
Laurence Fox, left, and Harry Maguire taking the knee
Laurence Fox has once again decided to criticise the England football team for taking the knee just moments before they kicked off in their huge Euro 2020 semi-final against Denmark.
The outspoken actor turned right-wing commentator and wannabee politician has been vocal in his opposition to the England team showing solidarity to those facing racing injustice around the world. Before the tournament had even started, Fox said that he hoped that the team would ‘lose’ in a bizarre reaction to them taking the knee.
However, England’s performances throughout the tournament have once again brought the nation together and there is almost no booing of the team for the gesture now. You might have hoped that Fox could let bygones be bygones ahead of the semi-final but that might be too much to ask.
Filming the team taking the knee before the kick-off against Denmark at Wembley, the 43-year-old tweeted: “You live in the one [sic] of the most tolerant and welcoming countries on earth, you virtue signalling babies.”
You live in the one of the most tolerant and welcoming countries on earth, you virtue signalling babies. https://t.co/wNuEphGrlX— Laurence Fox ✝️ (@Laurence Fox ✝️) 1625684625
Typo aside, you have to almost admire for sticking to his virtues and refusing to enjoy himself even when the team is clearly doing so well. That being said, he was still obviously watching the match so he can’t have been that offended.
Regardless, people were quick to fire back at Fox for this comment, especially moments before one of the biggest games in England’s history.
Let's be clear about this. It's not 'virtue signalling' It is normalising opposition to racism and bigotry. It is s… https://t.co/nthgjdlwFG— Tony Evans (@Tony Evans) 1625697746
Saying the country is tolerant whilst he is not tolerating players taking the knee. Does he not realise how thick… https://t.co/pM6H16NIRe— i love 🧄 (@i love 🧄) 1625730880
Laurence your racist mates don't even care any more, we're in the final, give it a rest https://t.co/V9DiGTdOzq— Major Charles Sugar (@Major Charles Sugar) 1625727958
Lawrence continuing to struggle with supporting England while also being the kind of terrible racist shitbag that t… https://t.co/scCyRutcLX— dan hett (@dan hett) 1625727662
Nigel Farage! Darren ‘Grimey’ Grimes! Prison Planet man! That weirdo MP who I sadly think is from Nottingham! Laure… https://t.co/QEoQ0mJJSB— Nick Miller (@Nick Miller) 1625701941
How not to read the room. https://t.co/LrYMyhBdph— Iain Overton (@Iain Overton) 1625695516
https://t.co/tYlPYqNWsd https://t.co/6aw1AALtJk— Fitting The 🅱️ill (@Fitting The 🅱️ill) 1625699466
This has aged well https://t.co/eG5GY4HsdD— Otto English (@Otto English) 1625695378
We should note that Fox hasn’t tweeted about football since this so perhaps he’s eating humble pie now but no doubt he’ll do the same come Sunday’s final.
Fox wasn’t the only person so appalled by a few footballers taking the knee for a few seconds. The Tory MP Lee Anderson said that he was going to ‘boycott the tournament’ over the knee row. How’s that going for you Lee?
Update: Fox has since apologised for wishing that the team would lose and admitted that he made a ‘mistake’ and was ‘sorry for being a d**k.’