Last night’s Euro 2020 final was a rollercoaster of emotions for England fans, from extreme highs at the very beginning of the game to a devastating end.
It wasn’t the result we all hoped for but the journey was exciting and it brought us all closer together after a turbulent 18 months caused by the global pandemic.
However, the sense of community was short-lived as Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho began receiving an onslaught of racist comments on social media after the players missed their penalty shots.
Not even an HOUR after the game ended, Rashford’s mural in Withington was vandalised with racist comments.
England’s manager Southgate commented on the abuse:
“It’s just not what we stand for. We have been a beacon of light bringing people together in people being able to relate to the national team, and the national team stands for everybody and so that togetherness has to continue”
“We have shown the power our country has when it does come together and has that energy and positivity together”.
Rashford became a local hero last year during the pandemic for calling out the UK government for planning to cut free meals for disadvantaged school children, then the Manchester United striker began a campaign to support children from lower income backgrounds.
The government initially refused to U-turn but with the help of other celebrities being vocal about their decision to support Rashford, they eventually decided to meet the star player’s demands.
A BBC documentary was made titled “Marcus Rashford: Feeding Britain’s Children” highlighting his free school meal campaign.
You can watch it here – https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000qq41
Featured image: Manchester Evening News
