Trevor Sinclair has said he has ‘found the strength to go again’ after his controversial tweet about the Queen sparked widespread and vociferous backlash.
Queen Elizabeth II passed away on Thursday, aged 96. She died peacefully at her Balmoral estate after a 70-year reign. Many in football have paid tribute to the beloved monarch, with fixtures in the UK on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday postponed as a mark of respect.
But Sinclair, who represented England at the World Cup in 2002, penned a tweet in protest of the monarchy. The 49-year-old wrote: "Racism was outlawed in England in the 60's & its been allowed to thrive so why should black & brown mourn!! #queen."
Sinclair was condemned by many - including his talkSPORT colleagues - over the post, with his employers subsequently confirming an investigation was ongoing, with the pundit taken off air in response.
"We have been trying to make contact with Trevor Sinclair following opinions expressed on his Twitter account. talkSPORT does not support those views expressed and is investigating the matter," confirmed the radio station.
talkSPORT later added: "Trevor Sinclair will not be on air while we carry out a thorough investigation into the circumstances and timing of his tweet. While we respect the right of Trevor Sinclair to express his opinion on his personal Twitter account, talkSPORT does not endorse the tweet."
The former Manchester City winger, after initially closing his account on the social media site, returned to firstly delete the post and then offer an apology for his words. "My tweet yesterday was ill timed at a time when the royal family, and many around the world were grieving for the Queen," he tweeted. "I apologise for any offence caused to those mourning The Queen."
But with the furore continuing, Sinclair offered a fresh update on Saturday with a message which reads: “It’s not how many times you get knocked down, it’s finding the strength to get back up and go again #MentalHealthAwareness.”
His initial apology did little to stop the backlash, with many from the sporting world responding over the weekend. Accrington Stanley owner Andy Holt said: “If it was the other way round you’d never settle for anything other than total destruction of the person involved. Especially in football. You’re part of the problem. But I’ve no ill feeling towards you. Your view are your views. I don’t share them.”
British Olympic medalist Kelly Sotherton has described the ex-midfielder's apology as "forced". She tweeted: "A forced fake apology doesn’t cut it... apologising for the backlash or genuinely insulting a mourning family?"
Former Premier League footballer Kevin Kilbane took a slightly different stance, however, suggesting those calling for him to leave talkSPORT were going too far. “People may question the tweet or the timing of it but it’s not just 'black or brown people' who share Trevor’s opinion on the monarchy. Those calling for him to be sacked are ridiculous,” he said.
Sinclair has worked in the media since he retired from the professional game in 2008. In total, he made over 650 appearances for the likes of Queens Park Rangers, West Ham and Manchester City. He also made 12 appearances for the England national team and earned a place in Sven-Goran Eriksson’s squad for the World Cup in Japan and South Korea.
* This weekend, the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror celebrate the life of Her Majesty the Queen with a commemorative special filled with all the key moments from Britain’s longest reigning monarch. Be sure to pick up your copy of the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror to get both pullouts.
