logo
Taking the knee 'not good enough'

Taking the knee 'not good enough'

BBC News2 days ago
England manager Sarina Wiegman says her players decided to stop taking the knee before matches because the impact of the anti-racism gesture is "not good enough".The Lionesses will not take the knee before their Euro 2025 semi-final against Italy on Tuesday after defender Jess Carter revealed she has been targeted with racist abuse on social media throughout the tournament.On Sunday, England's players said they would stop taking the knee as it was "clear we and football need to find another way to tackle racism"."Taking the knee, that's not enough. We have done that for a while. The impact is not good enough, it's not as big as we think," Wiegman told BBC Sport's Dan Roan on Monday."When there is this form of racism we felt we have to do something else, something different, so that's why we are not taking the knee."England midfielder Georgia Stanway told BBC Sport that the squad will stand at kick-off instead of kneeling."We feel like it has gone past that [taking the knee] now," Stanway said."We feel it is still happening even when we are taking the knee. We have decided that we will stand and we will not do that. "We think that is a way of making change in itself because we want to get people talking - we want to tell people that what is being done isn't enough."Police are investigating the abuse suffered by Carter.The head of football's international anti-discrimination body, Fare, questioned England's decision to stop performing what it considers a "powerful anti-racist act".Stanway praised Carter's decision to go public about the abuse and pledged the support of the squad for their team-mate."It's horrendous," said Stanway. "It's really difficult because we will never understand, but we want to create an environment where Jess feels safe and we want her to be able to tell us in those moments where she is experiencing something because as a collective we can be so powerful in order to try and make change. "That is exactly what we have done now. It is not only Jess thinking about herself, she is thinking about other players, she is thinking about the next generation and it is such an unselfish thing to do to be able to talk about something you are going through in order to try and make change at the end of it."
Carter 'ready and wants to play'
During her media conference on Monday, Wiegman confirmed Carter is available to play on Tuesday as England bid to reach a third successive major tournament final."Of course we have had a conversation," said Wiegman. "It's a hard situation but Jess is a very strong person. She wants to move on too, but she and we felt we had to address this - we can't let it go. So we did."We want to perform in the match, she's ready to perform and compete. That says a lot about her and the team."Wiegman told BBC Sport: "Jess is fit to play. She has all the support around her, staff and family. She wants to play and is available."
Head here to get involved
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Two million pensioners in the UK are currently in poverty
Two million pensioners in the UK are currently in poverty

The Independent

timea few seconds ago

  • The Independent

Two million pensioners in the UK are currently in poverty

Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall has warned of a potential 'tsunami of pensioner poverty' without major reform and indicated a possible increase in the state retirement age. The Commons Work and Pensions Committee has urged the government to establish a national strategy to combat pensioner poverty, including setting a minimum income for a dignified retirement. Age UK reports that two million pensioners are currently in poverty, a figure expected to rise, with the committee's report noting a significant increase in pensioner poverty since 2010. MPs are calling for improved take-up of pension credits, as an estimated 700,000 eligible households are missing out on up to £4,000 annually and other vital benefits. The report highlights long-term concerns such as people renting into later life and the strain poverty places on health and social care systems, while the government maintains support for pensioners is a priority.

The wealthy seaside idyll facing a tidal wave of taxes
The wealthy seaside idyll facing a tidal wave of taxes

Telegraph

timea minute ago

  • Telegraph

The wealthy seaside idyll facing a tidal wave of taxes

Along the coastal roads in Sandbanks, luxury homes with carefully curated gardens line the streets. The sound of saws and hammers is almost constant as wealthy residents carry out lavish refurbishments, with some going as far as knocking down seafront houses to rebuild them all over again. However, this could all be about to change as Rachel Reeves considers raising taxes to fix Britain's strained public finances, with those with the broadest shoulders likely to bear the brunt. According to Adrian and Robert Dunford, who run the high-end local estate agency Tailor Made, residents of Britain's most sought-after postcode are already fearful. 'Most of our wealthy clients are older, and all of them can remember a Labour government,' says Adrian. 'Not the Blair government, but a true Labour government. The reality is that there is an expectation that the wealthy do tend to be focused on.' Nestled on a peninsula between Poole and Bournemouth along the south coast of England, with its golden sand beach, Sandbanks has long seemed the perfect place to retire. But for how long is another matter as a looming wealth tax threatens to trigger a fresh exodus of the rich from Britain, following on from the Government's non-dom tax raid earlier this year. 'It's a bit of a split market,' says Adrian. 'When I speak to wealthy individuals, some are just leaving the country and are fairly negative with regards to what is going on in the UK. Whereas others say they are happy to pay their tax and remain here.' 'We want to at least get back what we paid' The affluent neighbourhood, nicknamed Britain's Palm Springs, has long had the reputation of being a millionaire's playground, counting the likes of former footballer manager Harry Redknapp and chef Rick Stein among its residents. Lynn Conway is another, having moved to the area four years ago with her husband. However, she is now prepared to sell her £1.5m property in Sandbanks once the housing market picks up. Average property prices in Sandbanks have fallen 3pc to £1.3m in the past 12 months, according to Rightmove, as prospective buyers weigh up the impact of stamp duty charges and rising council tax levies on second homes. 'At the moment, we don't want to put anything on because we want to at least get back what we paid,' she says. 'If we sell ours and make £100,000 on it, it's going to cost us that to move with the extra stamp duty. So we're going to stay put for the time being.' It comes as Reeves is largely expected to raise taxes in the autumn to meet a budget shortfall potentially worth up to £20bn. Conway says it would be a 'real worry' if the Chancellor were to implement further tax increases. 'My husband retired in 2019, but we had Covid and the market all changed, so he's having to carry on working just to cover the mortgage here,' she says. Even in this wealthy corner of England, surrounded by multimillion-pound homes, the tax burden is still a concern. Lola May Massingham, the owner of luxury estate agent Prime Coastal Properties, says there are fewer wealthy buyers from London, Surrey and overseas because higher taxes and increased stamp duty rates are 'deterring investment'. 'It's not incentivising somebody that's worked their whole life to have a second home,' she says. 'I'm talking about business people who watch what the economy is doing, so they're going to be nervous.' About half of Massingham's buyers are looking for second homes in Sandbanks and the surrounding area, with many of Bournemouth FC's footballers interested in renting or buying in secluded neighbourhoods nearby. But as wealthy Britons consider whether to pack up and move overseas, Massingham says that the Reeves's decision to tighten non-dom rules risks pushing people abroad. 'We've seen people leave already' This is a particular threat as countries overseas seek to attract rich homeowners with lower taxes. For example, one of her clients who owns a manor in Hampshire is already exploring a move to Spain. Alongside non-dom changes and wealth tax fears, complaints have also been made regarding changes by the local council. From April 1, local authorities in England were given the power to charge a double tax premium on second homes under laws passed by the previous Conservative government. The Liberal Democrat-run council for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole brought the change into force, increasing the levy for properties in the most costly band from £4,509.88 to £9,019.76. 'I have been really hit by the increase in council tax,' says Jayne Kearney. 'It's now double, which makes it much more expensive owning a second home. 'I love this area and I've loved it since I was a child. It's kind of the price you pay for owning a second home.' The end to the stamp duty holiday in April is also a sore point. Kevin Webb, a resident of nearby Canford Cliffs, warned that high levels of the tax were scaring off prospective buyers. 'It's a ridiculous level you have to pay in stamp duty, absolutely ridiculous,' he says. Back at Tailor Made estate agents, glossy photos of multimillion-pound homes on the market across Sandbanks glisten in the office windows. Yet for some, the appeal of staying in the UK has lost its shine. 'We've seen people leave already,' says Adrian. 'Or just base themselves outside of the UK and come back to do their 90 days.' If this trend is anything to go by, more taxes in autumn will make the Sandbanks exodus a whole lot worse.

'Legend' Sweeney enters decade of service at Exeter
'Legend' Sweeney enters decade of service at Exeter

BBC News

timea minute ago

  • BBC News

'Legend' Sweeney enters decade of service at Exeter

"I think at one stage we had one radiator in the building that worked," recalls Pierce Sweeney as he enters his tenth season at Exeter Grecians' captain is a rare breed in modern football having spent nearly a decade at one club - a period that has seen incredible change at Exeter a leaky - and cold - wooden building at the side of a bumpy training ground to a modern multi-million pound facility, and two new stands at St James Park, Sweeney has been a constant. The Irishman joined as a fresh-faced 20-year-old defender from Reading in 2016 and has gone on to play 391 games for City, scoring 22 goals, and winning promotion to League One in 2022. "I've reared my family here, I own a house down here. So I don't think I'll ever leave the place unless something really, really attractive comes my way in the latter end of my career, which I highly doubt will happen," Sweeney says in his broad Irish accent."This is home for me now, and I kind of turned from a young inexperienced boy to an old age pensioner." Sweeney is a man who never takes life too seriously off the field - always ready with a smile and a on the pitch there is a steel and determination to his game that has made him one of the most consistent defenders in League One. He has played under three managers at Exeter - a rare feat for a club that does not change head coach that often. His current boss Gary Caldwell has no doubt how important he is to the team - and the club. "For all we take the micky out of him, myself, the staff, he is a brilliant character. He has been a brilliant servant for this football club," Caldwell says."He is one of the few players I think you can call a legend at the football club for what he's done and the journey, that not just the club, but he has been on since he's been here."So to be able to celebrate that I think is really important." 'We've come on leaps and bounds' That celebration has been going throughout the summer and culminates on Saturday when Sweeney has his testimonial match against Swansea City at St James Park in Exeter's final pre-season game. Sweeney has played alongside the likes of Ollie Watkins, Jay Stansfield and Ethan Ampadu - whose big transfer fees have gone a long way to turning fan-owned Exeter into a financially sustainable club in League One. "The football club's done really well with picking and choosing when they spend money on the facilities," Sweeney - who briefly left Exeter in June 2021 to join a financially troubled Swindon Town before returning less than a month later - tells BBC Radio Devon."I've spoken to a good few players who have come here from different football clubs and even they say the facilities are top for League One level and some in the Championship aren't as good as what we have here."We've come on leaps and bounds, but I think the facilities aside, I think the way the football club is run now is a million miles away from where we used to be, and I think that's spearheaded from the manager."The manager probably gives the board headaches of what he wants every year or every month, but that's only for the benefit of the club."He's an ambitious man and he can see where the football club can get to."There's still more room for improvement. We can always improve and I think it's important that we don't stop." Sweeney's career at Exeter has had its fair share of ups and downs. He has lost three League Two play-off finals at Wembley - defeat by Blackpool in his debut season in 2017, Coventry City a year later, and then Northampton Town in an empty national stadium in 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 there have also been highs as well - not least winning automatic promotion in 2022 as well as some memorable runs in both the FA and EFL Cups."It was probably a blessing in disguise that we probably didn't win them," Sweeney says as he looks back on the Wembley defeats. "I think where we were when we got automatic promotion, I think the club was in a far better position than we were for the play-off games."My personal opinion is that we probably wouldn't be coming into our fourth season back then in League One."He adds: "Wembley's an unbelievable place when you win. It's the worst place in the world when you lose. I've been unfortunate to experience that three times now."It wasn't a nice feeling, but I've definitely taken that on board with me ever since and kind of used it as fuel, and hopefully the next time we go to Wembley we can finish the job." Sweeney's toughest personal battle came last season when he missed the second half of the campaign after picking up a calf injury in December and then having surgery to fix a long-standing hip even though he is celebrating his testimonial this season - and has no intention of leaving the club - he appreciates how hard the world of football is."I've been out for the longest period of my career and it's been it's been a tough offseason. I've been on my own doing rehab and tough times mentally, " he says."I want to play as many games as I can and try and earn myself a new contract at the end of the next season."I'm 31 in September, so I'm no spring chicken. I need to get back fully fit and get back into the team, and hopefully earn myself a new contract and go from there."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store