Lewis Hamilton And David Beckham Lead Support For England Players Subjected To ‘Disgusting’ Racist Abuse

A number of A-list celebrities and public figures have been showing their support for the England squad after team members were flooded with racist comments since Sunday night’s Euro 2020 final.

Following England’s defeat against Italy – which marked the first time the Three Lions have made it to the final of a major tournament in 55 years – Black team members including Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho were met with a wave of racist remarks online.

In the wake of this, Lewis Hamilton, David Beckham and Naomi Campbell are among the stars who have shown the players their public support.

Writing on Instagram on Monday afternoon, F1 driver Hamilton said the racism faced by various England players was evidence of “how much work that still needs to be done”.

England players Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford on the pitch with coach Gareth Southgate

“The pressure to deliver is felt by every sportsperson but when you are a minority representing your country this is a layered experience,” Hamilton wrote.

“Success would feel like a double victory, but a miss feels like a two-fold failure when its compounded with racist abuse.”

He added: “We must work towards a society that doesn’t require Black players to prove their value or place in society only through victory. Ultimately everyone on the England team should be so proud of their achievement and how they represented us.”

Little Mix singer Leigh-Anne Pinnock – who recently spoke of the racism she’s been confronted with throughout her 10 years in the music industry – later said: “You can live here but be quiet. You can work here but not all of you. You can speak at the table but not too loud. You can play for us but you can’t lose.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Black British Experience.”

Other stars to lend the team their support include footballers David Beckham and Rio Ferdinand, supermodel Naomi Campbell and broadcaster Clara Amfo.

England coach Gareth Southgate and captain Harry Kane have also spoken out in support of members of the squad who are being met with racist comments.

“For some of them to be abused is unforgivable really,” Southgate said (via The Guardian). “I know a lot has come from abroad. People who track those things have been able to explain that. But not all of it.

“It’s just not what we stand for. We have been a beacon of light in bringing people together in people being able to relate to the national team, and the national team stands for everybody and so that togetherness has to continue. We heal together as a team now, and we’re there for them, and I know that 99% of the public will be as well.”

Referring specifically to Rashford, Saka and Sancho, Harry Kane tweeted: “Three lads who were brilliant all summer had the courage to step up & take a pen when the stakes were high. They deserve support & backing not the vile racist abuse they’ve had since last night.” 

“If you abuse anyone on social media you’re not an England fan and we don’t want you,” the team captain added.

Meanwhile, statements from prime minister Boris Johnson and home secretary Priti Patel in defence of the team have been met with a more mixed response online, due to both politicians having refused to condemn England supporters who booed the team for taking the knee last month.

Responding directly to Patel, England defender Tyrone Mings tweeted on Monday evening: “You don’t get to stoke the fire at the beginning of the tournament by labelling our anti-racism message as ‘gesture politics’ and then pretend to be disgusted when the very thing we’re campaigning against, happens.”

A Downing Street spokesperson has said they “utterly reject” any accusations of hypocrisy levelled against the PM.

READ MORE:

England’s Tyrone Mings Criticises Priti Patel’s Response To Racism Aimed At Squad Members

England player Tyrone Mings has criticised Priti Patel’s response to the racism members of the team have been subjected to since Sunday night’s match against Italy.

Following the game, which was England’s first major tournament final since the World Cup in 1966, Black team members including Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho have been met with a wave of racist remarks online.

Responding to this on Monday morning, the home secretary tweeted: “I am disgusted thatEngland players who have given so much for our country this summer have been subject to vile racist abuse on social media. 

“It has no place in our country and I back the police to hold those responsible accountable.”

However, Mings claimed that Patel had previously “stoked the fire” by refusing to condemn football fans who booed the England squad for taking the knee last month, which she branded “gesture politics”.

“You don’t get to stoke the fire at the beginning of the tournament by labelling our anti-racism message as ‘gesture politics’ and then pretend to be disgusted when the very thing we’re campaigning against, happens,” he wrote back.

Reflecting on England’s performance in the Euro 2020 final, Mings also tweeted: “I’m still struggling to find the words to express my emotions from the past month. I’m so proud of everyone who has contributed to the joy and togetherness this team has bought to millions. We have celebrated, smiled, cried and cheered together and for that, I’m so so proud.

“But waking up today and seeing my brothers being racially abused for being brave enough to put themselves in a position to help this country, is something that sickens, but doesn’t surprise me.”

Tyrone Mings on the pitch last week

“We have literally made history,” he added. “We’ve gone where no one else has gone. Take that in.”

Mings’ sentiment has been echoed multiple times since both the home secretary and prime minister spoke out in defence of the England players who were receiving racist comments.

Former England defender Gary Neville previously told Sky News of Boris Johnson’s response: “I’m just reading your breaking news, and it says the PM condemns racist abuse of England players.

“Is that the same prime minister that a few weeks ago… Gareth Southgate a few weeks ago, about five days on the trot, told us that the players were taking the knee to promote the equality, and it was against racism.

“The prime minister said that it was okay for the population of this country to boo those players who were trying to promote equality and defend against racism.”

He added: “It starts at the very top. And so for me, I wasn’t surprised in the slightest when I woke up this morning to those headlines.”

Boris Johnson’s rep later said they “utterly reject” any accusations of hypocrisy levelled at the prime minister.

“[Johnson] was clear he wanted to see everyone getting behind the team to cheer them on and said racism in any form has no place in our society,” a Downing Street spokesperson said.

“He made it extremely clear… that he wanted to see the whole nation getting behind the team and not booing.”

READ MORE:

This, Unsurprisingly, Is The Loneliest Place To Work In The UK

London has a reputation for being an unfriendly city, but in a new survey of UK employees, it’s been identified as the loneliest place to work in the country.The survey, by events company Wildgoose, quizzed staff from 1,052 companies across the …

How To Love Someone Who Doesn’t Love Themselves

In the canon of popular relationship advice, “love yourself or no one else can love you” gets dispensed so often, it’s reached the point of cliché. It’s the “something to remember” that Madonna’s fo…

The Funniest Tweets From Parents This Week

Kids may say the darndest things, but parents tweet about them in the funniest ways. So each week, we round up the most hilarious quips from parents on Twitter to spread the joy.

Scroll down to read the latest batch, and follow @HuffPostParents on Twitter for more!

Related…

Can Your Boss Make You Go Back To The Office?

When we were told to work from home in March 2020, none of us could have anticipated that hundreds of thousands of people across the UK would still be tapping away from their living rooms, bedrooms or kitchen tables well over a year later.But the work…

This Baby Beaver Spotted On Exmoor Is Sure To Cheer Your Day

Camera footage has captured shots of the first baby beaver to be born on Exmoor for 400 years.The youngster, known as a kit, was caught on film at the Holnicote Estate in Somerset, where beavers were introduced to an enclosure in January 2020.Once-nat…