A petition to ban racists from all football matches in England for life has now surpassed one million signatures.
Set up by fans, who call themselves #TheThreeHijabis, the petition called on the Football Association and government to work together to ban those who carried out racial abuse online and offline.
Several players were subjected to appalling racism in the aftermath of the Euro2020 final last Sunday, with Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka all having their pages flooded with xenophobic comments.
“As multi-racial football fans, we finally feel represented by this anti-racist and inclusive England team. We could not be more proud or inspired by our magnificent team and by their talent, bravery, leadership and love for all,” the petition reads.
“Gareth Southgate’s England team plays for ALL of us. Their vision is an inclusive vision and this matters more than EVER – it’s why we feel proud of this team and why they’re so cherished and loved by many of us.
“There should be no room for racists and bigotry in football or society.
“Our England team stood up for all of us – now we must stand up for them.”
Meanwhile, hundreds of people have taken the knee beside the repaired mural of Marcus Rashford in a show of solidarity for the England footballer.
Marcus Rashford’s defaced mural is currently under repair after being emblazoned with heartfelt messages of support in his hometown of Manchester.
It comes after the 23-year-old footballer released a statement saying he will never apologise for who he is after the word “F**k* was scrawled over the artwork in Withington.
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