Sky Sports has decided not to take any disciplinary action against pundit Gary Neville following his controversial remarks about Union flags, according to reports. The former Manchester United defender sparked a backlash over the weekend after claiming that “angry middle-aged white men” are using the flags to create division.
In a video shared on social media, Neville, 49, spoke about a terror attack in Greater Manchester and criticised an online campaign urging people to fly Union and St George’s Cross flags. He said the initiative was driven by xenophobia and called out those behind it, stating: “The division that’s being created is absolutely disgusting. Mainly created by angry, middle-aged white men, who know exactly what they’re doing.”
Neville added that he had removed a Union Jack from one of his development sites, questioning why such flags had not been flown in previous years. “The Union Jack flag being used in a negative fashion is not right,” he said, while stressing his pride in representing England on 85 occasions.
His comments drew criticism from Reform UK MP Lee Anderson, who told Neville to “shut up” and argued that the middle-aged English men he criticised were the same ones who paid his wages. Despite the backlash, the Daily Mail reports that Sky Sports, for whom Neville worked as a pundit on Sunday, will not take any action over the remarks.
