Former Arsenal striker and current pundit Ian Wright has come out and apologised to Everton fans for comments he made on Match of the Day on Saturday following the allegations surrounding Everton’s board members.
For the Everton fans 💙🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/gLmIGDgl2L
— Ian Wright (@IanWright0) January 17, 2023
On Saturday, Everton fan groups led by NSNOW orchestrated a sit-in protest after the final whistle of the Southampton game. But this all became second news after Everton released a statement on Saturday morning claiming that Everton’s board members had been ‘strongly advised’ to stay at home as they feared for their lives.
This weekend, after the Southampton Game, there will be a sit-in protest for everyone who wants to show their discontent at the current running of our football club. Bring banners, flags and your voices! Something has to change! #AllTogetherNow pic.twitter.com/L73S8R18JW
— NSNOW (@NSNO_W) January 9, 2023
Despite no factual evidence of any threats, the LiverpoolEcho also released a story claiming that Denise Barrett-Baxendale was put in a headlock after the Brighton game, which was 11 days prior. News outlets around the country ran with this story and it labelled Evertonians as thugs and Ian Wright when on MOTD on Saturday night voiced his displeasure at Everton fans and their ‘apparent’ behaviour towards the Everton board members.
Fan frustrations have gone too far?@IanWright0 says some protests from Everton fans have crossed the line.
📺💻📱 Watch Match of the Day on @BBCOne and @BBCiPlayer#BBCFootball #MOTD pic.twitter.com/i06zx5SpIw
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) January 14, 2023
Following his comments, Evertonians took offence to this and voiced their displeasure towards the MOTD pundit and were not happy that he threw Everton fans under the bus as one when he said
“Protesting in that way (headlock, death threats), and intimidation. That’s not going to help”
As far as I am concerned, the board got what they wanted. They turned the peaceful protests into something else, they spread rumours of headlocks and death threats which was broadcasted all over the country and instead of people focusing on the protest, they all pointed fingers at Evertonians doing something that has still yet to be proved truthful, and as for Ian Wright. Until he apologises on MOTD, I’m not buying it.
He has apologised on his podcast, saying he wishes he had worded things differently and looked more into it, he also claims that he had also received a text on Saturday morning (from someone high up at Everton) when all the news was coming out.
What I don’t appreciate is, he had 10+ hours to do some digging before slating Evertonians on national television. I do believe he is sincere in his apology, but I would like to see him say something on MOTD which has millions of viewers, not just on his podcast and for him to ask for some proof of the allegations made towards Evertonians.
Read more about my thoughts here where I said. It is US vs THEM