A football hooligan who mocked the six-year-old cancer victim Bradley Lowery was a “loser” who had been sacked over his “conduct”, according to reports.
Dale Houghton, 31, held up an image of young Bradley who died from a rare cancer in 2017 while laughing in an attempt to anger Sunderland fans.
The six-year-old was much-loved by fans of the club where he was a mascot and was able to raise £1m for charity. He was also friends with footballer Jermain Defoe who called him “inspirational”.
Houghton, who performed the disgusting act at the club during a match against Sheffield Wednesday, now faces jail after he pleaded guilty to a public order offence by showing an enlarged picture of Bradley to rival fans.
The yob was sacked from his job as a Fire Safety Officer for a company called Fire Structure in Sheffield, the MailOnline reports.
A spokesperson for the company confirmed: “We sacked him because of his conduct and demeanour.
“The guy was a bit of a loser so we decided to cut ties with him as soon as we could.
The spokesperson added that he was “not responsible” and was difficult to get along with, was always late and failed to do the job effectively.
They said Houghton worked for only around two months. During this time, they quickly learned what he was like.
Jermain Defoe said he was “appalled and saddened” by Houghton’s actions and sent his regards to Bradley’s parents, Gemma and Carl.
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