By Tim Parsons-
Gary Neville doesn’t want Priti Patel to join England’s celebratory victory in Euro 2020, unless she is one with the team, after The Home Secretary undermined the kneeling symbol agreed by the England squad in their fight against racism. The Three Lions advanced to the semi-finals of Euro 2020 with a stunning performance at Stadio Olimpico, with Harry Kane scored goals in both halves of the game, and Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson netting in the other two goals from corners.
After Priti Patel posted a tweet celebrating England’s triumph over Ukraine which read: “What a performance. What a team. #ItsComingHome.”
The England Sky football pundit former Three Lions Gary Neville responded: “The cheek of you!” in a tweet which was liked over 44,000 times.
England performed brilliantly in thrashing Ukraine 4-0 in Sunday’s quarter final clash, but Neville who has made a point of emphasizing the reason the team take a nee before matches to promote racial equality reacted strongly against Patel’s support, after she expressed disapproval against the symbolic act for racial equality.
Before each of England’s group and last-16 matches, a small minority of the Wembley crowd booed as players kneeled, although cheers and applause largely prevailed.
Patel last month labelled tai9ng the knee an act of “gesture politics” in comments seen as showing a lack of support in the fight against racism in football.
“It’s all well to support a cause and make your voices heard,” she told GB News . “But actually, quite frankly, and we saw last year in particular with some of the protests that took place, I speak now very much from what I saw in the impact on policing, it was devastating.
“Not only that, I just don’t subscribe to this view that we should be rewriting our history, pulling down statues, the famous [Edward] Colston statue, and what’s happened there [in Bristol].
“Toppling statues is not the answer; It’s about learning from our past, learning from our history and actually working together to drive the right outcomes.”
Asked if fans were within their rights to boo players taking the knee, Patel responded: “That’s a choice for them, quite frankly.”
Patel may have a point with respect of those who called for the removal of statues, but the kneeling symbol in football has nothing to do with statues. Patel was seen as lacking judgement in expressing her views against the symbolic gesture behind taking the knee, especially being an ethnic minority herself. GB news is already being tarnished as being right wing leaning, this possibly contributing psychologically to the views expressed by the Home Secretary.
Neville Fury against Priti Patel: Image Twitter.Com
While Patel declared she cannot advocate “people participating in that type of gesture”, Prime Minister Boris Johnson supports taking the knee.
“The Prime Minister respects the right of all people to peacefully protest and make their feelings known about injustices,” said a Number 10 spokesperson.
“The Prime Minister wants to see everybody getting behind the team to cheer them on, not boo.”
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Sir Keir Starmer said taking the knee is “a choice for each team”.
He added: “I profoundly don’t think you should boo your own team before kick-off.”
Neville will require Priti Patel to at least condemn the booing, if she is too be allowed to celebrate England victories openly, after playing down the topic every member of the squad is strongly united in seeing booted oust of football.