Sky Sports have sacked former darts world champion Eric Bristow after he posted a series of tweets suggesting footballers sexually abused by coaches were not "proper men".
"He was a contributor to our darts coverage in the past but we will not be using him in the future," said the broadcaster.
Bristow sparked outrage on Monday night with his tweets about the historical sex abuse scandal. Among the messages, which have since been deleted, was one reading: "If some football coach was touching me when i was a kid as i got older i would have went back and sorted that poof out."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
He later posted a clarification: "Sorry meant paedo not poof."
However, Bristow continued what The Independent calls an "ill-advised Twitter rant", declaring: "Dart players tough guys footballers wimps". He followed that with: "Bet the rugby boys are ok ha ha."
The 59-year-old Londoner then poured more fuel on the fire by insisting darts players were "proper men" and appeared to suggest that unless the victims of child abuse exacted retribution on their abuser, they could not "look in the mirror".
Only one message remained online on Tuesday morning.
Steve Walters, one of the footballers who has spoken out about the abuse he suffered at the hands of coach Barry Bennell, said he was "disgusted" by Bristow's remarks.
Former England rugby player Brian Moore also responded to Bristow's comments, stating: "Ignorance is no excuse for this idiocy."
However, the commentator added he was sad Bristow had lost his Sky job. "I don't support people being sacked for views I don't like, even if abhorrent," he wrote.
Others have been less generous to the former darts champion. "Where to even begin. Crude homophobia mixed with shaming survivors of child abuse as 'wimps'," writes Owen Jones in The Guardian. "What Bristow's tweets underline is a toxic form of unreconstructed masculinity, and the damage that it inflicts."
-
The IDF's manpower problemThe Explainer Israeli military's shortage of up to 12,000 troops results in call-up for tens of thousands of reservists
-
Quiz of The Week: 16 – 22 AugustQuiz Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
Can Soho House get its edge back?Talking Point The private members' club has lost its exclusive appeal – but a £2 billion buy-out could offer a fresh start
-
Mason Greenwood: footballer arrested on suspicion of rape and assaultSpeed Read Man Utd confirm the striker will not train or play until further notice
-
Handball: swapping bikini bottoms for tight pantsSpeed Read Women competitors will be required to ‘wear short tight pants with a close fit’
-
Cristiano Ronaldo’s second comingSpeed Read Last week, Manchester United re-signed the forward on a two-year deal thought to be worth more than £400,000 a week
-
Bank holidays and boycotts: are MPs trying to jinx England?Speed Read Declaring a bank holiday would be ‘tempting fate’, says Boris Johnson
-
Weightlifting: Olympic Games set for transgender firstSpeed Read New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard will make history at Tokyo 2020
-
Sport shorts: Champions League expansion plan to be agreedSpeed Read News and reactions from the world of sport, featuring Joachim Low and the Lions women’s team
-
Sport shorts: Sturgeon slams Rangers fans over title celebrationsSpeed Read News and reactions from the world of sport, featuring Keely Hodgkinson and Bryson DeChambeau
-
Sport shorts: Klopp’s unwanted record as Liverpool lose again at AnfieldSpeed Read News and reactions from the world of sport, featuring Tiger Woods and Tom Brady
