Stags fans fly the flag for Bradley

Mansfield Town supporters have shown their support for five-year-old terminally ill Sunderland fan Bradley Lowey, whose plight has gripped the nation.

A new flag was hung in the Ian Greaves Stand last weekend to declare their backing and Daniel Hall, 27, from Mansfield Woodhouse, said: “We decided to do it because although football has a bad stigma for violence, this was to show cancer has no colours.

“The flag was designed by myself and put to a vote and members of the new singing Q block chipped in to get it printed,

“Since making the flag we have been invited up to Sunderland to playing in the Bradley Lowery Shield which is sponsored by Sunderland FC on Saturday, 27th May. We will be making a team and submitting it later this week to represent the Stags. Together we can beat cancer.”

Bradley, from Blackhall Colliery near Hartlepool, was diagnosed with neuroblastoma in 2013 and his mother says he has only months to live.

Well-wishers raised £700,000 to get him life-saving treatment in America, with Everton donating £200,000.

However, despite that treatment the cancer has spread to Bradley’s spine and he is now awaiting bone marrow biopsy results.

He is currently receiving palliative care at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle but is set to be an England mascot alongside his hero Jermain Defoe at the World Cup qualifier this weekend.