The two sons of PC Matthew Blades, a police officer killed in a collision on Teesside, led out Manchester United alongside captain Bruno Fernandes ahead of the club's Premier League encounter with Ipswich on Sunday at Old Trafford.
PC Blades, 37, and his colleague PC Tom Clough, 38, died in a head-on collision between their marked police vehicle and a car travelling the wrong way on the A66 near South Bank on 22 August at approximately 3:39am. Five occupants of the other vehicle also perished in the incident. Manchester United confirmed they learned of the deaths "with great sadness" and paid tribute to PC Blades in the match programme, while his widow attended the fixture with their children.
The club described PC Blades as a regular supporter and devoted follower of United.
Matthew was a proud Red, a devoted family man and a police officer who dedicated his life to helping others, the club stated in their tribute.
Before his policing career, PC Blades worked as a teacher at Carmel College in Darlington, where colleagues remembered him as kind and approachable. His involvement in the community extended to junior football coaching at both Seaton Carew FC and FC Hartlepool.
How the football community responded
Tributes to the two officers extended across English football on the weekend of 29 August. At Elland Road, match officials for Leeds United's Premier League fixture against Brentford wore black armbands, as referee Tony Harrington had been a friend of PC Blades. At Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough and West Brom players observed a minute's applause before their Championship encounter, with photographs of both officers displayed on the stadium screen. Supporters also gathered at Seaton Carew FC's match against FC Hartlepool to pay their respects.
What is known about the investigation?
The collision has become the focus of a major criminal investigation. According to reports from 28 August, Cleveland Police arrested seven additional men, bringing the total number of arrests to 24. Earlier arrests on 24 August had included 12 people across Teesside on suspicion of offences including participating in an organised crime group and firearm-related offences.
The investigation has increasingly been linked to alleged organised crime activity, with reports suggesting vehicles connected to the case may have had cloned number plates. Cleveland Police indicated that officers had received multiple reports of two vehicles being driven dangerously in Middlesbrough before the fatal collision occurred.
Who died in the other vehicle?
The five people who died in the Volkswagen Passat that struck the police car were Michael Robert Cahill, 23; Jacob Matusiak, 23; Makai Saddington, 18; Theo Rae, 17; and Cole Robert Worthy, 17. All died at the scene of the collision.
What happens next?
A silent vigil was scheduled to be held at St John the Evangelist Church on Monday evening to remember the seven people who died in the crash. Inquests have opened into the deaths of the two police officers, and the Cleveland Police investigation continues with the possibility of further arrests or court appearances as the case develops.
Key Facts:
- PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, died in a wrong-way collision on the A66 near Middlesbrough on 22 August at 3:39am
- Five occupants of the other vehicle also died in the incident
- By 28 August, 24 arrests had been made in connection with the investigation, with alleged links to organised crime
- PC Blades was a regular Manchester United supporter and worked as a teacher before joining the police
- Football clubs across England paid tribute to both officers during matches on 29 August
