Burnley football club said they know those behind the “White Lives Matter Burnley” banner that flew over the Etihad Stadium during the match between the club and Manchester City on Monday.
Immediately the players of both side took a kneel in solidarity with the “Black Lives Matter” movement, a prevent jet was seen flying over the stadium with the banner, an incident which has caused mixed reactions across the world.
Afterwards, Burnley football club issued a statement to distance themselves from the incident, describing it as embarrassing and insensitive.
Recently, one Jake Hepple, from Lancashire in the United Kingdom, shared a video of the plane flying over the Etihad Stadium on his Facebook page and posted a message saying: “I’d like to take this time to apologise… to absolutely f***ing nobody!
“It’s now apparently racist to say, White Lives Matter, the day after three white people got murdered in a park in Reading, but all we’ve seen on the TV is Black Lives Matter after George Floyd got murdered. What a mad world we live in.”
As at last check, the Facebook account of Jake Hepple has been deactivated and nothing more has been heard about him.
So far, it has been discovered that the private jet took off from and returned to Blackpool Airport, that has said it would stop operating banner flights with immediate effect. However, the management of the airport has not been able to produce those who were behind the action.
On Tuesday evening, a statement from Lancashire Police noted that though no criminal offences have been disclosed, an investigation to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident has started.
Burnley Stands With Black Lives Matter movement
In the other hand, the chief executive of Burnley football club, Neil Hart, said he believes that he knows those who are behind the ‘disgusting and shameful’ incident and he would ensure that they are banned from the club for life as soon as possible.
He stressed that his club and the community of Burnley can not be associated with such an insensitive action, adding that the club is in agreement with other clubs and players in the fight against discrimination.
“When I saw the banner go over the Etihad from the directors’ box I was disgusted, that’s the word I would use”, he told Sky Sports. “I was ashamed to see that being trailed over the Etihad like that.
“It’s certainly not what we stand for as a football club, it’s not what we stand for as a town, as a collective or community.
“We stand in solidarity with our players, with the league, with other clubs and with all our community stakeholders that we will continue to fight any form of discrimination.”
