Latest news with #socialmediaabuse
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Lionesses not taking the knee 'doesn't really follow', says Fare director
The executive director of the anti-discrimination organisation Fare, Piara Powar, suggested that England should announce more effective action after they decided to stop taking the knee before games. The change was announced after defender Jess Carter revealed the racist abuse she has been subjected to on social media. Powar described the move to stop the gesture as 'slightly counter to the idea of what's happened. The idea that one should stop the anti-racist action because of racial abuse doesn't really follow for us.' He added: 'If you stop doing that you're worried hasn't been effective ... then you need to announce something that is going to be effective.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sarina Wiegman on the Euros final, the Lionesses as campaigners, and their late comebacks
England manager Sarina Wiegman has praised the Lionesses for using their platform, reaching a third successive final to advocate for "positive change in society" while focused on defending their Euros title. In an interview with Sky News, she spoke about how, if the "incredible support" throughout the tournament in Switzerland is matched by an incredible performance, that can "bring us the win" against Spain on Sunday. But while progressing, the team has called out social media abuse after defender . Players used winning their first trophy in 2022 as a springboard to lobby the government to advocate for more access to football for girls. "I think that's the high purpose of women's football," Weigman told Sky News when asked about players as campaigners while achieving sporting excellence. "Of course it's England and we want to win, but there's a bigger picture too, and of course we saw that last week that we said this is enough [on racism]. "We're just leading that, and everyone's supporting. We need to send a message out because it's unacceptable and disgusting. "And that shows also that the identity of the women's game, that yes we want to improve and we want to get the results, but that gives us a platform to hopefully make a little change, positive change in society, and that's what we go for too." Comebacks It has been a challenging tournament on the pitch defending their European crown. The opening match was lost to France before emphatic wins against the Netherlands and Wales took them into the knockout phase. They were facing elimination against Sweden before coming back from 2-0 down to 2-2 before winning on penalties. And they came even closer to being knocked out in the semi-final by Italy until Michelle Agyemang equalised in the 96th minute and Chloe Kelly struck the winner in extra time. Asked about the impact of the drama on the England manager, attacking midfielder Ella Toone joked: "We've almost killed her twice this tournament." So how does Wiegman cope with the frenzied finishes? "I'm never angry at the players because I know they give their best and they do everything to make it work," she said in our interview at the team's Zurich hotel. "I'm just really proud of them. How we show up, how we step up when necessary and I just hope that we do a little bit earlier now. "But first, the most important thing is that we play at our best because that makes the chance of winning as high as possible and we want that best outcome of course." The outcome in 2023 was losing the World Cup final to Spain, and Sunday's game in Basel is a rematch. "Spain is a very good country, they play very good football, but I think we're really good too, so we have our tactical plan ready," Wiegman said. "We have to be at our best. Then if we are at our best we can win and the urgency is there to be our best to make that possible." Read more: Five finals The double European champion has unprecedented managerial experience at her five international tournaments - only reaching the finals with the Netherlands and England. "It's very special because playing a final is very special," Wiegman said. "There are many teams in the competition and there is only a spot for two countries to play a final and it's very, very hard to get through to the final. "So I feel grateful and I'm really, really excited to play another final with England. And yes, I've noticed a couple of things, what it does with the country. "Of course, I already did that after the Euros, but also after the World Cup. So I'm excited about that too, of course." Super-subs She can feel vindicated by the results, however much the clamour is to make substitutions earlier. "I don't feel that resistance, I don't feel that because I'm in the game and we have our bubble," she said. "And the only thing I'm focusing on is my bubble, everything outside I'm not focusing on and don't pay attention to. "Of course there's pressure, of course when you're down or 2-0 down or 1-0 then there's pressure because you need to score a goal and then you make your subs and it's incredible that the subs make a difference." With the team often rescued by super-subs Kelly and Agyemang, who is playing her first tournament at 19. "She brings something different with her qualities and it's really nice that she shows that too," Wiegman said. Read more from Sky News: Support England have never won a trophy on foreign soil before - with the men and women only collecting trophies at Wembley. Thousands of fans are expected in Basel and millions watching back home. "I'd really like to thank everyone with the incredible support we've had here in Switzerland," Wiegman said. "England is totally overloaded with the fans, there's so many here and we know there's so many watching from home and supporting us. "That feels incredible and we're very very thankful for that and I hope we can put an incredible performance on the pitch again on Sunday and I hope that will bring us the win."
The Sun
6 days ago
- The Sun
Jay Slater's mum's court plea left me in tears…after our chats, her fury at trolls will endure despite coroner's closure
A TEAR rolled down my cheek today as the powerful words of Jay Slater's mum tugged on the heartstrings of all those at his inquest. Enduring the agony of your son not returning from his first holiday with friends is one thing, but to do it at the mercy of trolls is unimaginable. 10 10 Jay's family have been relentlessly hounded for more than a year now by frankly moronic wannabe sleuths desperate to give their useless opinion to any fool who will listen. Endless conspiracy theory groups run by spineless armchair detectives cropped up all over social media. Did they have a clue what they were talking about? Absolutely not. I have never seen such pathetic cries for attention. Imagine having such a low moral compass to not only lap up baseless theories, but to also take the time to write such spurious, wildly unhelpful posts yourself. What has really made my blood boil over the last 13 months is the trolling Jay's family have been forced to suffer. Posting your ridiculous thoughts on social media is bad enough. But to actually directly contact his grief-stricken relatives? That's downright despicable. I've seen firsthand the categorically vile abuse Jay's mum Debbie Duncan received. When I met with her days after Jay's funeral last August, she showed me a handwritten letter that arrived at her home address that morning. Jay Slater's pal reveals chilling last text she sent him before he died as key witness 'unwilling to give evidence' The anonymous female sender - naturally too shallow to even reveal her name - asked Debbie why she went to "all that fuss" for Jay's funeral. Sickeningly, the sender - also a mother herself - crowed about her own sons and claimed they had been "brought up properly". I hope she hangs her head in shame and her sons one day find out how their own mother cruelly taunted another mum during her darkest moments. Debbie told how she had been sent thousands of messages; been bombarded with calls and even sent ransom notes by twisted trolls. Mum-of-two Debbie said to me through tears at the time: 'I don't even have the words to describe how sick these individuals are.' And try as I might, neither do I. As a journalist, I've covered countless stories over the years and spoken to many grief-stricken families - with no story any less important than the ones before. But watching on in Tenerife as Jay's family battled for answers broke my heart - especially when I could see just how horrendous the abuse they were suffering was. Even after Jay's body was found, it felt like they still hadn't got the closure they so desperately deserved as theories ran rife on social media. Finally, a year after Jay's body was found, Debbie, Jay's dad Warren and brother Zak gained some closure from his inquest. Three witnesses who failed to turn up to an initial hearing in May filled in some gaps in the picture of his final hours, which I hope gave them some comfort. As for those called up who didn't even have the decency to help Jay's family understand what happened to him, I hope you are forever haunted by your lack of conscience. Although the coroner today correctly dispelled spiteful claims about Jay's behaviour, I can only imagine that the scars from the incessant trolling will forever run deep. Jay didn't steal a watch, he didn't have knives in his shorts and he didn't leave the Airbnb for any untoward reason. 10 10 10 He was a young lad having the time of his life on holiday, and sadly, yes, did make some decisions such as taking drugs, that ultimately led to his accidental death. But does that make him a bad person? Does that make it fair for you to bully his family? The answer is, and has always been, no. Please now, leave Jay's family alone. They deserve peace after the torment they have suffered for so long, on top of their grief. Brave Debbie showed admirable resilience today as, through tears, she reminded the public that Jay was a real person. "He may have been a story for the past 13 months - a story full of many untruths," she said. "He did touch the hearts of the nation and that overwhelms us. "We ask you now to please let Jay rest in eternal peace." I can only pray everyone takes heed of her plea.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why England won't take the knee vs Italy following racist abuse of Jess Carter
Lucy Bronze said the Lionesses have decided against taking the knee before their Euro 2025 semi-final against Italy because there is a clear argument the anti-racism message is not 'as strong as it used to be' following the abuse of England defender Jess Carter. Bronze revealed there is 'anger' and 'sadness' in the England camp after Carter spoke out against the 'vile' and 'abhorrent' social media abuse she has received while playing for England at Euro 2025. The Lionesses have gone down on one knee, a symbolic anti-racism gesture, before games since the murder of George Floyd in 2020 but will stand before kick-off against Italy on Tuesday. In a statement, the Lionesses said 'we and football need to find another way to tackle racism' while the anti-discrimination group Kick It Out backed the players' decision and called on social media companies to do more to combat racist abuse. 'It was driven by the group - obviously certain individuals more than others,' Bronze explained. 'I think it was just the fact that we feel as a collective, is the message as strong as it used to be? Is the message really hitting hard? Because to us it feels like it's not if these things are still happening to our players in the biggest tournaments of their lives. 'It's about putting another statement out there to say, it's something that still is a problem, it's something that still needs to be put right. More needs to be done in football, more needs to be done in society. What that is right now as an individual, I don't exactly know.' England manager Sarina Wiegman told the BBC that her players decided to stop taking the knee because its impact was 'not good enough' while defender Alex Greenwood said the anti-racism gesture has "lost its purpose". Lionesses midfielder Georgia Stanway said: 'It's just to change it up. We felt like the knee was just a little bit repetitive, we felt like it's come to a point where the knee isn't doing what we wanted it to do, so now our decision is to stand and hopefully that will bring up more conversation, more change and hopefully get the topic [spoken about].' NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick was the first player to take the knee when he kneeled during the Star Spangled Banner in protest in 2016. It become widespread in football after the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, during an arrest by police in 2020, with England's men's and women's teams taking the knee before the European Championships in 2021 and 2022. While Premier League teams stopped taking the knee before every match in August 2022 – instead selecting specific fixtures and weekends to do so – Women's Super League teams have continued to perform the anti-racism gesture. England's decision to continue taking the knee before Euro 2025 was player-led and was communicated to Uefa, with support from the FA. Bronze agreed that there 'has been change' since the Lionesses first took the knee but added: 'I think the problem is that as the game grows and everything grows, in football and in life, as much as there might be change, there are more outlets for abuse and racism as well. 'It's just not enough. I think that's the point. Not enough is being done. There are small changes being made, there's always small steps forward, but that's the problem. It's always a small step. 'And we don't want it to be small steps anymore. We want it to be 'this is happening, there's change, it's unacceptable', and there's no more small steps, because we get to the point of where it should be in the world, and especially in the world of footballers. 'It feels like there can be a place where we can control abuse online, especially racism online. Everything is monitored online, so it just doesn't make sense to us.' The Football Association (FA) are in contact with the UK police while Bronze also praised Carter's bravery in speaking out against the abuse. The 27-year-old Carter, who has won 49 caps for her country and has played in all four of England's games at Euro 2025, said she would be taking a step back from social media for the rest of the tournament. Bronze, 33, is appearing at her seventh major tournament for England said online abuse in women' football is getting 'worse and worse' as the game receives more attention. Bronze accepted that the growth of women's football since the Lionesses won Euro 2022 is a 'double-edged sword' as it also leaves players open to more abuse. 'I think it's something that I've spoken about before and a lot of other members of the team have spoken about the fact that the bigger the game gets, the bigger the noise becomes, the more fans there are but the more critics there are,' Bronze said. 'We're obviously open to critics, that's why we love the sport, but we're not open to abuse. 'And I think bigger the sport's got, it seems to be that more abuse has come as well and especially in women's football, the online abuse seems to be getting worse and worse. 'We see it more in the stadiums in men's football and online, but I think with women's football there seems to be a real target online. It's something that we're very aware of and I think with online platforms it's something that we can, we can make a change too. I think it's something in the women's game especially. 'I think with online platforms it's something that we can make a change too. I think it's something in the women's game especially. There is a way to make a change. There is a solution. I don't have the answer to that solution because I'm not head of the social media platform, but I'm sure that there is one.' Bronze said she would be supporting the three other Black players in the England team - Lauren James, Michelle Agyemang and Khiara Kheating - after they were forced to see a team-mate suffer racist abuse while playing for the Lionesses at a major tournament. 'I think we all know that any player of colour that's played for England has probably gone through racist abuse,' Bronze said. 'That's a sad fact in this day and age. In terms of emotions yesterday, I think there was a lot of anger, to be honest, because we're having to go through this, because as players we want to stand up and we want to make a change. 'It's anger and sadness that our teammates have gone through this. We don't want it to happen. We want to be focused on the football. We want to be making changes. We want Jess and anybody else who puts on an England shirt to be brave, to be happy when they play for England, to have the fans support through it all. I think there was a lot of sadness, but definitely a lot of anger as well.' A statement from Kick It Out said: 'We send our support to Jess Carter and back her decision to look after her own well-being. It shouldn't come to a point where players feel the need to take this action; they should feel safe while doing their jobs. They should not be exposed to this sickening behaviour, and those responsible should face the strongest possible consequences. 'But responsibility also lies with social media companies. We support players in whatever actions they choose to take to signify their support in the fight against racism, but the focus should be on the reason behind those actions rather than the actions themselves. 'Social media companies have failed to prevent exposure to this toxicity, and football must continue to use its collective power to hold them to account. We have been working with the government and the regulator, but we know that more urgency is needed from everyone involved.'
The Independent
22-07-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Why England won't take the knee vs Italy following racist abuse of Jess Carter
Lucy Bronze said the Lionesses have decided against taking the knee before their Euro 2025 semi-final against Italy because there is a clear argument the anti-racism message is not 'as strong as it used to be' following the abuse of England defender Jess Carter. Bronze revealed there is 'anger' and 'sadness' in the England camp after Carter spoke out against the 'vile' and 'abhorrent' social media abuse she has received while playing for England at Euro 2025. The Lionesses have gone down on one knee, a symbolic anti-racism gesture, before games since the murder of George Floyd in 2020 but will stand before kick-off against Italy on Tuesday. In a statement, the Lionesses said 'we and football need to find another way to tackle racism' while the anti-discrimination group Kick It Out backed the players' decision and called on social media companies to do more to combat racist abuse. 'It was driven by the group - obviously certain individuals more than others,' Bronze explained. 'I think it was just the fact that we feel as a collective, is the message as strong as it used to be? Is the message really hitting hard? Because to us it feels like it's not if these things are still happening to our players in the biggest tournaments of their lives. 'It's about putting another statement out there to say, it's something that still is a problem, it's something that still needs to be put right. More needs to be done in football, more needs to be done in society. What that is right now as an individual, I don't exactly know.' England manager Sarina Wiegman told the BBC that her players decided to stop taking the knee because its impact was 'not good enough' while defender Alex Greenwood said the anti-racism gesture has "lost its purpose". Lionesses midfielder Georgia Stanway said: 'It's just to change it up. We felt like the knee was just a little bit repetitive, we felt like it's come to a point where the knee isn't doing what we wanted it to do, so now our decision is to stand and hopefully that will bring up more conversation, more change and hopefully get the topic [spoken about].' NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick was the first player to take the knee when he kneeled during the Star Spangled Banner in protest in 2016. It become widespread in football after the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, during an arrest by police in 2020, with England's men's and women's teams taking the knee before the European Championships in 2021 and 2022. While Premier League teams stopped taking the knee before every match in August 2022 – instead selecting specific fixtures and weekends to do so – Women's Super League teams have continued to perform the anti-racism gesture. England's decision to continue taking the knee before Euro 2025 was player-led and was communicated to Uefa, with support from the FA. Bronze agreed that there 'has been change' since the Lionesses first took the knee but added: 'I think the problem is that as the game grows and everything grows, in football and in life, as much as there might be change, there are more outlets for abuse and racism as well. 'It's just not enough. I think that's the point. Not enough is being done. There are small changes being made, there's always small steps forward, but that's the problem. It's always a small step. 'And we don't want it to be small steps anymore. We want it to be 'this is happening, there's change, it's unacceptable', and there's no more small steps, because we get to the point of where it should be in the world, and especially in the world of footballers. 'It feels like there can be a place where we can control abuse online, especially racism online. Everything is monitored online, so it just doesn't make sense to us.' The Football Association (FA) are in contact with the UK police while Bronze also praised Carter's bravery in speaking out against the abuse. The 27-year-old Carter, who has won 49 caps for her country and has played in all four of England's games at Euro 2025, said she would be taking a step back from social media for the rest of the tournament. Bronze, 33, is appearing at her seventh major tournament for England said online abuse in women' football is getting 'worse and worse' as the game receives more attention. Bronze accepted that the growth of women's football since the Lionesses won Euro 2022 is a 'double-edged sword' as it also leaves players open to more abuse. 'I think it's something that I've spoken about before and a lot of other members of the team have spoken about the fact that the bigger the game gets, the bigger the noise becomes, the more fans there are but the more critics there are,' Bronze said. 'We're obviously open to critics, that's why we love the sport, but we're not open to abuse. 'And I think bigger the sport's got, it seems to be that more abuse has come as well and especially in women's football, the online abuse seems to be getting worse and worse. 'We see it more in the stadiums in men's football and online, but I think with women's football there seems to be a real target online. It's something that we're very aware of and I think with online platforms it's something that we can, we can make a change too. I think it's something in the women's game especially. 'I think with online platforms it's something that we can make a change too. I think it's something in the women's game especially. There is a way to make a change. There is a solution. I don't have the answer to that solution because I'm not head of the social media platform, but I'm sure that there is one.' Bronze said she would be supporting the three other Black players in the England team - Lauren James, Michelle Agyemang and Khiara Kheating - after they were forced to see a team-mate suffer racist abuse while playing for the Lionesses at a major tournament. 'I think we all know that any player of colour that's played for England has probably gone through racist abuse,' Bronze said. 'That's a sad fact in this day and age. In terms of emotions yesterday, I think there was a lot of anger, to be honest, because we're having to go through this, because as players we want to stand up and we want to make a change. 'It's anger and sadness that our teammates have gone through this. We don't want it to happen. We want to be focused on the football. We want to be making changes. We want Jess and anybody else who puts on an England shirt to be brave, to be happy when they play for England, to have the fans support through it all. I think there was a lot of sadness, but definitely a lot of anger as well.' A statement from Kick It Out said: 'We send our support to Jess Carter and back her decision to look after her own well-being. It shouldn't come to a point where players feel the need to take this action; they should feel safe while doing their jobs. They should not be exposed to this sickening behaviour, and those responsible should face the strongest possible consequences. 'But responsibility also lies with social media companies. We support players in whatever actions they choose to take to signify their support in the fight against racism, but the focus should be on the reason behind those actions rather than the actions themselves. 'Social media companies have failed to prevent exposure to this toxicity, and football must continue to use its collective power to hold them to account. We have been working with the government and the regulator, but we know that more urgency is needed from everyone involved.'
