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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask you to explain the logic - Gary Neville and flags

94 replies

BewaretheKraken · 06/10/2025 21:19

The people putting up the flags are all about freedom of speech, apparently.

Gary Neville says he removed a flag that was being used negatively.

Now the people who love the flags are encouraging us to cancel Sky Sports to get him sacked - for expressing his opinion.

Almost like the whole “freedom of speech” schtick is a load of bollocks.

OP posts:
FartyPants9 · 07/10/2025 07:17

Wasn't it reported that over 30% of people arrested over rioting in Ballymena had previously been reported for domestic abuse?

whattheysay · 07/10/2025 07:20

BloominNora · 06/10/2025 22:33

Think its time a counter movement got started...instead of Raise the Colours, those of us who think British values are about justice, fairness and tolerance could have our own Unite the Colours movement - raise a flag to demonstrate togetherness rather than prejudice while being patriotic (could have Scottish and Welsh versions where those flags are front and centre).

I like the concept but what about something to represent Northern Ireland as part of the uk even though it’s not gb

Itsnottheheatitsthehumidity · 07/10/2025 07:22

In these situations, the Internet tells the easily-led what to do and it usually means taking some kind of drastic action. It's pathetic, really.

OwlBeThere · 07/10/2025 07:23

Mimph · 07/10/2025 00:26

I disagree with GH , the flags are themselves not an issue , the problem in my view is they have been weaponised in the recent past so in many ways having them everywhere reclaims them. I terestinkt in Wales and Scotland the national flag would not be taken in such a negative way since claiming back is a positive step in my view.

There are a lot of Y Ddraig Coch going up around Wales and I really can’t tell if it’s a reaction against Raise the Colours, or people using our flag in a similar way to be a intimidating. If they ARE using our
flagto be twats i’ll be livid.

Sherbs12 · 07/10/2025 07:25

FartyPants9 · 07/10/2025 07:17

Wasn't it reported that over 30% of people arrested over rioting in Ballymena had previously been reported for domestic abuse?

And 40% of those arrested in the riots from the summer of 2024 had been reported for domestic violence.

Sherbs12 · 07/10/2025 07:27

defrazzled · 07/10/2025 07:16

Gary should focus on paying his restaurant staff and taxes properly and stop telling working class people what to do imo.

The best outcome would be to do both, wouldn’t it? It’s not an either/or situation. Pay people a fair wage, pay your taxes and also call out this horrendous stuff we see happening on our social media and in our streets.

BloominNora · 07/10/2025 07:28

whattheysay · 07/10/2025 07:20

I like the concept but what about something to represent Northern Ireland as part of the uk even though it’s not gb

To be fair, I knocked that image up in about 3 minutes as a concept - I did Google NI flags but couldn't find an official one and the ones I did find seemed to differ depending on Loyalist / Republican affiliation, so I erred on the side of caution rather than risking offending anyone!

Itsnottheheatitsthehumidity · 07/10/2025 07:28

And the logic of "Stick to talking about (insert former career here) is ridiculous. Gary Neville has been a property developer since his 20s. I'm sure in private he has lots if interests he likes talking about, as normal people do.

whattheysay · 07/10/2025 07:29

Fairyliz · 07/10/2025 06:59

Well he is entitled to his opinion and other people are entitled to disagree, cancelling sky sports is quite a polite way of showing disagreement surely?
I actually find it’s labour supporters who get most angry if you disagree with them and will immediately call you racist for showing the slightest concern about immigration.

They won’t actually cancel their sky sports they want to watch football, their recently acquired patriotism won’t stop that
Gary Neville is right, flags have not been flown on building sites, anyone saying otherwise is just making things up. And considering who started this movement (a couple of angry white men) I’m not surprised he doesn’t want to be associated with it.
He played for England, he represented the flag I’m sure he doesn’t need to prove his patriotism.

Elmo230885 · 07/10/2025 07:30

buffyangel · 06/10/2025 22:02

Don't know if I will get slated here but I agree with Neville. In my opinion these flags are being used not as a patriotic statement but as a threat and scaremongering tactic aimed at non-white people and legal immigrants. The flags seem to pop up overnight under cover of darkness and nobody seems to want to take resposibility for puting them up. Not just the flags though. There are red crosses being painted on public property - lamposts, roads, roundabouts, shops run by people of non-english heritage. It's just horrible racist intimidation.

Exactly this.

BloominNora · 07/10/2025 07:39

Fairyliz · 07/10/2025 06:59

Well he is entitled to his opinion and other people are entitled to disagree, cancelling sky sports is quite a polite way of showing disagreement surely?
I actually find it’s labour supporters who get most angry if you disagree with them and will immediately call you racist for showing the slightest concern about immigration.

People are not calling anyone racist for being concerned about immigration or the number of asylum seekers in hotels.

They are calling people racist for blaming the immigrants and asylum seekers for those issues with the encouragement of the people who actually had a hand in causing them to start with.

Many people are concerned about immigration and the asylum backlog - it is the motivation behind those concerns that is different.

Ponoka7 · 07/10/2025 07:39

For those that don't know, Gary Neville spoke out against Qatar working/living conditions on air during the world cup. Even Rishi Sunsk tried to get him a warning. ITV said he was entitled to air his views. He's spoken out about companies, such as Nike using child labour. He has a platform, knows the wealth floating about sport and should use it. British sport wouldn't be what it is without immigration.

xanthomelana · 07/10/2025 07:47

Ponoka7 · 07/10/2025 07:39

For those that don't know, Gary Neville spoke out against Qatar working/living conditions on air during the world cup. Even Rishi Sunsk tried to get him a warning. ITV said he was entitled to air his views. He's spoken out about companies, such as Nike using child labour. He has a platform, knows the wealth floating about sport and should use it. British sport wouldn't be what it is without immigration.

He was literally working for Qatar owned beIN sports in the World Cup so his principles don’t apply when it comes to money. If he strongly believed what he said he wouldn’t have even gone, hypocrisy at its finest.

jen337 · 07/10/2025 07:57

They don’t like it because what he said is true.

zazazaaar · 07/10/2025 07:58

LittleJustice · 06/10/2025 22:05

It's very similar to the way the trans rights activists were complaining about the woman adult human female poster and getting that taken down everywhere.

I'm not sure that you can read people's motives perhaps as well as you think you can.

I think a lot of people absolutely sick to death of being told they can't wave their own flag but at the same time a Palestinian flag for example or a Pride flag is absolutely fine.

No one had a problem with people flying England flags before. Our very multicultural street had some during the mens world cup. Literally no one saw it as negative. Sadly now I didn't hang any up for the rugby as its been taken as a sign of racism again. And though my close neighbours know I'm not racist I would hate anyone else to feel that I was aligning myself with the far right. Or sending an unwelcome message.
I remember the 1970s and the flag was used in the same way then.
As for saying, the left won't talk about immigration.It seems to be all they are talking about in all political spheres.

Obeseandashamed · 07/10/2025 08:03

Gary Neville is right

Dollymylove · 07/10/2025 08:23

Ponoka7 · 07/10/2025 07:39

For those that don't know, Gary Neville spoke out against Qatar working/living conditions on air during the world cup. Even Rishi Sunsk tried to get him a warning. ITV said he was entitled to air his views. He's spoken out about companies, such as Nike using child labour. He has a platform, knows the wealth floating about sport and should use it. British sport wouldn't be what it is without immigration.

Still took the Qatari dollar though didnt he!!
No condemnation of the non existent rights of females nor the execution of gays
He's a f**ing hypocrite 😡

IamaBluebird · 07/10/2025 08:24

@OwlBeThere , Wales football team are playing this week and next. Hope that’s the reason for more Welsh flags, it certainly is for mine .

BewaretheKraken · 07/10/2025 08:33

Fairyliz · 07/10/2025 06:59

Well he is entitled to his opinion and other people are entitled to disagree, cancelling sky sports is quite a polite way of showing disagreement surely?
I actually find it’s labour supporters who get most angry if you disagree with them and will immediately call you racist for showing the slightest concern about immigration.

Some people aren’t just quietly cancelling Sky Sports, they’re actively campaigning to have him sacked and encouraging others to cancel Sky Sports.

It seems their version of free speech is saying what you like, unless they disagree with it, then it’s fair game to threaten your livelihood.

OP posts:
BloominNora · 07/10/2025 08:40

It's very similar to the way the trans rights activists were complaining about the woman adult human female poster and getting that taken down everywhere.

@LittleJustice - I would argue that the cancellation of subscriptions and calling for him to be sacked is actually more akin to getting the AHF posters taken down.

It's about the motivation behind the action rather than the action itself- I'm GC, and will always argue for the preservation of single sex spaces.

But I'll still call out the demonisation and bullying of trans people by those who will also happily strip women of their rights and abuse children who have the wrong colour skin.

Their actions come from a place of hatred and prejudice and not from a place of wanting to protect women and girls and find a solution that allows everyone to live how they want in peace and safety.

I refuse to join the 'Leopards Eating People's Faces' supporters, just because on the surface we agree that hospitals, prisons and rape crisis centres should be single sex spaces and that children should not be subject to hormone treatments.

Those people also have a high number of domestic abusers and people who think that a woman's place is in the home among their ranks. They want to protect children from things they don't like, whether that is trans ideology or certain books, but are quite happy to sacrifice children's safety, health and happiness to achieve their aims. That is much more damaging to a lot more women and children than the trans movement will ever be.

This 'enemy of my enemy' single issue thinking is largely how the US has ended up where it is and why we are rapidly going in the same direction!

frozendaisy · 07/10/2025 08:41

Many people agree with Gary Neville so what’s the problem in that opinion being given a voice as well?

Let them cancel SKY in protest, there are a few games on AmazonPrime, presume Match of the Day is out because you know “woke BBC. So they will be left with streaming it via some middle-eastern service (oh the irony).

indoorplantqueen · 07/10/2025 08:49

I agree with GN. It’s good that he’s speaking up about racism. The premier league is made up of mostly foreign and BAME players.

onlymethen · 07/10/2025 08:52

Mimph · 07/10/2025 00:26

I disagree with GH , the flags are themselves not an issue , the problem in my view is they have been weaponised in the recent past so in many ways having them everywhere reclaims them. I terestinkt in Wales and Scotland the national flag would not be taken in such a negative way since claiming back is a positive step in my view.

Do you really really believe that putting these flags up, spraying roundabouts and the march was about bringing the country together? It’s about hate and making people know that they aren’t wanted.

Sherbs12 · 07/10/2025 09:10

onlymethen · 07/10/2025 08:52

Do you really really believe that putting these flags up, spraying roundabouts and the march was about bringing the country together? It’s about hate and making people know that they aren’t wanted.

Absolutely it is. I saw that houses this week have had their windows vandalised with a red spray-paint cross of the St George’s flag. People don’t like this type of thing being called out for what it is.

To ask you to explain the logic - Gary Neville and flags
Greenwitchart · 07/10/2025 10:04

Good on him for using his fame to call for more tolerance.

I think the angry reaction he is getting completely validate his point.

It is so obvious that the recent outbreak of flag shagging was coordinated and had zero to do with being patriotic. It was done by xenophobic and racist people who want to intimate non whites and immigrants. Naive to think over wise.

He is also perfectly right to call out people the type of ''angry white men'' like Farage and his supporters, Jenrick, Vance and the likes who love to fuel the flames of division for their own political benefit.

Frankly I hope more high profile people will speak out the way Gary Neville did.

Funny how the gammons always shout about freedom of speech, yet can't wait to condemn anyone who speaks out using that freedom of speech when they don't agree with their views.

Also as a footballer he has witnessed first hand the awful name calling that non white players face on the football field so no wonder he wants to be part of this debate.