has been released on police bail while further enquiries are conducted.
Houghton was remanded in custody.
Following the incident, more than £11,000 has been raised for The Bradley Lowery Foundation, a charity set up after his death in 2017.
The Sheffield Wednesday Football Club Women's Supporters' Group set up a GoFundMe page on Saturday, which has now well surpassed its initial £5,000 target.
The funds will go towards a holiday home that the foundation is building in Scarborough, which it referred to as Super Brads Pad.
The Sunderland fan captured the nation's heart during his battle with neuroblastoma, but succumbed to the illness aged six in 2017.
He was a mascot for his beloved club and, in the months before his death, led England out at Wembley alongside former Black Cats striker Jermain Defoe.
