Barnsley remove front of shirt sponsors after ‘offensive’ tweets leaves fans furious

Barnsley have decided to remove their front of shirt sponsors after ‘offensive’ tweets emerge and leaves fans furious upon discovery.

They had previously been investigating offensive social media posts allegedly made by representatives of their new sponsors HEX.

The Reds reached an agreement with the cryptocurrency and wore their logo on their match shirts in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Cheltenham Town.

Social media accounts of individuals initially credited by HEX’s Brent Morrissey with brokering the deal have previously made homophobic comments, which have been highlighted and criticised by many of the club’s supporters.

Club Statement | Front of shirt sponsor

— Barnsley FC (@BarnsleyFC) August 12, 2022

The Reds said in a statement: “Barnsley Football Club is aware of images currently circulating on social media and is investigating the background to these posts. Barnsley Football Club does not condone any form of abuse. Further comment will be made when appropriate.”

Rainbow Reds, the club’s LGBQT+ supporters group, said in a statement: “We are aware of the abhorrent accusations towards representatives of new sponsors, HEX. We do not wish to jump to conclusions, and this is not our investigation to carry out. However, we plead with the club, the board and CEO to act upon this immediately and begin a thorough investigation of this.

“Football is for everyone. With recent milestones such as Jake Daniels’ public coming-out and the Euro 2022 triumph for the Lionesses, this should be a time of celebration for all. We are appalled at these accusations and we hope to find clarity with fans, sponsors and the club as soon as possible. To reiterate, we are not concluding these accusations as true. We ask for an investigation into the matter, and we trust the club with the outcome.”

A supporters trust statement said: “In the days following Friday’s announcement of the club’s new sponsorship deal with crypto currency HEX, it became clear that a significant amount of supporters had reservations about the football club entering in to such a partnership.

These reservations only intensified yesterday as clarity around who brokered this sponsorship deal, and which individuals were genuinely involved, grew.

“BFCST spoke with the club on Sunday morning, and followed that up today seeking an update to the four areas we believe are of most concern to Barnsley FC supporters.

Who is our sponsorship deal actually with? Which parties from HEX, and which parties from Barnsley FC, agreed the partnership?

What due diligence was taken regarding the history of the company? Focusing on the numerous online claims that this is a Ponzi scheme, or a hoax, and the risk that supporters might invest their own funds in something that is tipped to fail?

The online HEX community are extremely active, to the detriment of the online experience for our own supporters. Whilst the club can’t do anything to stop people interacting online, is this a behaviour the club want to be associated with given its negative effect on the fan base?

Linked to question one, some individuals are claiming they brokered the deal to sponsor the football club rather than Richard Heart the founder of HEX. These individuals have questionable views and opinions that none of us would want associated with the football club. How can we distance ourselves from these people and views if we continue with HEX as our main shirt sponsor?”

🚨Please share🚨
Somethings are more important than football, below is a series of tweets sent by the men behind Hex Barnsley’s new main sponsor. I’ve never been so embarrassed to be a Barnsley fan. No place for this, anywhere! Toxic@SkySports @talkSPORT @BBCSport @laura_woodsy pic.twitter.com/WXj1igZS3A

— Bleed Red 🩸 BFC (@BleedRedBFC) August 7, 2022

The League One club released a further statement on Friday morning, which read: “Barnsley Football Club value our fans and our core beliefs above everything else.

“Following recent events and a subsequent investigation, the Club has assessed its relationship with its front of shirt sponsor and has taken steps to end that relationship with immediate effect. The HEX.com logo will not appear on the team’s kits going forward.

“Further comment will be issued in due course.”

Twitter users reacted as Barnsley remove the front of shirt sponsors after ‘offensive’ tweets leaves fans furious…

@tyler_bfc: HEXISGONE

@baileyhopo: HEXCELLENT

@IanHart1875: 👏👏👏 Well done, common sense has prevailed. But questions need asking why due diligence wasn’t done, a quick check of their social media posts would have been a red flag from the start

@RobBooth9: The right decision, well done 👏🏼

@christi29622991: Well done, it sounds a right mess

@SteveRose1968: Thank you, the right and only decision 👋👋

@Harry_gilbank: Match worn shirts from Cheltenham and Middlesbrough will be become of rarest and most desirable shirts in many years to come 🤣

@kylebarrettt: Thank god it looked shite and kit and people who ran it and that were total wankstains

@Cliffo1981: Good. But nothing that couldn’t have been avoided with the most basic of due diligence having been done.

@FraserBeecroft: Luton announce Hex for an undisclosed fee at 5pm today!! #BarnsleyFC

@Alex_Red_87: Good statement. No place for it. Fantastic how well the club the have done with this

@thacriminal1992: Reds fans. Let’s give one last Hexican Wave 👋

@Andy__Mac: A big well done to the club for sorting it out in the end, but also a ‘not very well done – at all’ for getting into the ludicrous situation in the first place. Has Conway really gone? Cos it’s up there with the worst of any of his ‘decisions’. Khaled?

MASSIVE new shirt sponsor for Barnsley. Way too big and utterly hideous. pic.twitter.com/jUhLkvIgTQ

— Kit Crimes ⚽️ (@KitCrimes) August 6, 2022