Boris Johnson has condemned the “appalling” racist abuse on social media directed at a number of England players after their defeat to Italy in the Euro 2020 final, while Savills has opened an investigation into one of its own senior employees.The prime minister tweeted his condemnation yesterday after the Football Association issued a statement shortly after the game finished describing “disgusting behaviour” among some fans online, and urging police to implement “the toughest punishments possible”.
Johnson wrote: “This England team deserve to be lauded as heroes, not racially abused on social media. Those responsible for this appalling abuse should be ashamed of themselves.”
One senior Savills employee is now subject to a police investigation after a vile racist post containing the N word was published on his Twitter account shortly after the England game finished on Sunday night.
The message appears to be aimed at three players, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, who failed to score their spot-kicks in the penalty shootout, resulting in a 3-2 loss to Italy at Wembley, and they are accused of having “ruined it for us”.
The Savills employee’s Twitter account has now been deleted, along with his LinkedIn profile.
In a statement, Greater Manchester Police confirmed they had received complaints about the post.
The force said: “GMP has received complaints about a social media post following the Italy v England Euro 2020 final at Wembley yesterday (11 July).
“Reports from across the UK are being collated by United Kingdom Football Policing Unit and The Metropolitan Police and will then be allocated to the relevant forces for further investigation if required.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “We are aware of a number of offensive and racist social media comments being directed towards footballers following the Euro 2020 final. This abuse is totally unacceptable, it will not be tolerated and it will be investigated.”
In a statement, Savills said: “Savills confirms that the staff member connected with the racist comments on Twitter claims that his account was taken over by a third party and that the matter is being referred to the Greater Manchester Police.”
“Savills has acted swiftly and confirms that the individual is suspended from duty pending the findings of this investigation, which is being progressed as a priority. Savills has a policy of zero tolerance on any form of racial abuse or discrimination.”
There has been an angry reaction on Twitter. Here are just some of Tweets posted:
+ @savills, you are my agents for a building purchase in Southampton. If you employ and tolerate racist behaviour I will be cancelling all ties with immediate effect.
+ @Savills, Frightening that these people live and breathe amongst us in professional settings.
+ @Savills, Man abuses black people by using the N word on a public forum. Case closed, Poirot knocks off early for cheeky pint.
+ @Savills, You also need to review your recruitment policy as either lacking in a tolerance /equal opportunity policy and/or you all condone this type of attitude. Methinks you have an inherent bias towards a little England type of staff persona & hide it under a snobbish pretext
+ @Savills, Literally no investigation to be done. The tweets are there to be seen from your employee. Grow a backbone and just say that you’re sacking the vile racist and have done with it. People would respect you more.
+ @Savills, We look forward to your next tweet when you inform us he has been fired with immediate effect
Savills responded to these messages, and plenty of others, on Twitter by stating: “Savills is committed to eliminating discrimination and encouraging diversity amongst our workforce. A full investigation will be carried out in regards to this unacceptable incident.”
Comments (26)
*Insert Anchorman Gif, Well that escalated quickly*
It only takes one. There is no place for racism and defending it is beyond words!
@snowflock Accusing people of being racist without proof is also beyond words. I have now unsubscribed from this post because I have better things to do with my time.
The leader of our country is a racist bigot and this Savills’ employee is just as disgusting and abhorrent. It makes me ashamed to be British.
Not like Corbyn then whop was suspended for anti-semitism.
Not like the members of the labout Party who gave vile abuse and threats to Jewish MPs who had to have a police escort into theor own party conbference.
Not like Libingsotne who said Hitler supported Zionism.
Not like that scum Long bailey who liost her post for supportuing an antio Semitric twet by a Labour party member ( whio has not been suspended)
Just a few examples.#
If yiu do not like Britain no one makes you stay here.
jan-byers. You really do need to ask the doc for some more tablets.
As bad takes go… this is up there.
Trying to justify the bigoted views of this Prime Minister by giving examples of other politician’s unacceptable discriminatory actions doesn’t really hold up I’m afraid jan-byers. Regardless of what party you (clearly) do/do not support, racism is not acceptable in any form… anywhere.
This article highlights Johnson’s reaction to recent events, but fails to acknowledge his (and his party’s) inaction in failing to condemn fans booing earlier in the tournament when players took the knee. The fish rots from the head down, and with a ‘leader’ who has a history of making completely unacceptable racist remarks (see in link above if you haven’t already), it’s no real surprise that there is a portion of people in society who think it’s ok for them to do so too.
I for one totally support the harsh disciplinary/legal action of any person who feels it is acceptable to believe in, support and express discriminatory/racist/bigoted views – Savills’ employees and MP’s alike.
‘If yiu do not like Britain no one makes you stay here.’ – perhaps this is code for ‘get out my country?’ who knows… maybe your account was hijacked too? But it’s pretty clear what camp you sit in.
I too would boo the “taking of the knee” since it does not contribute to improving race relations, quite the reverse. It is an American import in support of a career criminal.
Cue the onlslaught from the Great Arbiter of racism aka Chanel298.
I do not always agree with Jan-byers, but some of the comments on her are, in my opinion, too personal for a forum like this.
Perhaps people booing should keep their opinion to themselves?
Why FF? You obviously believe in censorship.
Censorship of what? Are yiu saying the footballers should not take a knee for a movement they all want to support? Surely that is their right without other people commenting or attempting to disrupt it?
Quote: “Perhaps people booing should keep their opinion to themselves?”
It is their right ton take the knee, it is the right of others to boo.
Protesting against an activity which is illegal, in this instance racism would be seen by many people as a reasonable and lawful thingto do. Attempting to interfere or protest against people who want to stop racism seems a strange thing for anyone to want to get involved in. Only you know your opinion on racism but protesting against ‘antiracism’does not appear to bea goodlook to me, but eachto theirown.
Horsefeathers.
If taking the knee was simply an anti-racism gesture they would not be booed and you know it. I have never discriminated on any grounds whether race, religion or sexuality BUT I have been discriminated against and will take no lessons on discrimination from you or anyone.
“If taking the knee was simply an anti-racism gesture they would not be booed and you know it.” — This exact sentence is the very reason there is a racism issue in the UK. I think you need to go touch some grass, feel the wind in your hair, have a look at the videos of non-white people being beaten for the colour of their skin and nothing more… you know… the little things.
Individual is an idiot, previous tweets prove that. Also naff excuse, why would anybody hijack an unknown individual’s account.
Not only racist, lacks a moral backbone to admit his mistakes.(At least the idiot who manhandled Whitty showed some remorse).
As for the Employer, they cannot be held to account for the actions of this idiot. They are a large firm and sadly this will not be the only one they employ. If they dismiss him they have done the right thing in my book.
Hang on a minute. The chap suspended might have had his account hijacked.
innocent until proven otherwise. I understand it’s a relatively easy process for the police to establish the source account.
silly man if he did tweet such astonishingly diabolical content
Agreed on all counts
Defending racists, even a fraction, is a great look.
When the tweets emerged I had a look at this idiots profile… it wasn’t a one of and definitely not an isolated incident.
I think you mean ‘is not a great look’
No, I meant what I wrote, thank you… Clearly Priti Patel and Boris are avid readers of Eye downvoting my post. How can people downvote a post which says “RACISIM IS BAD”. wow.
Why?
Personally I am not on anything like me book or twatter.
He may well be a jerk but I have no interest in other people, social media.
Saviils are dealing with it.
Difficult one for Savills . Complaints that they didn’t react fast enough unwarranted as they were bound by procedures .Innocent until proved guilty . They certainly have taken it very seriously ,as they should .
So no complaints there but this has opened up another can of worms their lack of diversity amongst its senior executives .
Savills have gone through a huge cultural change certainly in my lifetime.
Once viewed as extremely posh , the preserve of the landed gentry dealing mainly with rural estates and high end country property to the international global powerhouse they are today .
The management of change very much down to Aubrey Adams an accountant by profession who oversaw that bringing in management ,corporate skills , ensuring a proper business infrastructure .
Gentlemanly and courteous he bridged that gap well
Although he did admit when pressed the company was unlikley to employ a front line person with a Cockney accent !
I don’t believe Savills are the business they used to be…I have a very close friend (of a respectably high level within the firm) who would challenge that there has been any improvement in the ‘culture’ (perhaps this story is an filtered down testament to this?)…least of all characterised as “gentlemanly or courteous”!
Additionally, there seems to mismanagement and ‘corner cutting’ that is allegedly rife within some of their operations (some pretty recent and notable examples, in respect of their hoke counties BTR managed portfolios).
Aubrey Adams has been gone sometime .Things have moved on at a pace since then He certainly was gentlemanly and courteous As they have expanded, cultural changes are a work in progress and no doubt changes have taken place might mean standards have dropped and not considered an improvement
The problem though is this Tweet has shone a light on diversity at Savills and some will consider that changes in this direction has been too slow