By Finley Crebolder
In Sunday’s Premier League match against Southampton, every Manchester United player will wear a black armband.
Black armbands are predominantly worn by soccer players as a sign of respect and remembrance in the aftermath of a tragedy.
It is for this reason that the Man Utd team will wear them against Southampton.
Man Utd players will wear them during the match in response to the death of Ian Stirling, a founding member of the club’s Fans’ Advisory Board, who passed away at the age of 57.
Stirling was also a member of the Supporters’ Forum and was an independent supporters’ liaison officer for the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust.
For the work he has done in these roles, he has been loved by all Man Utd fans and widely praised for protecting the interests of the fans.
In particular, he has assisted numerous supporters in dealing with the club and other authorities, and has used his positions to raise their concerns.
“This is really devastating news for all of us at the club who knew and worked with Ian,” said Man Utd chief executive Richard Arnold.
“He was a commanding figure within our fan community, loved and respected in equal measure. Ian was a relentless and steadfast advocate for the interests of fans, particularly match-goers, and we greatly appreciated the candid advice he gave us. provided.
“We send our sincere condolences to his wife, Lynn, daughter Lucy and other loved ones. The best tribute we can pay to Ian is to continue to strengthen the club’s commitment to fan engagement through the Fans’ Advisory Board and Fans’ Forum, and to preserve the lines of communication and support he opened in his role as Independent Supporter Liaison Officer”.
This article was originally posted on 90min.com as Why are Man Utd wearing the black armband against Southampton?.
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