Watch Sheffield United fans pay emotional tribute to 'dedicated Blade' stabbed to death at FedEx workplace
Sheffield United fans paid an emotional tribute to a lifelong Blades fan who was tragically stabbed to death at work in Rotherham earlier this week, as their team took on Burnley in a pulsating Championship game this afternoon.
As The Star reported earlier in the week, supporters were hoping to spread the word and pay tribute to Philip Woodcock, who was tragically stabbed to death at work at a FedEx depot in Rotherham earlier this week, in the 60th minute of the game at Bramall Lane. Mr Woodcock was 60 years old when he was fatally attacked at the depot in Hellaby.
A man, 48-year-old Ronald Sekanjako of Bellhouse Road, Shiregreen, has since been charged with murder, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, criminal damage and possession of an offensive weapon, and friends and colleagues of Mr Woodcock paid emotional tributes to him online.
A campaign began online to spread the word and encourage Blades supporters to pay tribute to Mr Woodcock in the 60th minute of United’s Sky-televised crunch Championship clash against Burnley.
And applause rippled around Bramall Lane before a chant of ‘He’s a Blade’ afterwards. Stadium announcer Gary Sinclair thanked fans for joining in after the tribute.
Mr Woodcock was a manager at the FedEx courier service depot. A family friend posted on Twitter describing Mr Woodcock as “an absolute gentleman and dedicated Blade".
The tweet read: “Phil was a close family friend. An absolute gentleman and dedicated Blade. It hits me in the pit of my stomach knowing what happened to him. RIP Phil.”