Newbury Racecourse join social media blackout to stand up against online abuse and racism

Newbury Racecourse have announced their plans to join the social media boycott over the bank holiday weekend.

The sporting world will hold a four-day blackout on their channels starting on Friday afternoon, with many players, clubs and broadcasters joining forces to say that online abuse is not acceptable.

The campaign will begin at 3pm on Friday (today) and last for three days until midnight on Monday, May 3, to highlight the issue of social media abuse and racism.

A tweet from the racecourse said: “From 9pm on Friday 30 April until 11.59pm on Monday 3 May, we will join the British Horseracing boycott of social media to unite against online hate.

“We support our colleagues across British sport & media in standing up to online abuse.”

The reason that horseracing will not start the boycott until 9pm is due to a planned commemoration of the life of Lorna Brooke, an amateur jockey who lost her life due to injuries sustained during a race earlier this month.

Andrew Balding's Park House stables have said: “We will be standing alongside the sporting community by taking part in a social media boycott this weekend, sending a message of solidarity to social media platforms that more needs to be done to protect participants in sport from online abuse.”

Meanwhile, Hungerford Town and Thatcham Town both have confirmed that they too will be staying off social media over the course of the weekend.

They tweeted: “This weekend football is coming together with other sports and organisations, to boycott social media and demand change.”

Thatcham added: “Thatcham Town FC will stand with the rest of English football in a social media blackout from 3pm on Friday 30 April to 23.59 on Mondaay 3 May, in response to the ongoing and sustained discriminatory abuse received.”