QPR starâs stabbing incident prompts support for Kiyan Prince Foundation Ian CooperThursday, January 23, 2014 10:36 AM Danny Simpson has revealed that his decision to become a patron of the Kiyan Prince Foundation was influenced by his own personal experience of knife crime. . .. QPR youth player Kiyan was just 15 when he fatally stabbed outside a school in Edgware in 2006. His father Mark set up the foundation in the years following, in an attempt to educate young people against the use of blades. Rangers defender Simpson donated his match boots and shirt after the match against Huddersfield Town. The shirt was signed by the entire squad and auctioned at a charity event in aid of the foundation. The 26-year-old said that he decided to lend his support in light of his own experience, which came when he was a youngster playing for Manchester United. âI had an incident myself when one of my friends got stabbed outside my house six or seven years ago,â said Simpson. âSome people were trying to rob my house, I was inside and my friend popped over. They thought he had keys and he didnât. âI heard all the screaming and shouting. For whatever reason, he got stabbed. I opened the door and there was blood everywhere. They realised what they had done and ran off. âHe recovered, but some donât.â Mark Prince, a former WBO inter-continental light-heavyweight champion in his own right, said Simpson had âset a precedentâ by helping the charityâs work. And Simpson said he is looking forward to trying to help more young people stay away from knife crime. âThe things I have been involved in and the thingâs Iâve seen, I feel like I can try to guide them and stop them going down that road,â he said. âWeâll be working on things over the next few months. Hopefully Iâll go back to my old school with him and speak to the kids there. âI just thought that because of my experience I could help a bit more. You are in a position where kids might listen to you more than someone who they donât watch on a weekend. Iâd like to think that if I do sit down with kids they will listen to me.â
Great to read that Danny Simpson is keen to help engage and educate others and recognises his potential influence. Perhaps it's a bit totalitarian, but after the Mark Duggan court case earlier in the month, should the law makers now press for impunity where lethal force is used by the police and it is found that the deceased is armed with either guns or knives. In other words, if you go out tooled up don't expect your next of kin to get any sympathy or any posthumous legal challenges. It would be great to see this combined with a campaign akin to drink driving where both the law and our consciousness is influenced to a positive effect.
Great work from Danny. Although I think he's limited as a player, he seems a "good un" and I like his attitude both on and off the pitch.
Really Col ?? Personally I've had him MoM more than once, and he'd definately be up there so far as a strong candidate for 'Player of the Season'. Great player who does a lot more than some may think.
Fair enough mate, I could be wrong as I haven't seen all our games this year. I suppose we all get an impression of players from what we've seen. I like Danny's commitment and he certainly isn't the worst right back I've ever seen. Maybe he'll grow on me as a player mate.
