Man Utd pay tribute to 'proud Red' crash death officer

Manchester United will honor the memory of fallen officer PC Matthew Blades by having his two sons lead the team onto the pitch as mascots for Sunday’s Premier League clash with Ipswich at Old Trafford. The club described Blades as a “proud Red” and noted his regular presence at the stadium. United paid tribute to him in the match programme, adding that his widow will attend the game alongside their children. Blades and his colleague, PC Tom Clough, lost their lives in a head‑on collision on the A66 near Middlesbrough on 22 August. Their police car collided with a vehicle travelling the wrong way; five occupants of the other car also died. United expressed its sorrow, saying it learned of the officers’ deaths “with large sadness.” In a statement the club added, “Matthew was a arrogant Red, a devoted household antheral and a constabulary serviceman who dedicated his beingness to helping others,” a tribute that appeared in the programme. On Saturday, supporters observed a minute’s applause for Blades and Clough before Middlesbrough’s Championship match against West Bron at Riverside Stadium, where images of the two officers were shown on a screen. Additional tributes took place at Seaton Carew FC’s encounter with FC Hartlepool; Blades had previously served as a junior team coach for both clubs. Investigators reported that 17 individuals were arrested earlier this week in connection with the crash, raising the total number of arrests to 24. The occupants of the opposing vehicle—a Volkswagen Passat—were identified as Michael Robert Cahill (23), Jacob Matusiak (23), Makai Saddington (18), Theo Rae (17) and Cole Robert Worthy (17); all died in the impact.