Former England footballer Gary Neville has sparked calls for a boycott of Sky Sports after blaming “middle-aged white men” for dividing Britain in the wake of a terror attack on a Manchester synagogue. The ex-Manchester United captain posted a video on social media following the attack, in which two men were killed.
In the video, Neville said he saw dozens of Union Jack flags while driving to Salford City, but later noted the Jewish community on a parallel road was “defiant”. He added: “I just kept thinking… that we’re all being turned on each other and the division that’s being created is absolutely disgusting. Mainly created by angry middle-aged white men who know exactly what they’re doing.”
Sky Sports subscribers have taken to X, formerly Twitter, to threaten cancellations. One user wrote: “Will be cancelling my Sky Sports subscription whilst lovie leftie, unpatriotic, terrorist supporting, Gary Neville is employed by the channel.” Another said: “Angry white men, millions of us who pay subscriptions, have had enough of this P***, get him gone!”
Neville also criticised the “Raise the Colours” movement, saying the Union Jack used in a “negative fashion is not right” and sends a message of dislike. One respondent, describing himself as a “middle-aged, white veteran male”, said he would continue flying his flag but would boycott Neville. Another accused Neville of blaming “the white working class for a Jihadi Islamist terrorist attack on Jews”.
