Published 06:47 IST, June 24th 2020
Burnley reiterate anti-racism stance, say club does not tolerate discrimination
Remarks come after a banner was flown during the match against Manchester City over Ethiad stadium reading, 'White Lives Matter Burnley' raising a controversy
In a second statement within a day, Burnley football club has clarified that it does not tolerate racism and discrimination of any kind. The remarks come after a banner was flown during the match against Manchester City over Ethiad stadium reading, 'White Lives Matter Burnley' paving way to a massive controversy and a new debate about racism in society, and specifically, English football.
Burnley reiterates stance
A joint statement by club Chairman Mike Garlick and CEO Neil Hart clarified that they stand behind the earlier statement published during the match condemning the incident and also backed the coach Sean Dyche and captain Ben Mee who spoke out against the incident.
"The club operates a zero-tolerance stance on discrimination of any form at Turf Moor and is increasingly issuing lifetime bans for supporters that incite racism and hatred. This punishment will also be meted out to those responsible for Monday’s regrettable incident," the statement read.
The aircraft circled Manchester City’s stadium moments after the players and coaches of both teams took a knee on the field before kickoff in support of the “Black Lives Matter” movement.
In a strongly-worded statement released soon after the incident, the club said that they will be investigating the incident in order to penalize those behind the incident.
The identity of those responsible for the stunt was unclear but British media reported the plane was operated by a firm called Air Ads, which is based at Blackpool Airport in northern England — about 40 miles (64 kilometers) from Burnley. The airport announced it was suspending banner-towing operations with immediate effect, saying it was “outraged” by the incident.
"Together, we will not stand for anything that threatens to undermine the good work we are doing, and reiterate that we will take the strongest action against those who seek to threaten that," the statement on Monday concluded.
All Premier League players have been wearing jerseys printed with 'Black Lives Matter' and are taking a knee before kickoff in order to support the movement aimed at eliminating racial injustice in society.
In the post-match press conference, captain Ben Mee said that they had a faint idea about the incident before the match and attempts were made to stop it. He added that all players were ashamed of the incident and that the players were 'embarrassed to see that'. In a scathing evaluation, Mee remarked that they need to come out in the "21st century and educate themselves".
Updated 06:47 IST, June 24th 2020