England's women soccer star Jess Carter quits social media due to racist comments

[Nicky91]

https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/45782795/england-sad-angry-carter-racist-abuse-bronze


- Lucy Bronze said the Lionesses are "sad" and "angry" at the racist abuse Jess Carter has been subjected to and hopes their decision to no longer take the knee before matches will reach "around the world."

England defender Carter said on Sunday that she would be stepping back from social media due to the racist abuse she's been subjected to during Euro 2025. The Football Association CEO Mark Bullingham has condemned the abuse and says the FA has referred this to the UK police for further action.

"I think to be honest a lot of players have known that this has always been an issue in football but for Jess especially to [talk about it] ... we all know her as a person and she's so strong and so tenacious, so she almost doesn't want to put out anything she's going through on someone else," Bronze said. "To hear her talking about it yesterday, we're all just so disappointed in so-called fans writing out these messages.


"For Jess herself, she probably wouldn't put it out to the world but it's obviously difficult for her to go through. All the players, the FA and the staff are here to support her. We had meetings last night about it and we're all in full support for Jess and for any players going through racial abuse in this tournament. We know it's not just Jess as well. It's just disappointing we still must sit here in this day and age, and to see Jess go through that herself."

Bronze said the team met as a group on Saturday night and Sunday morning to discuss what collective action they would take. They previously sent the anti-racism message of taking the knee before matches, but will instead stand now. In the statement they said they made this call because it is "clear we and football need to find another way to tackle racism."


https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/jul/20/england-lionesses-condemn-racist-online-abuse-jess-carter-euro-2025


England have condemned the “online poison” of racist abuse directed at the defender Jess Carter during the *European Championship in *Switzerland and said they would stop taking a knee before matches because “football needs to find another way to tackle racism”.

Carter received criticism after her performance in England’s defeat against France in their opening game of the tournament and was subsequently shifted from left-back to centre-back. She struggled again *during Thursday’s quarter-final *victory against Sweden and has now revealed the unacceptable *vitriol she has been a victim of while on *international duty.

FILE PHOTO: UEFA Women's Euro 2025 - Quarter Final - Sweden v England<br>FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - UEFA Women's Euro 2025 - Quarter Final - Sweden v England - Stadion Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland - July 17, 2025 England's Esme Morgan celebrates after winning the penalty shoot-out REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
‘We’re never beaten’: Esme Morgan talks up England’s mental toughness at Euros
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“From the start of the tournament I have experienced a lot of racial abuse,” the 27-year-old defender wrote on Instagram. “While I feel every fan is entitled to their opinion on performance and result I don’t agree or think it’s OK to target someone’s appearance or race. As a result of this I will be taking a step back from social media and leaving it to a team to deal with.”

Carter has received widespread support, most emphatically from her teammates. In a collective statement, the Lionesses said: “Representing our country is the greatest honour. It is not right that while we are doing that, some of us are treated *differently *simply because of the colour of our skin. Until now, we have chosen to take the knee before matches. It is clear we and football need to find another way to tackle racism. We have agreed as a squad to remain standing before kick‑off on Tuesday.”

The statement added: “Those behind this online poison must be held accountable.”

Lotte Wubben-Moy went further by announcing she was also *coming off social media. In a statement, the Arsenal defender said: “Another tournament goes by where we see the same disgusting racist abuse. It is unacceptable for any person to be subject to this or any kind of abuse. The issue goes beyond sport. But what is being done about it? On the very platforms we post on? I will not continue to feed the very *platform that enables abuse with no consequence.”

.

https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/b2632ee30a80f2547b0c51654fe756f38118c107/0_349_2897_2317/master/2897.jpg?width=620&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none

[arista]

Yes fair enough


Stay off social media

[Mystic Mock]

Are the Police and Starmer first going to deal with the Stalker that has twice (that we know of) harassed Emma Raducanu, you know an actual crime that could potentially lead to someone getting hurt?

Also where are people getting arrested for Homophobia during the Rainbow Laces stuff? Including Footballers writing over the Rainbow armbands and then hiding behind religion afterwards.

Let's not forget how the British Media love to talk about how we're "struggling for prison space" yet in the same breath celebrate Prison space being wasted on people who should be getting Community Service at the very worst.

That is my controversial opinion on this topic.

[Mystic Mock]

Yes fair enough


Stay off social media

Social Media needs to ban the racists off of their platforms as soon as they spew out their garbage.

Unfortunately places like Facebook and Twitter love the revenue too much with all of the traffic that they get daily.

[Cherie]

Just far too easy to hurl abuse on social media

[Nicky91]

the england team will also not take the knee tomorrow out of sympathy for Jess Carter

[Crimson Dynamo]

Id imagine it will all be from abroad, the middle east in particular. Every public person gets dogs abuse on all types of social media so she isn't unique.

[Cherie]

the england team will also not take the knee tomorrow out of sympathy for Jess Carter

I don't really understand that because taking the knee was supposed to show solidarity with black teammates against racism I thought.

[Crimson Dynamo]

I don't really understand that because taking the knee was supposed to show solidarity with black teammates against racism I thought.

They "take the knee" out of sympathy to American criminal George Floyd. Its a shambles tbh

[Nicky91]

I don't really understand that because taking the knee was supposed to show solidarity with black teammates against racism I thought.

since taking the knee does not help against evil racist pigs on social media, now that has been confirmed

[Oliver_W]

Online "abuse".

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fj8dqCJUoAAvAvm.jpg:large

[Crimson Dynamo]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/football/2025/07/21/TELEMMGLPICT000432317276_17530808641750_trans_NvBQ zQNjv4BqclGKiXb80r82v56s37cxlW9IijDRA4W7Xl1m8Oojmt I.jpeg?imwidth=420

Gesture has become so superficial that Lionesses have decided not to continue
with it ahead of Euro 2025 semi-final

The shock value of the Lionesses’ decision against taking the knee was that
they still laboured, five years on, under a misapprehension that it was some
vital instrument in the fight against racism.

Kneeling felt tokenistic even then, a tick-box exercise for football to show how
much it cared, an easy PR win while avoiding any commitment to deeper
change. In 2025, it has become so perfunctory that the England women’s team
are forced to admit it serves no useful purpose.

The reality that these players dared not acknowledge was that it had never
had any power in the first place. This was not some 21st-century equivalent
of the Black Power salute, when Tommie Smith and John Carlos stood atop a
podium at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics and raised black-gloved fists to the
sky at grave personal cost to themselves. This was an empty, performative
piece of gesture politics.


Jess Carter has spoken of “vile” and “abhorrent” comments directed towards
her online during the latest tournament. For all that she deserves sympathy
over her ordeal, it is revealing that she and her team-mates are abandoning
their anti-racism campaign on the pitch at the precise moment that they
confront evidence of racism off it. There could scarcely be a more damning
illustration of the gesture’s hollowness.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2025/07/21/lionesses-takinh-the-knee-euro-2205-lost-power/

[Glenn.]

Id imagine it will all be from abroad, the middle east in particular. Every public person gets dogs abuse on all types of social media so she isn't unique.

When I read the title of this thread I just knew someone would dismiss it

[Crimson Dynamo]

When I read the title of this thread I just knew someone would dismiss it

Just like we all knew you would comment on a member and not the thread content

:smug:

[MTVN]

Racism is a societal problem not a football one so I've always been a bit sceptical of the power of on-pitch gestures to really have much impact. Football these days is also one of the most equal opportunity industries out there. I do acknowledge it's been a long road to get to that point though

[Mystic Mock]

Online "abuse".

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fj8dqCJUoAAvAvm.jpg:large

I really don't agree with this.

He is taking the other extreme imo.

[Oliver_W]

I really don't agree with this.

He is taking the other extreme imo.

A child being cyberbullied by their classmates is one thing; but a grown woman can't be "abused" by strangers typing words on a screen.

[MTVN]

A child being cyberbullied by their classmates is one thing; but a grown woman can't be "abused" by strangers typing words on a screen.

I agree that people should take some agency for whether they are or aren't on social media - with everything that involves. Not that that excuses racism and you shouldn't have to leave it but at least you can avoid it a bit

I think on balance we're probably worse off for having social media but it is difficult to ignore it. Even this forum is social media really I guess

[Oliver_W]

I agree that people should take some agency for whether they are or aren't on social media - with everything that involves. Not that that excuses racism and you shouldn't have to leave it but at least you can avoid it a bit

I think on balance we're probably worse off for having social media but it is difficult to ignore it. Even this forum is social media really I guess

I wasn't saying that the ability to ignore any racism she may have been given makes it okay - but it's nothing more than words.

Whatever happened to Sticks and Stones?

[MTVN]

I wasn't saying that the ability to ignore any racism she may have been given makes it okay - but it's nothing more than words.

Whatever happened to Sticks and Stones?

Oh yeah I know you weren't, just thought I should add that disclaimer to my own post!

[Mystic Mock]

A child being cyberbullied by their classmates is one thing; but a grown woman can't be "abused" by strangers typing words on a screen.

I agree that she wasn't really being cyberbullied.

I was just more objecting to the person who made the tweet, saying that cyberbullying doesn't exist.

[Barry.]

I wasn't saying that the ability to ignore any racism she may have been given makes it okay - but it's nothing more than words.

Whatever happened to Sticks and Stones?

Just because you are thick skinned doesn’t mean others are. Online abuse has lead to many suicides

[Mystic Mock]

Out of interest.

Was she being harassed by the same individuals? Because that's obviously a crime.

[Maru]

Online "abuse".

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fj8dqCJUoAAvAvm.jpg:large

Cyber bullying is real, that's just silly, but he offers some great advice for dealing with it (to an extent...)... this is why parody accounts exist anyway, because so much of commentary online is almost like satire...

[Nicky91]

A child being cyberbullied by their classmates is one thing; but a grown woman can't be "abused" by strangers typing words on a screen.

:umm2:

not you defending those sicko social media racist trolls

[Oliver_W]

:umm2:

not you defending those sicko social media racist trolls

Tell me how that's a defence.

[Nicky91]

Tell me how that's a defence.

well

''A child being cyberbullied by their classmates is one thing; but a grown woman can't be "abused" by strangers typing words on a screen.''


basically you saying a child can only be cyberbullied, but not a grown woman (doesn't matter which age you are, you simply have sickos on social media who say the most evil nasty stuff)


also you have cases where children are also cyberbullied by random strangers on a screen, too many cases if you ask me, those cases which end up with children taking their own lives

[Ninastar]

The internet will always attack you for whatever makes you a minority. It sucks but you have to have thick skin if you post anywhere on social media

I do think it would be nice for internet trolls to be banned from the internet forever but sadly it will never happen

[Mystic Mock]

The internet will always attack you for whatever makes you a minority. It sucks but you have to have thick skin if you post anywhere on social media

I do think it would be nice for internet trolls to be banned from the internet forever but sadly it will never happen

I agree with you 100% on this.

Even in real life you will encounter dickheads, and there shouldn't be Police action over people being unlikable, which is essentially what's happening here.

We need the Police to be focusing on violent crimes and stalking cases.

[Benjamin]

A child being cyberbullied by their classmates is one thing; but a grown woman can't be "abused" by strangers typing words on a screen.

That’s just incorrect what you’re saying. Anyone can be cyber bullied. Regardless of age. It doesn’t just stop existing when you reach a certain age.

[Oliver_W]

That’s just incorrect what you’re saying. Anyone can be cyber bullied. Regardless of age. It doesn’t just stop existing when you reach a certain age.

Maybe so, but calling it abuse is ridiculous.

[Benjamin]

Maybe so, but calling it abuse is ridiculous.

Cyber bullying is abuse though.

[Oliver_W]

Cyber bullying is abuse though.

Among children maybe.

But strangers simply can't abuse each other by name-calling over the Internet.

[Cherie]

She got a huge cheer when she came on as a sub last night

[Barry.]

Among children maybe.

But strangers simply can't abuse each other by name-calling over the Internet.

Yes they can. You can’t dismiss all the suicides caused by online abuse. It’s called that for a reason

[Benjamin]

Among children maybe.

But strangers simply can't abuse each other by name-calling over the Internet.

Again. Incorrect.

[Oliver_W]

Yes they can. You can’t dismiss all the suicides caused by online abuse. It’s called that for a reason

People who take their own lives don't do it purely because they read unkind words in their notification tab.

The mental ill-health which leads to suicide could have any number of triggers, and if it wasn't the "abuse", it would be something else.

Again, I'm not excusing when people send mean words, but it would never be just that.

[Nicky91]

People who take their own lives don't do it purely because they read unkind words in their notification tab.

The mental ill-health which leads to suicide could have any number of triggers, and if it wasn't the "abuse", it would be something else.

Again, I'm not excusing when people send mean words, but it would never be just that.

not just mean words though, some of these lowest of the low scum even tell those people to kill themselves


but i can tell you haven't watched any of the films about cyberbullying :idc:

[Oliver_W]

but i can tell you haven't watched any of the films about cyberbullying :idc:

Not like you eh, I bet you've even seen Adolescence!!

[Ammi]

…a ‘sticks and stones’ mindset doesn’t really apply to cyber bullying because that concept of ‘words can’t harm in a physical sense’ precedes the internet …even in its own defining, it doesn’t claim accuracy as words to carry much weight and power and especially with regards to mental health…cyberbullying is such a modern and new thing in our world that I don’t think that we can say what it’s part is in thoughts of suicide…we do know that in the world of psychology, the direct link is taken seriously enough though to create many papers to be written and much research into it and to give a name of ‘cyberbullicide’ …in this world of words on screens that we live in, it makes complete sense that words have a power and influence and consequence etc that they haven’t necessarily had at any point in time before the internet …

[AnnieK]

People who take their own lives don't do it purely because they read unkind words in their notification tab.

The mental ill-health which leads to suicide could have any number of triggers, and if it wasn't the "abuse", it would be something else.

Again, I'm not excusing when people send mean words, but it would never be just that.

The fact is it is abuse. If someone says something about a person's race, its racial abuse etc etc.

The literal definition of the word abuse is "to use (something) to bad effect or for a bad purpose". The something in the case of online abuse is words

You may be thick skinned to not have words affect you....some people however take those things to heart, especially when it is repeated and constant.

As Ben said, you don't reach 18 and then a switch in your brain happens and suddenly you stop feeling

[Barry.]

People who take their own lives don't do it purely because they read unkind words in their notification tab.

The mental ill-health which leads to suicide could have any number of triggers, and if it wasn't the "abuse", it would be something else.

Again, I'm not excusing when people send mean words, but it would never be just that.

I’m guessing you didn’t read the woman who committed suicide for online ABUSE this year them? Or you think you know better than professionals

[Oliver_W]

I’m guessing you didn’t read the woman who committed suicide for online ABUSE this year them? Or you think you know better than professionals

Was she a well-adjusted woman with perfect mental health and an otherwise good life?

[AnnieK]

Was she a well-adjusted woman with perfect mental health and an otherwise good life?

She quite possibly could have been.

What you have to think about is the sheer volume of comments posts attract. If you walk down the street and someone yells racist / homophobic / sexist / ageist whatever comments at you, it is heard by you and whoever else happens to be around and hear (ie a handful of people). If someone says the same words on an online platform it has a potential audience of millions. The anonymous element of it also emboldens others to hurl abusive words too and the snowball effect grows. You wake up to tens of hundreds of awful messages aimed directly at you and not let it affect you - whether you are a strong, mentally healthy individual at some point that **** will wear you down and if you said it wouldn't I wouldn't believe you.

[Mystic Mock]

She quite possibly could have been.

What you have to think about is the sheer volume of comments posts attract. If you walk down the street and someone yells racist / homophobic / sexist / ageist whatever comments at you, it is heard by you and whoever else happens to be around and hear (ie a handful of people). If someone says the same words on an online platform it has a potential audience of millions. The anonymous element of it also emboldens others to hurl abusive words too and the snowball effect grows. You wake up to tens of hundreds of awful messages aimed directly at you and not let it affect you - whether you are a strong, mentally healthy individual at some point that **** will wear you down and if you said it wouldn't I wouldn't believe you.

Fair point.

Tbh, I hadn't really thought of it like this until reading this post.

[Barry.]

Was she a well-adjusted woman with perfect mental health and an otherwise good life?

She had a rescue centre for animals so I’m guessing she loved doing what she did. Her husband said it was the online abuse that killed her. The man in her life will know more about her life than others so yes, it was online abuse that killed her

[Mystic Mock]

She had a rescue centre for animals so I’m guessing she loved doing what she did. Her husband said it was the online abuse that killed her. The man in her life will know more about her life than others so yes, it was online abuse that killed her

That case is really tragic.