Premier League To Clamp Down on ‘Mocking’ Celebrations
The Premier League will observe player goal celebrations moving forward. The league may consider taking further action if gestures excessively provoke opposition players and fans or are damaging to the game.
A Sky Sports report revealed that this comes after some players received criticism for provocative celebrations.
The Premier League’s chief football officer, Tony Scholes, said: “Some of the celebrations have been very funny [and] entertaining, but there’s a line.” He added, “Once it crosses over into mockery or criticism, then we would need to deal with it.”
Celebrations in the Premier League placed under the microscope
This season, Joshua Zirkzee and Phil Foden have pretended to fire guns into the crowd in celebration. Neither player was reprimanded.
Iliman Ndiaye celebrated by flapping his arms like a seagull after he netted Everton’s winner against Brighton. But he received a yellow card.
While Myles Lewis-Skelly mimicked Erling Haaland during his goal celebration at the Emirates. He received no punishment. However, the Arsenal youngster’s actions did not evade criticism following their 5-1 win against Manchester City on Sunday.
Former Scottish footballer Alan McInally condemned the celebration on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast.
He said: “When you’re 18-years-old and you start impersonating somebody that’s won a league and won the Champions League. You need to be careful because you’re going to take a fall.”
Former English professional footballer and TalkSport broadcaster Jason Cundy took issue with Lewis-Skelly’s actions.
On TalkSport he said: “I mean, you know, picking to choose your battles, but the Lewis-Skelly stuff. Wind your neck in.”
Cundy then warned him that provoking a rival could result in unintended consequences.
“I’m not convinced it’s the wisest thing to do…You wait. You know, we all saw what Roy Keane did to Haaland’s dad. You know, just be careful what battles you pick.”
Reactions to Myles Lewis-Skelly’s Celebration overly-critical
A fan of football would generally be aware of the assertion that ‘the game’s gone soft’. For years, some have campaigned for the return of the hardened attitudes between players and fans during the late 1990s and early to mid-2000s.
The celebration came after Haaland mocked Lewis-Skelly at the end of a tense 2-2 draw at the Etihad in September. He taunted the 18-year-old by asking: “Who are you?”
Football commentator Mina Ibrahim was one of many to take to the social media platform X to condemn the discourse.
She said: “I can’t believe it’s been how many days and the discourse around Lewis Skelly’s celebration is still ongoing.
“You want footballers to show zero personality, football needs more of this imo [in my opinion].”
The interaction was not the only dig during the confrontation. Martin Odegaard opened the scoring for the Gunners two minutes into kick-off.
Replays afterwards revealed Gabriel screaming in the face of Haaland moments into his celebration for the goal. This was undoubtedly a response to the striker’s actions after City equalised five months ago. While John Stones was the goalscorer, Haaland celebrated by throwing the ball at the defender’s head.
Football has always been a game that has survived through the unbridled passion of its players and fans. Whether seated behind a screen or live from the stadium, the sport has always needed something to draw people in. To keep fans watching. To keep discourse moving.
In various ways, Lewis-Skelly’s actions emulate just that. The rivalry, the passion, the intensity of the game, and the fight for the badge. At 18 years of age, scoring on one of the biggest Premier League stages against one of the best clubs in the world. Football should be proud it gets to witness a youngster that represents its core so well.
Myles Lewis-Skelly and English football’s racism issue
The discourse following the celebration has unearthed conversations on the portrayal of Black players within English multi-media.
The No Ratings Podcast sparked debate online surrounding the dual presentation of Black players in the media after uploading a snippet of their recent episode onto X.
One member said: “I think that [the media] are incentivised by how they know people will react towards it [racism].
“We know the trend. We know exactly what it is. And being a person of colour in this country, we know the stake.”
Another added: “I think we underestimate just how racist some of this country is. There are people who are just so openly racist and because they’ve socialised. They’ve been brought up in an environment where both parents are racist or in places where they don’t see people of colour. They just think it’s acceptable.
“And because of that, both A, you’ll get racist journalists, but B, you’ll get so many people who’ll lap it up that it creates a market for it.”
The conversations in football still to be had
This is not the first time conversations surrounding racial adversity in the sports media have come to light. In 2018, Raheem Sterling took to Instagram to accuse some sections of the English media of “fuelling racism.” He pointed out the difference in tone regarding an article on Tosin Adarabioyo and another story about Phil Foden.
More recently, a friendly between England and Iceland last June frustrated fans after 65th-minute substitute Bukayo Saka was the face of defeat across several multi-media platforms.
On X, former England striker Ian Wright said: “Those deciding who goes on the back pages know what they’re doing.”
Now more than ever let's get behind & support these young people. We can all see what's happening & who's being set up to be the face of defeat. We are going to be gas lit with explanations & justifications, but those deciding who goes on the back pages know what they’re doing.… https://t.co/zBZX4vPdIc
— Ian Wright (@IanWright0) June 8, 2024
The growth of social media has meant that we are judged not only on what we say but what is implied. Each word and every action is placed under a microscope, and it is down to us to convey our messaging correctly to a diverse, multi-faceted audience.
The discourse surrounding Myles Lewis-Skelly has once again given rise to the need to have a conversation. Whether it is to iron out misconceptions about our media or readdress some of the issues that still reside within. A conversation is to be had.
