Sky Sports star Matt Le Tissier says he was told by bosses to wear the Black Lives Matter badge, but stressed he ‘could not support’ the cause’s anti police and capitalist aims.
The Southampton player-turned-pundit, 51, hit out at the movement’s ‘far-left ideology’ – as black footballer Karl Henry branded the group ‘divisive’.
He had joined former Wolves midfielder Henry, 37, to question the group’s objectives, even interacting with one of his social media messages directly.
Black Lives Matter want to bring to an end racial injustice and police brutality, but in recent weeks have called for a cut in money to law enforcement to create a ‘people’s budget’.
The UK arm of the group has said it wants to defund the police completely and abolish capitalism and has pledged support for Palestine amid Israel’s plans to annex the West Bank.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline Le Tissier said he was completely against racism but did not agree with the two other aims of the protest group.
He said bosses at Sky had asked him and other pundits to wear the logo for their appearances and he agreed, but pointed out he supported ‘the cause, not the organisation’.
Speaking outside his home near Southampton, Hants, he said: ‘I just don’t agree with some of the points of that movement – specifically the defunding of the police and the anti capitalist points are things I do not agree with.
‘They are the two main points for me. I am quite happy for them to have their point of view, but that is mine and that is where I sit.
‘I think a lot of people in the country would agree with me.
‘I will still wear the badge because I do of course believe black lives matter. It’s a simple thing,
‘I agree with the cause but there are parts of the organisation that I just cannot support.’
When asked whether pundits on Sky Sports had been told to wear the badge, Le Tissier laughed and said: ‘We were asked to wear it.’
He and Henry are the only high-profile voices in football so far to raise concerns about the UK arm, which has protested over the killing of George Floyd by a white policeman in the US.
The sport has completely embraced the movement, with players taking the knee before Premier League and Championship matches kicked off.
But the past few days has seen the group embroiled in an anti-Semitism row and criticism of its ‘defund the police’ agenda.
Matt Le Tissier says he will wear Black Lives Matter badges (circled) on Sky Sports but does not support their anti-capitalism and defund the police aims
Karl Henry spoke out against Black Lives Matter UK over their anti-capitalism and stance on trying to abolish the police (pictured her playing for Bolton in 2018)
Le Tissier appeared to echo tweets by former Wolves player Karl Henry who said he thought the public had tired of the Black Lives Matter UK organisation
Presenters and guests on Sky Sports have worn BLM badges when appearing on programmes, but now Le Tissier says he has held talks with his bosses about this.
Meanwhile Henry has called for a ‘new inclusive and politically-neutral anti-racism movement’ after savaging the UK group online.
In response, the channel said no-one was obliged to wear the logo, with a source adding it supported the group simply for its anti-racism stance.
The Southampton legend and former England international replied to a tweet accusing him of ‘promoting a far-left ideology’ and said he had spoken with Sky Sports chiefs about the matter.
Le Tissier is one of football’s most popular pundits after a glittering career at Southampton and was voted the greatest Premier League player of all time in a Eurosport poll.
He began the debate by urging his followers to remove him on Twitter if they were from the ‘far right or far left’.
‘Morning peeps, polite request, if you’re far right or far left do me and yourselves a favour and unfollow me, it’ll be good for yours and our mental health as I couldn’t give 2 hoots how many followers I have I won’t be offended.’
One Twitter user replied: ‘If you are central Matt why wear a badge promoting a far left ideology?’
The 51-year-old wrote back: ‘That’s a good point and one which I’ve made to my boss already.’
Another said: ‘Maybe you should review your BLM badge wearing’, to which he responded: ‘I am reviewing’.
There has been plenty of reaction and debate following Le Tissier’s tweet, with another user saying he ‘hated this badging of the left and right’.
And one replied telling him ‘that BLM badge is a bit dodgy’.
There has been plenty of reaction and debate following Le Tissier’s tweet, with another user saying he ‘hated this badging of the left and right’.
And one replied telling him ‘that BLM badge is a bit dodgy’.
Former Wolves, Stoke City, QPR, Bolton and Bradford City professional footballer Karl Henry also raised concerns about the aims of BLM UK.
He tweeted yesterday: ‘I think the majority of the UK have now had enough of that organisation.
‘A new inclusive and politically-neutral anti-racism movement to follow and get behind is much needed. Black people’s lives matter!
‘The divisive #BlackLivesMatter organisation, however, DOES NOT.’
Black Lives Matter encourage the slogan #DefundThePolice amid outcry over alleged violence by police towards black people, saying they ‘call for an end to the systemic racism that allows this culture of corruption to go unchecked and our lives to be taken’.
In further remarks he took aim at some of the UK group’s far-left policies.
He added: ‘Let’s just look at Capitalism, which #BlackLivesMatterUK want to abolish.
‘It does NOT favour white people. It is not the enemy of the black community.
‘Capitalism allows free enterprise and entrepreneurialism. If other communities can flourish under capitalism, so can we!’
Speaking about their views on the police on the Black Lives Matter website, the movement says Floyd’s death was a ‘breaking point’ and ‘a reminder that, for black people, law enforcement doesn’t protect or save our lives. They often threaten and take them’.
They have called for ‘a national defunding of police’, asking for ‘investment in our communities and the resources to ensure Black people not only survive, but thrive’.
But there is a growing chorus of voices who want to know exactly who is behind the group.
Last week they posted a statement on various social media feeds, promising soon to ‘create a website’ that would ‘ease any confusion around which of the many Black Lives Matter organisations and platforms that have emerged is actually us’.
The statement also promised its spending ‘will be made public in the spirit of transparency and accountability in due course’. As to who is behind the organisation, it claimed its leaders were busy dealing with ’emergency legal matters’ and ‘the hostility of far-Right groups’ which represent ‘a genuine threat to our safety’.
Former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher is another pundit to wear the Black Lives Matter badge
Yesterday it seemed to be trying to row back on its police money remarks, tweeting a post at odds with its own published aims.
It said: ‘When we say ‘Defund the police’ we mean Invest in programmes that actually keep us safe like youth services, mental health and social care, education, jobs and housing. Key services to support the most vulnerable before they come into contact with the criminal justice system.’
A Sky Sports said none of the presenters were obliged to wear the badges.
One source familiar with the situation added: ‘It is the individual’s choice whether they wear the badges or not.
‘The channel’s support for Black Lives Matter is for the moral cause of the campaign for racial justice, rather than for any political organisation.’