Petition to 'ban racists from football for life' tops 1 million signatures
Some English players were racially abused after losing the Euro 2020 final
Last updated 14th Jul 2021
More than a million people have signed a petition saying that anyone who has carried out racist abuse should be banned from all football for life.
Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka all failed to score penalties on Sunday night as England lost the final against Italy.
The trio’s social media pages were quickly flooded with racist comments, leading the Prime Minister, Duke of Cambridge and the FA to condemn the “disgusting behaviour”.
William, who is president of the Football Association, said the footballers should not have to experience this “abhorrent behaviour”, while Boris Johnson said the team deserve to be hailed as “heroes”.
The Football Association also issued a statement saying it is “appalled”, while the Metropolitan Police vowed to investigate.
The petition to 'ban racists from football'
A petition set up online to ban racists from all English football matches for life has now reached over a million signatures.
Created after the players received the abuse, the petition reads:
"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.
"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."
The petition calls for anyone who carries out racist abuse online or offline to receive a lifetime ban from going to any football matches in England.
How England reached the final of Euro 2020
England started the tournament in Group D alongside Croatia, Czech Republic and Scotland. The Three Lions beat Croatia and the Czechs 1-0 but Scotland held them to a nil-nil draw. After that game Scot Billy Gilmour (pictured) tested positive for coronavirus which meant he, England's Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell all had to isolate.
England went through to the next round at the top of Group D
England's opponents in the first knock-out round were Germany. The team put all thoughts of past penalty shoot-outs to the back of their mind and won 2-0 thanks to goals from Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane.
The quarter-final was England's only match on foreign soil, taking place in the Stadio Olimpico in Rome against Ukraine. It ended 4-nil to England, with goals from Kane, Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson
Denmark awaited in the semi-final - England's first time in the last four at the Euros since 1996. Back at Wembley England needed extra time to defeat Denmark 2-1 after conceding for the first time in the tournament.
It was Harry Kane who scored the winning goal after England were given a penalty. Despite Danish keeper Kasper Schmeichel saving the initial penalty, Kane tucked in the rebound. The day after the match UEFA announced they were charging England after someone shone a laser pointer at Schmeichel before the penalty
Fans across the country watched England progress like these in Bristol.
Fans in Plymouth watched on a big screen in the stadium
These fans in Leeds celebrate as England make it to their first major final since 1966, and we all know what happened then!