Football fans, admirers of Liam Payne, and supporters of Adrian Chiles have come together in solidarity after Adrian, 57, faced criticism for his choice of attire at Liam's funeral on Wednesday.
Tragically, Liam passed away at the tender age of 31 on October 16, following a fall from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
After weeks of investigations, his father, Geoff, was able to bring his body back to the UK, and he was finally laid to rest in Old Amersham. His private funeral was attended by those closest to him, including ITV presenter Adrian.
Unlike most guests who opted for traditional attire, Adrian chose to wear a football jacket to the event, complete with visible Adidas branding and a West Bromwich Albion crest. Some online trolls criticised the former Match of the Day 2 host for his clothing choice, but fans were quick to highlight its special connection to Liam.
"Bizarre going to a funeral wearing football gear. Shocking," one individual vented on Twitter, only to be met with a wave of support for Adrian and Liam. "You know exactly what you're doing here. Trying to hint that this is funny and odd when it's because Liam was a massive Baggies fan and they used to watch games together. Shame on you," one person retorted, emphasising Liam's passion for the football club.
"Liam Payne was a massive West Brom fan, he would have loved Adrian Chile's turning up at his funeral in that club jacket," another agreed, reports the Mirror.
One individual defended the situation, stating: "Even as a Villa fan I can appreciate this. Liam Payne was a massive West Brom fan and Chiles is one of their most high profile supporters. It was also brass monkeys weather today. This tweet is a bit of a low blow."
Following Liam's passing, Adrian spoke about their friendship on his BBC Radio 5 Live show, saying: "I got to know him when he first did X Factor. He came up to me and said 'up the Albion' - he was a West Brom fan.
"Just as a sign as to how massive he was, I remember we snuck him into a Boxing Day game and I think his mum and dad came and sat with me. But we managed to secrete our man up in the commentary gantry so he didn't get bothered.
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
"Then a friend of mine texted me to ask 'why are West Brom trending number one on Twitter? ' I went, well it could be because Liam Payne is here and he tweeted he was here and the whole world went mad for it."
Former One Direction star Liam was a season ticket holder at the Hawthorns, and the club shared a heartfelt tribute to him after hearing the news of his death. "We're shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Baggies fan and musician, Liam Payne," the club posted on social media.
"Our thoughts are with Liam's family, friends and loved ones at this tragic time."
Get the latest celebrity gossip and telly news sent straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily Showbiz newsletter here.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25749454/Original_13620_a244112_large.jpg)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23935560/acastro_STK103__03.jpg)
English (US) ·