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The death of Dalian Atkinson after being tased by police this week has overshadowed everything else at Aston Villa. It was a tragic occurrence, and there will be plenty of investigation and commentary surrounding it in the coming days and weeks.
But tonight at Villa Park, that was put aside at least temporarily for a tenth-minute tribute to one of the club’s biggest heroes. When the match clock got there, VP erupted in applause that overtook the commentary on the radio feed. Here’s what it looked like from the Holte End:
For Dalian #avfc pic.twitter.com/8X1qQQ5RTc
— James Rushton (@Jamorushton) August 16, 2016
In addition, Tony Xia and stewards around the ground held up umbrellas in tribute to one of Atkinson’s most memorable moments:
RIP #avfc pic.twitter.com/Ey7co6JUDd
— Stephen Wilson (@Stevowilson74) August 16, 2016
If you’re not familiar, you can see the goal referenced here:
It was a touching tribute from the Villa faithful and emotionally just what was needed. It certainly doesn’t change anything around the investigation, but it’s hard to lose sight of the person in the midst of a controversy.