The South End Core is the Maltese football team’s most loyal and dedicated fanbase, and with its ten year anniversary approaching next week, tonight’s World Cup Qualifier match against England is surely a red-calender event for the group of hardcore fans. Hours before the big game, however, the South End Core has set aside the usual fanfare (and even cheeky remarks) for one big, beautiful statement.

During the preparations for the match, the SEC put up a large banner with flags of both Malta and the UK, and the words “Cancer has no colors, Rest in Peace Little Angel.”

The boy in the banner is Bradely Lowery, a young cancer victim from the UK. Bradley’s story was documented over the last couple of years on social media such as #BradleysFight on Twitter. 

The six-year-old boy lost his battle with cancer back in July, but has managed to touch the hearts of the global football community. A passionate fan of Sunderland A.F.C., Lowery is being honoured in a celebrity charity football match this Sunday, with celebrities like Olly Murs taking part.

28 people in all helped to set up the SEC section this morning, and the decision to honour little Bradley quickly gained traction on social media, where various Twitter and Facebook users commended the hardcore fans for setting aside their differences in this adorable (and heartbreaking) way.

“Love before pride,” read another SEC Facebook post, showing the Bradley and South End Core banners hung side by side.

The football match kicks off tonight at 8:45pm. Earlier this week, the match was shrouded in some controversy as questions were raised about ticket sales happening through the black market.

If you haven’t managed to get your hands on tickets, here’s where you can watch it instead.

Share this post if you agree that love comes before pride.

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David Grech Urpani

Lovin Malta's Head of Content, Dave has been in journalism for the better half of the last decade. Prefers Instagram, but has been known to doomscroll on TikTok. Loves chicken, women's clothes and Kanye West (most of the time).