Monday, December 23, 2019
Why Sky Sports should apologise for shutting down Gary Neville
The racist incidents at football games over the weekend are unacceptable, but unfortunately also appear to be part of a growing trend.
I did not see the Sky Sports coverage, but according to the Guardian Gary Neville was applauded for saying the Premier League need to “stand up” to the problem.
The former England player reportedly said that while critics were quick to point out racist incidents occurring abroad, “we have a racism problem in the Premier League in England and the Premier League have got to stand up, they hide behind the FA on this issue”.
Neville added that racism in football was mirrored in UK politics and criticised both the Conservatives and Labour for not doing enough to stamp out racism in their parties.
It is at this point that the presenter, David Jones, interrupted to say: “I am compelled to say, they are the views of you, Gary Neville, and not those of Sky Sports, that is my duty.” He later clarified on Twitter that it was Neville’s comments about racism in politics from which he had been distancing Sky Sports.
That clarification is part of the problem. You cannot just partition sport off from the rest of society and treat it as a separate entity on an issue like this. Gary Neville is absolutely right when he says that racism in sport is a reflection of similar problems within political parties and the rest of society.
The evidence is that racist behaviour has increased following the Brexit referendum, the anti-Semitism controversy in the Labour Party, Islamophobia within the Tories and racist comments by our Prime Minister. A small minority believe that these examples make their behaviour acceptable. It doesn't.
Until our broadcasters are prepared to support their commentators in pointing out this link, then opposing and dealing with this racism will become more difficult.
Sky Sports should not be apologising for Gary Neville making the obvious link between racist soccer fans and wider societal and political trends, they should be supporting and applauding him.
I did not see the Sky Sports coverage, but according to the Guardian Gary Neville was applauded for saying the Premier League need to “stand up” to the problem.
The former England player reportedly said that while critics were quick to point out racist incidents occurring abroad, “we have a racism problem in the Premier League in England and the Premier League have got to stand up, they hide behind the FA on this issue”.
Neville added that racism in football was mirrored in UK politics and criticised both the Conservatives and Labour for not doing enough to stamp out racism in their parties.
It is at this point that the presenter, David Jones, interrupted to say: “I am compelled to say, they are the views of you, Gary Neville, and not those of Sky Sports, that is my duty.” He later clarified on Twitter that it was Neville’s comments about racism in politics from which he had been distancing Sky Sports.
That clarification is part of the problem. You cannot just partition sport off from the rest of society and treat it as a separate entity on an issue like this. Gary Neville is absolutely right when he says that racism in sport is a reflection of similar problems within political parties and the rest of society.
The evidence is that racist behaviour has increased following the Brexit referendum, the anti-Semitism controversy in the Labour Party, Islamophobia within the Tories and racist comments by our Prime Minister. A small minority believe that these examples make their behaviour acceptable. It doesn't.
Until our broadcasters are prepared to support their commentators in pointing out this link, then opposing and dealing with this racism will become more difficult.
Sky Sports should not be apologising for Gary Neville making the obvious link between racist soccer fans and wider societal and political trends, they should be supporting and applauding him.
