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From Dave Tomlinson, writer and Vicar of St Luke’s Holloway in London:

On Friday, I will take the funeral of Harry, a gentle, warm, North Londoner – the proud father of Holly, a lover of cats and birds (especially robins) and a passionate fan of Tottenham Hotspur. 
And yes, despite being a Liverpool man to the core, I will join Harry’s family and friends in singing ‘Glory, glory Tottenham Hotspur’ as we commend him to God’s loving care – because some things are more important than our little tribalisms. 
Singing the anthem of a rival football club at someone’s funeral isn’t exactly changing the world (I should say, I have also sung ‘Good old Arsenal’ on similar occasions), however, it is a way of reminding ourselves that what unites us as human beings is far more significant than what divides us in our partisan loyalties. 
The football family is surely united this week in sadness at the death of Cyrille Regis, the fabulous West Brom and England centre-forward who not only delighted crowds with his magnificent prowess at putting the ball into the net, but also led the line for black players in this country at a time when racist abuse was rife and football mostly had a white face.  
The bigotry Regis endured was atrocious – including being sent a bullet and told he would get one in his knee if he played for England at Wembley. Undeterred, he transcended hatred and prejudice with electrifying skill and tenacity, helping to change attitudes within football and society. Racism is still an ugly reality in Britain but thanks to the obstinate courage of people like Cyrille Regis, it is no longer seen as acceptable.
Whether in sport, politics, religion, the media or life in general, I believe our world needs more civility, by which I don’t mean wishy-washy niceness, but a commitment to treat people respectfully, to confront prejudice and create a just and benevolent society – to build what Jesus calls ‘the kingdom of God’.
Make no mistake: I am a reds fan through and through. I want Liverpool to whoop every team we play. But win or lose, I’ll enjoy a beer and a robust but civil squabble about the game with friends on the other side.
As Martin Luther King said: ‘We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.’