White Lives Matter Burnley: Football world condemns 'racist' banner flown over match | indy100 | indy100

Just after the kick off at the Manchester City v Burnley football match on Monday evening, a plane flew over Etihad Stadium with a banner attached to the back with the words “White Lives Matter Burnley”.

Plane flying over the City - Burnley match at Etihad displaying "White Lives Matter Burnley". The UK isn't racist… https://t.co/ESWjsh0FRJ
— Captain Pakistan 🇵🇰🛡️ (@Captain Pakistan 🇵🇰🛡️) 1592853194

Since then, the club, its team captain, their supporters and a whole host of commentators and celebrities have condemned the message.

The banner came about after players wore jerseys with the words “Black Lives Matter” written on the back, as well as players “taking the knee” as a sign of respect to the movement.

Releasing a statement at half-time, Burnley FC called the banner “offensive” and warned once those responsible are identified, they’ll be issued lifetime bans:

Burnley Football Club strongly condemns the actions of those responsible for the aircraft and offensive banner that flew over the Etihad Stadium on Monday evening. We wish to make it clear that those responsible are not welcome at Turf Moor.
This, in no way, represents what Burnley Football Club stands for and we will work fully with the authorities to identify those responsible and issue lifetime bans.

The football club apologised “unreservedly” to the Premier League, Manchester City and all those helping to promote the Black Lives Matter movement.

Similarly, straight after the match, Burnley FC captain Ben Mee said he was “ashamed and embarrassed” by the banner:

Burnley have issued a strongly-worded condemnation, and captain Ben Mee spoke passionately, after an offensive bann… https://t.co/CCpOrUUBah
— Sky Sports (@Sky Sports) 1592893860

While Burnley manager Sean Dyche called the banner “unacceptable”:

I don’t think you can judge the whole town or the club on that but it’s unacceptable. So as a club, we can only apologise and say... well I don’t know what we could’ve done about it because I’ve just learnt about it but obviously it is unacceptable.

Then a whole host of commentators and celebrities called out the “offensive” banner:

As an ex ⁦@BurnleyOfficial⁩ captain, I feel I need to show my disappointment when I saw that sign above the stadiu… https://t.co/Ip4idbEga1
— Frank Sinclair (@Frank Sinclair) 1592861772

I’m sure @BurnleyOfficial will condemn this shithousery. https://t.co/LQUj2vbhS7
— Gary Lineker 💙 (@Gary Lineker 💙) 1592856084

"The words themselves aren't offensive, it's just the context" @PFA Equalities Officer, Iffy Onuora, tells… https://t.co/QynVugUxvt
— BBC Breakfast (@BBC Breakfast) 1592892685

A plane flew over the Etihad stadium tonight with this banner saying ‘White Lives Matter Burnley’. So depressing. 👇 https://t.co/W5WFkrQ8so
— Piers Morgan (@Piers Morgan) 1592856486

I find it difficult to accept that those behind the Burnley plane banner don’t understand #BlackLivesMatter & what… https://t.co/flz3r99m2K
— Adil Ray OBE (@Adil Ray OBE) 1592897478

Ben Mee, Burnley's captain, superb on Sky re plane banner. "I'm ashamed, I'm embarrassed . . . these people need to… https://t.co/pQabJxeIVT
— Daniel Taylor (@Daniel Taylor) 1592860615

Brilliant Ben Mee being on it ASAP. The #BlackLivesMatter movement is everyone against racism and discrimination to… https://t.co/CwxKstl0Gz
— Omid Djalili (@Omid Djalili) 1592861876

Sickening to Witness: A light aircraft buzzes over stadium during Premier League game between Manchester City and B… https://t.co/5JTXmKikX4
— roger bennett (@roger bennett) 1592854381

£100 on the guy who flew the “white lives matter” banner never having once given a toss about a white person dying in police custody.
— Ash Sarkar (@Ash Sarkar) 1592895077

While some defended the banner, many more people condemned it:

To be honest I probably would have been more shocked if Burnley fans didn't fly a banner that said 'White Lives Matter' over the Etihad
— Pøgba Senior (@Pøgba Senior) 1592854312

I think we can 100% confirm that many football fans have a deep problem with racism and misogyny. Thanks Burnley an… https://t.co/VH2Aj5izDB
— Sim in a Burner (@Sim in a Burner) 1592867911

if your fans fly a disgustingly racist banner over the stadium you have to lose 5-0 in humiliating fashion those are the rules
— jake fields (@jake fields) 1592859350

Imagine hiring a plane so that you can fly a banner saying “White Lives Matter” above a pandemic regulation crowd-f… https://t.co/zDxopxhp6Y
— Mona Eltahawy (@Mona Eltahawy) 1592872253

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Well done Burnley's Ben Mee. Asked to speak about the match he chose instead to condemn the 'white lives matter' ba… https://t.co/eqqSLiVfhc
— Briefcase Michael (@Briefcase Michael) 1592860923

Has someone actually paid for a plane to fly over Man City’s ground with the message “White Lives Matter - Burnley”… https://t.co/zM07sTiyvo
— MR DT (@MR DT) 1592854170

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#twitterclarets I write this as a proud claret and a proud black man.... it’s a thank you to my fellow Burnley fans… https://t.co/cufqmUz7vI
— Sam (@Sam) 1592892966

Great credit to Burnley for their quick social distancing from the race haters flying “White Lives Matter” over the… https://t.co/XKjd3UPwMA
— nazir afzal (@nazir afzal) 1592857216

Burnley fan Jake Hepple – who has previously been pictured with English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson – has claimed responsibility for the banner, writing on Facebook on Monday evening:

I’d like to take this time to apologise .. TO ABSOLUTELY F***ING NOBODY! It’s now apparently racist to say white lives matter (the day after 3 white people got murdered in a park in Reading, but all we’ve seen on the tell is black lives matter after George Floyd got murdered) what a mad world we live in.

Twitter account @BurnleyFCPolice wrote on Twitter on Monday evening that they were "aware of the incident" and they'll be "fully investigating" it.