
England Lionesses star sends powerful social media reminder after Jess Carter suffers racial abuse
Lucy Bronze has come out firing at social media companies after England team-mate Jess Carter was the subject of racial abuse during Euro 2025. The right-back, who has played in the same back four as Carter for all of the Lionesses ' Euros games, spoke powerfully ahead of Tuesday's semi-final against Italy.
'No player needs social media, I think that's one thing that we can always remember,' Bronze said. 'We play football because we love the sport, we love playing. We do love connecting with our fans, social media is a great way to do that, but we don't need it.
'I think that's something that the platforms should be very aware of - nobody needs social media if you want to carry on in sport. We can thrive without it.
'But it is sad that players are missing out on so many of these great messages, someone like Jess, she's had an amazing tournament, I think she was one of our best players in the Netherlands game. She should be able to see messages from fans and the support and live in that moment, because it's something that you should be able to celebrate. 'So it is sad that players are having to choose between this rollercoaster that social media sends us on.'
Bronze acknowledged some steps have been taken in an effort to tackle racism but said things can go further. 'If you look back 100 years to 50 years to 20 years to 10 years, there's always small steps forward. But that's the problem. It's always a small step,' she said.
'We don't want it to be small steps anymore. We want it to be: this is happening, there is change, and this is unacceptable.'
Versatile defender Carter has been a regular at the Euros, starting four games out of four. However, in the light of racist abuse which she says began at the start of the tournament, she has opted to protect herself by stepping away from social media.
Bronze is still optimistic about those responsible for the abuse facing consequences, but recornised the growing scale of the online abuse problem. "From an England perspective, I would like to say I'm very confident in our security team that they are wholeheartedly putting everything into finding the people who are doing this," she said.
"We work very tight with the police, with online securities as well. It's something that we actually had to have meetings about before the tournament, not just with racism, but with online abuse in general because it's such a huge factor specifically in women's football more now than in men's football.
"So it's something that we are very aware of and we have very good security or also trying to work to find the people to rectify this and to hold people accountable because I think that's one of the ways that we can put a stop to this is by making sure that people are held accountable for their actions and what they're doing."
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The Independent
13 minutes ago
- The Independent
Football has failed to tackle racism – but big tech can kick it out
When centre-back Jess Carter stepped onto the pitch at Euro 2025 with her England teammates, she wasn't just playing a game; she was carrying a generation's hopes. But what should have been a time of celebration quickly saw people flood her with racist abuse through social media. Last Sunday, Carter revealed she was stepping away from social media because she had received appalling comments from people cloaked in anonymity. Before Tuesday's match against Italy, the Lionesses stood together shoulder to shoulder, in an active gesture of solidarity to show that racism would not be tolerated – a gesture that is likely to be repeated in Sunday's final against Spain. Racism against footballers is a story we have seen play out far too many times in the decades that Black athletes have played for British clubs. And it's one we all have a responsibility to change. However, the social media platforms where this hate spreads are enabling it, and their leaders have a particular responsibility to bear. Their systems are designed to maximise long scroll times and to prioritise outraged reactions so that they can serve people more ads and make more money – all at the cost of our mental health. When posts that spark anger and division rise to the top, abuse becomes part of the business model. No one should have to endure this just for doing their job. It is possible to do social media better. In 2022, I founded WeAre8, a social network designed to fuel positive mental health at scale. From the beginning, we built a platform grounded in respect, community, and accountability. A powerful AI shield detects and blocks abuse in content and comments before it reaches people's feeds. We've made intentional design choices that protect our community: no anonymous posting, no hate-amplifying algorithms, and no tolerance for discrimination. It works. And it proves that a safer, more respectful internet is not only possible — it's already here. And it is inspiring. Positivity and unlocked algorithms are great entertainment; we just have not experienced this as a collective until now. The beautiful thing is that all the positives of real social connection are supercharged. And all we need is to stand together and choose the alternative. Nothing speaks louder to abusers than leaving the room, as we've seen with the exodus of users from Elon Musk's X to BlueSky. The FA has a long and proud history of supporting its players and leading change in football. But in a world where governments and the American Supreme Court cannot get Meta and Mark Zuckerberg to change, I am not sure that the FA can either. Meta has no interest in changing. The power, and in my opinion, the only thing that will work, is the collective voice of its users voting with their feet and changing the platforms they use. Football is about unity, passion, and pride. But we can't claim those values if we don't realise that our own actions matter. When faced with abuse, what do we do? Scroll through the comments like a bystander or leave the room in support of the person being abused? Jess Carter shouldn't have to be resilient in the face of racism. She should be protected from it. The truth is, we don't have to accept social media as it is. And you have the power to be part of a movement of people who changed the course of history and ended racism on social media. So to every football fan, every player and all institutions who love the game: draw a line. Stop feeding the systems that fuel and monetise abuse. Stand with your players not just in the stadium – but in every space they're seen and celebrated. Social media doesn't have to be a battleground. It can and should be a home. The choice is yours.


Daily Mirror
14 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Which bookies are offering Free Bets ahead of England vs Spain Euro 2025 final
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Here are a selected number of free bets offers: New Customer Euro 2025 Final Free Bet Offers Sky Bet - Place Any Bet onEuro 2025 Finaland Get £30 in Free Bets Here is your guide on how to make the most out of this offer with Sky Bet: Click this link which will take you to the Sky Bet sign up page. Register your account and place a minimum deposit of £5 Sign up via the '£40 in free bets when you place any bet' promotion and place a minimum of 5p on your first bet on a single or each way bet on any Sky Bet market at odds of 1/1 or greater Free bets will be credited within 72 hours of qualified bet being settled Enjoy four £10 free bet tokens with Sky Bet - will expire after 30 days if left unused NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY. FIRST SINGLE & E/W BET ONLY. ODDS OF 1/1 OR GREATER. 4 X £10 BET TOKENS. FREE BET STAKES NOT INCLUDED IN RETURNS. FREE BETS ARE NON WITHDRAWABLE. FREE BETS EXPIRE AFTER 30 DAYS. ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS AND FURTHER T&CS APPLY. 18+. 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Register your account and use promo code ZSKAOG Place a minimum deposit of £10 using a Debit card or Apple Pay Place a qualifying bet of £10 at odds of at least 1/1 (2.00) on the Betfair Sportsbook Receive £50 Sportsbook free bet builders, accumulators or multiples will be awarded after the qualifying bet has been settled Place a min £10 bet on Sportsbook on odds of min EVS (2.0), get £50 in Free Bet Builders, Accumulators or multiples to use on any sport. Rewards valid for 30 days. Only deposits via cards or Apple Pay will qualify. T&Cs apply. Please Gamble Responsibly. William Hill - Bet £10 on the Euro 2025 Finaland Get £40 in bonuses Click this link which will take you to the William Hill sign-up page Choose the Sports Welcome Offer Register your account using the code G40 and deposit minimum £10 into your account with 7 days of registration Place a £10 bet at odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater on any sports market Enjoy £60 in free bets 18+. Play Safe. Online only. 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Any new account registration or bets settled on 5 April 2025 are not eligible for this Welcome Offer. £10+ bet on sportsbook (ex. virtuals) at 1.5 min odds, settled within 14 days. Free Bets: accept in 7 days, valid 7 days on sportsbook only. 2x£5 Free Bets for Bet Builder only. Stake not returned. T&Cs + deposit exclusions apply. Bet Responsibly. 18+ More Free Bets offers Be sure to look at the Mirror Betting Hub's Free Bets page where you have all the latest free bets offers from the biggest online bookmakers and more. More than 30 bookies have new customer offers which will be catered for every sporting event whether that is horse racing, football, darts, tennis and more. Gamble responsibly Reach plc is committed to promoting safer gambling. All of our content and recommended bets are advised to those aged 18 or over. Odds are subject to change too. We strongly encourage our readers to only ever bet what they can afford to lose. 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South Wales Argus
5 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
Michelle Agyemang's youth team hails Lioness as girls' football enjoys boost
The 19-year-old Arsenal forward, who scored dramatic equalisers in both the quarter-final and semi-final, began her footballing journey at Brandon Groves AFC in South Ockendon, Essex. Roy Enright, 45, who manages the girls' team, said her legacy has led to a surge of new recruits. He said: 'It's great for the girls to see someone like Michelle who's played at the same club, from the same area, and from her hard work made it to the highest level. 'When I set the girls' team up in 2022, I started with zero players. 'When Michelle was here, she even had to play on the boys' team. 'Now I've got a squad of 20 girls at my age group and that has all come from the Lionesses – especially their success at the last Euros. 'Given that Michelle is from the area, played for the club, and is doing so well, we're getting even more girls joining up. 'That's the legacy she has left for us.' Terry Tisdall, 40, who manages the boys' under-11s, said: 'The girls are so proud of her – she's the star of the show. 'They used to wear shirts with men's players' names on and now they've all got Agyemang on the back.' Agyemang left Brandon Groves for Arsenal's academy when she was around 10 years old before becoming one of the most highly rated youngsters at the Gunners. She recently invited the Brandon Groves players to St George's Park, the home of the England team, so they could watch the Lionesses train. Mr Enright said: 'It meant the world to them – it just goes to show how Michelle cares. 'She was fantastic – she took the time out to speak to all the girls, take selfies and sign autographs.' Agyemang has become one of the Lionesses' stand-out players this summer after netting in the quarter-final and semi-final. England's Michelle Agyemang (centre) and team-mates celebrate after the Women's Euro 2025 semi-final at the Stade de Geneve, Switzerland (Nick Potts/PA) Mr Enright, who works as a tech consultant, said: 'The impact is fantastic – there's so much excitement with the girls.' Mr Tisdall added: 'The WhatsApp group chat was going crazy when she scored those goals.' Agyemang, who only made her senior England debut in April, is now expected to feature in Sunday's final against Spain in Basel. And the girls from Brandon Groves will be watching the final together at a local social club. Mr Enright said: 'Everyone's so excited – we're all behind Michelle and it's going to be a fantastic day.'