Photo: Twitter
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone. Football isn’t coming home. Following England’s late defeat to Spain on Sunday evening, Sky News were in for a surprise when one of their interviewees expressed his views on the conflict in Palestine.
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Shortly after the final whistle went, the broadcaster set-out to get some vox-pops regarding the result. England had clawed themselves back into the game, before Spain struck in the 87th minute to win 2-1.
It is now 58 years without a trophy for the men’s national team. The future of manager Gareth Southgate hangs in the balance and, despite taking England to consecutive Euros finals, many fans feel the time for change is now.
After collecting a few heartbroken reflections in Colne, Lancashire, the reporter came across one particularly animated fan. He began by saying it was ‘understandable’ that England ‘could not make it over the line’. Things then took an almighty pivot.
The lively local looks directly into the camera, grabs the microphone, and seizes his opportunity. Prefixing his impromptu statement with the immortal words, ‘this is all I will say’, he repeatedly shouts ‘Free Palestine’ during the live broadcast.
The interaction left Sky News journalist Frazer Maude flustered. He wrestled his microphone back, and pulled away. The fan may have been a little intoxicated, but messages don’t come much clearer than that.
Maude, meanwhile, is catching heat online for his reaction to the statement. He immediately told viewers that ‘we did not need that tonight’, prompting many to question Sky News and their editorial stance on Palestine.
However, he isn’t the first journalist who has been put on the spot in this manner. England fan Martin Near delivered the exact same message when the cameras were rolling at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar…
