Sheffield Wednesday social media blackout confirmed as football takes as stand

It has been confirmed that English football will unite in a social media blackout across the country in reaction to the ongoing abuse that many members of the fraternity receive on a regular basis.
By Joe Crann
Published 24th Apr 2021, 22:23 BST
Sheffield Wednesday will be involved in a full social media blackout. (Tim Goode/PA Wire)Sheffield Wednesday will be involved in a full social media blackout. (Tim Goode/PA Wire)
Sheffield Wednesday will be involved in a full social media blackout. (Tim Goode/PA Wire)

It means that Sheffield Wednesday will not be posting any social media across their channels as they face Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough next weekend, including Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, as they join together with the rest of English football.

A statement released tonight read, “The FA, Premier League, EFL, FA Women’s Super League, FA Women’s Championship, PFA, LMA, PGMOL, Kick It Out and the FSA will unite for a social media boycott from 15.00 on Friday 30 April to 23.59 on Monday 3 May, in response to the ongoing and sustained discriminatory abuse received online by players and many others connected to football.

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“This has been scheduled to take place across a full fixture programme in the men’s and women’s professional game and will see clubs across the Premier League, EFL, WSL and Women’s Championship switch off their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

“As a collective, the game recognises the considerable reach and value of social media to our sport. The connectivity and access to supporters who are at the heart of football remains vital.

“However, the boycott shows English football coming together to emphasise that social media companies must do more to eradicate online hate, while highlighting the importance of educating people in the ongoing fight against discrimination.”

Trevor Birch, the Chief Executive of the EFL, said on the matter, “EFL clubs have expressed a clear desire to take a united stand against abhorrent racist, discriminatory, and threatening abuse on social media platforms which we fully support alongside the rest of the football family.

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“While we recognise the value and role social media plays in our game, online abuse will not be tolerated and we will continue to strongly pursue all avenues open to us to affect change.

“The boycott is only part of the work being undertaken in this area but further highlights the need for social media companies to take additional responsibility for the inappropriate and unwelcome behaviour that appears on their platforms.”

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