Newly promoted Burnley striker Andre Gray has apologised for homophobic tweets he posted back in January 2012 when he was playing for the non-league team, Hinckley United.
The tweets began to surface soon after Gray scored in Burnley’s 2-0 victory against Liverpool on Saturday. The Football Association is set to open an investigation into the matter as such levels of hatred are not encouraged in football.
The 25-year-old has issued a public apology since the tweets were rediscovered and regrets his past actions. Not only were some tweets homophobic but others depict Gray as sexist and racist too.
The posts have since been deleted and has asked for "forgiveness".
In his offensive tweets, Gray seems to be encouraging killing homosexuals. One tweet said: "Is it me or are there gays everywhere? #Burn #Die #Makesmesick”.
In another tweet, he seems to be blaming mothers for their children being gay. Gray posted: “Ladies stop dressin ur sons as women in heels and make up. Do you want him to end up like #PeteBurns #F****.”
Homophobia wasn't the only thing on display, some of his other tweets are equally offensive to women.
One tweet read: "Black girls feet are always dry n crusty man kmt.. Never heard of moisturiser #cocobutter". As if one such tweet wasn't enough, he uploaded some more early in 2012 saying: "Black girls with red lipstick is like burnt toast with jam on it" and "Jess ennis english athlete a sexy lil bitch".
His offensive rants didn't spare Whitney Houston either. After her death, he tweeted: "R.I.P. Whitney houston your a ledgend but wernt suprised of her death dont no why any1 is.. she was a ravin crackhead #justsayin".
Andre Gray’s behavior has been universally condemned by his current club, Burnley, the football community, social media users at large and LGBT communities.
Referee Nigel Owens from Rugby Union, who is openly gay, condemned Gray and Kick It Out issued a statement saying: “Prejudice such as this has no place in football. This incident should act as a reminder to all players of their conduct on social media.”
The 25-year-old striker was quick to release a lengthy apology which read, “The tweets were posted four years ago when I was a completely different person to the man I am now. I was at a very different point in my life back then - one that I've worked hard to move on from.”
He extended his regrets to anyone he might have offended with this tweets and said, “I do not hold the beliefs written in those tweets whatsoever. I can assure everybody that I am absolutely not homophobic.
Thankfully I am not the guy I was back then and will continue to work hard both on and off the pitch to become a better person."
