A HEARTFELT GESTURE..

With apologies to Stewart Lee

Sorry to go on about it but something struck me as particularly poignant on Saturday. When I arrived at St. Mary`s Stadium I thought I should spend a little time at the spontaneous `memorial` to Markus Liebherr, which took the now usual form of a large collection of mementos left by fans at the main entrance to the stadium.

By Saturday the collection of scarves, shirts, flowers and cards had grown to such an extent that an orderly queue had been organsised so that fans could pay a few moments quiet contemplation by walking around them. It was, indeed, a touching moment.

But I couldn`t help but notice that among all the items left in Markus`s memory, there was a red plastic duck in a see-through square plastic box. At first I thought it was perhaps misplaced, but then it occurred to me what must have happened.

Somewhere in the sprawling city, a Saints fan was so shocked and overcome with the news of Markus`s death that he, or she, said to themselves, "Oh, God. Markus is dead. I`ll have to rush out and buy a red plastic duck in a see-through square plastic box and take it down to St. Mary`s." As it turns out, it might just have been the most heartfelt gesture among the sea of all the others.