Fans came to mourn Adam Johnson but amid the flowers and tears were fears and defiance | Ice hockey

The flowers have been spreading like pooling water outside the National Ice Centre, one bunch after another, red, pink, purple, white, yellow and blue, most wrapped in Cellophane or paper, many with handwritten notes attached. Rest in peace, Always our 47, Thank you Adam. There were drawings among them, too, and framed photographs, even a carved pumpkin. The pile grew five, 10, 20 yards square; so big, in the end, that the Nottingham Panthers put up railings and set a steward to watch over it. Last Saturday bunches were still arriving in a steady trickle, new . . .