Kent Sports News can confirm that the entire platform will join the social media boycott from Friday to Monday in response to the ongoing abuse faced by many connected with football and sport in general.

It’s been announced that the Premier League, English Football League and Women’s Super League clubs will join in a four-day boycott of social media platforms in an effort to combat abuse and discrimination starting on Friday afternoon at 3:00pm and ending at 11:59pm on Monday.

And with “apologies” in advance to our followers on the various platforms, KENT SPORTS NEWS can confirm that we will be joining the boycott.

Along with the Football Association, various league bodies, anti-discrimination charity Kick it Out, the Football Supporters’ Association, the League Managers’ Association, Women in Football, the Women’s Championship and the main refereeing body – we have also committed to the boycott of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for four days over the coming weekend!

And we call on all of our followers to do the same!

In growing opposition to the racism that is still clearly on the social media platforms, the last few weeks have seen Swansea City, Rangers and Birmingham City all separately announce varying boycotts of social media platforms.

Former Arsenal and France striker Thierry Henry also stopped using all social media in March because of racism and bullying across platforms.

Here in Kent of course we are sadly no strangers to this disgusting and disgraceful behaviour following events involving a number of our clubs and their players in recent times and we fully back and endorse the joint statement from English football’s governing bodies which was issued on Saturday evening.

In it they said that the boycott is a way “to emphasise that social media companies must do more to eradicate online hate”, while also “highlighting the importance of educating people. Boycott action from football in isolation will, of course, not eradicate the scourge of online discriminatory abuse, but it will demonstrate that the game is willing to take voluntary and proactive steps in this continued fight.” 

KSN Group Chairman Steve Wolfe underlined these sentiments saying, “We totally endorse the stance being taken across football to show that it doesn’t tolerate the abuse players, management and officials face across the game.”

“It is not only abhorrent, but deeply distressing to those targeted. I personally have been subject to online abuse by cowards and that’s what they are, cowards.”

“They hide behind their social media profile or a fake identity and feel they can say what they like about you. It’s often things that they wouldn’t say to your face and that to me is cowardly.”

“I will no longer tolerate such abuse and I am proud of the stance the Kent Sports News team are showing in the social media blackout. We are united against this online abuse and hope this serves as a warning to these trolls that their actions will not be tolerated.”

Meanwhile KSN Editor Chris Dicketts added, “Whilst the articles, reports and interviews will continue as normal on Kent Sports News throughout the bank holiday weekend, we will be backing the social media blackout across all of our channels.”

“That means we won’t be posting on any of our Twitter feeds or Facebook page for the four days.”

“Albeit the stance has been taken by football, we will refrain from posting about any sport on our social media channels to show our solidarity.”

“The abuse has to stop. It’s as simple as that.”