Bookmaker Paddy Power issues grovelling apology after sharing ‘shameful’ video of football fan using homophobic slur
(Christian Ohde/McPhoto/ullstein bild via Getty)
One of the biggest bookmakers in the UK and Ireland, Paddy Power, issued a grovelling apology Thursday morning (August 6) after a fan used a homophobic slur in one of its social media videos.
Paddy Power said sorry after it shared a video which included a fan saying “salty rent boy”, prompting fierce backlash from the queer football community.
Each week, the Dublin-based bookie rounds up online comments regarding a particular game as part of its “Fan Denial” series. On Monday (August 5), it posted a video focused on last Saturday’s (August 1) FA Cup Final between Chelsea and Arsenal, which has been deleted following outcry.
Some of the UK’s leading football inclusivity drivers – Chelsea Pride, Gay Gooners, Proud Baggies and Kick It Out – decried the video along with football media outlets.
“An advert like this is designed to provoke and does nothing to further inclusion in football,” said Kick It Out chairperson Sanjay Bhandari in a statement on Twitter.
“All it will do is encourage people to keep using this hideous language, not just on social media but in matches too.”
Similar scorn was expressed by the Gay Gooners, a group of LGBT+ Arsenal fans. The organisation stressed in an email to Peter Jackson, CEO of Paddy Power’s parent company Flutter Entertainment, that “discriminatory language and behaviour” should be called out whenever possible by industry leaders.
Yesterday, following @paddypower’s FA Cup fan denial video, we sent an email to CEO Peter Jackson. We highlighted continued actions & thought are needed more than one-off campaigns & our role to #CallItOut.
We’re glad to see the video has been removed & hope PP learn from this. pic.twitter.com/aLH52LikGv
— Gay Gooners – Arsenal's LGBT+ fans (@gaygooners) August 5, 2020
“We know homophobic language fuels the toxic atmosphere that often makes loyal LGBTQ+ fans feel unwelcome at football,” a screenshot of the email read.
“By including that particular tweet, Paddy Power undermines its own work in challenging homophobia within sport as well as that of groups such as ourselves and our colleagues through Pride in Football.”
Chelsea Pride similarly amplified how the video “perpetuates the idea that this kind of ‘banter’ is acceptable in football”, making clear: “It is not.”
Our statement regarding the homophobic video posted by @paddypower. Following the response from @kickitout and many other members for the #lgbtq football community. pic.twitter.com/BPAvNxueed— Chelsea Pride (@ChelseaPride_) August 5, 2020
? Statement on use of homophobic slur in Paddy Power video.
❌ @kickitout pic.twitter.com/p8HZeUPdMm— Piero Zizzi (@PieroZizzi) August 5, 2020
Utterly shameful from Paddy Power.
There is no level on which using "Salty Rent Boys" in advertising is *ever* ok.@twitter should do a better job in deboosting gambling banter accounts. They do so much real-world damage.
Good job @SanjayKickItOut & @PieroZizzi calling this ? https://t.co/e54XVR7Yp4— Field Notes Football (@FieldNotesGeo) August 5, 2020
In response to the seething criticism, Paddy Power said: “We are very sorry for any offence caused before [the video] was removed.
“We are reviewing our approval processes on content produced by third parties to ensure content on our platform is in line with our values as a brand.
“We are very proud of the work we have done around LGBTQ+ issues, and intend to continue being allies to the community.”
