Grim team bus conversation with Jamal Lowe left Swansea’s Steve Cooper shocked

A grim team bus conversation with Jamal Lowe left Swansea’s Steve Cooper shocked with the club taking a stance on social media.

The Welsh outfit have announced a week-long boycott on all platforms including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to combat abuse and discrimination.

Players, including first team, academy sides and women’s team, staff and the club’s official accounts will stop posting from 5:00pm on the 8th of April.

Swansea’s Jamal Lowe, Ben Cabango and Yan Dhanda have unfortunately been racially abused on social media in the past two months.

Cooper says he was left disheartened after hearing about Lowe’s response to the abuse that he received following the club’s defeat in the Midlands.

“Jamal’s fine. He’s a fantastic person, a very good professional. He’s a father himself. He was the third of the three who have received this racism,” said the head coach.

“The most important thing is raising awareness of what’s happened. For me, the saddest part is when I found out which was on the team bus when I sat with him, he said ‘this happens now doesn’t it’.

“For Jamal to think that it’s normal, for me, was the most disheartening bit after the actual act of discrimination. That’s what people don’t see.

“The most important thing is the welfare of the guys who receive the abuse, but then it’s the aftermath of how their families and team-mates react.

“With Yan [Dhanda], it was a good two or three days after where it really hit him, and then it’s his mum and dad and his siblings.

“They’re the bits people don’t see. Unfortunately with us we’ve had three incidents in the last seven weeks.

“We wanted to make a united front to support the boys first and foremost, but in general, we want to help the fight as much as we can.”

“The club want to make a stance,” said Cooper.

“It was a collective decision through the players, senior management staff, myself and the coaching staff.

“We’ve had three players in the last seven weeks racially abused on social media. As the stance is saying, we’ve had enough.

“We want to join in this big movement of trying to eradicate as much as we can, any form of discrimination. We just feel like we need to do a little bit more than just some articles on newspapers or Sky and BBC, to raise even more awareness and to educate children.

“It’s been a powerful decision. Hopefully it’s gained a lot of traction. Even if it helps a small bit in making things a little bit better then that’ll be a good thing.”

Swansea City has chosen to take a club-wide stance in the battle against abuse and discrimination of all forms on social media.

From 5pm today we will not post any content on our official social media channels for seven days.#EnoughIsEnough

👉 https://t.co/rmHXB0j2l7 pic.twitter.com/fKqKqHl8Ag

— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) April 8, 2021

The Swans currently sit 4th in the Championship table with seven matches left to play ahead of this weekend’s game against Millwall.

On Swansea’s current run, Cooper said: “As I’ve said before, success isn’t easy.

“It’s an up and down road to reach objectives. We’re on a bit of a downer at the moment. We talk about it openly with the group.

“But you have two choices. You either fight and work even harder and believe in what you do, or you accept it and you give in.

“It certainly won’t be the latter. We recognise we’ve got to do things a bit better. I’ve loved the attitude of the players this week. which is normal.

“There’s a real determination to put things right.”

As details of the grim team bus conversation with Jamal Lowe left Swansea’s Steve Cooper shocked…

@GlosCityFC: Good to see @GCAFCofficial have done the same in support of you.

@1matthewburgess: Commendable actions from the Swans, other clubs have some serious questions to ask themselves. Wouldn’t it be great if the EFL Welsh clubs all united to make a stand! @NewportCounty @CardiffCityFC

@agallacher26: While I’ll miss your posts, standing firm against abuse is a much more important fight than a game of football. Well down Swans!!

@ianroberts52: Great stand, will do the same myself

@mg_ashmore: Good on you Swansea. Sadly I can’t see it making any difference but I applaud you for trying.

@BigWoodenSpoon: Brilliant. It’s a start. Let’s hope others follow.

@mrbradleygrant: Finally. A club with balls ⚽️👏👏👏👏 It’s a shame this couldn’t be coordinated with other clubs doing the same thing. The ultimate end game should be a new social media platform where nameless unverified trolls can’t just message high profile individuals unaccountably

@jackmiller81: @AVFCOfficial – take a stand and join them

@evmitch: Da Iawn Swansea Well done. #enoughisenough

@MrNickRansom: @Boro let’s do the same!

@Smurkers_ear: Love this and sincerely hope @pnefc and others will follow suit.

@KelvinProtheroe: This has my support. Something has to change. Well done Swans for taking a stance.

@huwrichards3: Totally in support. No way of knowing how effective this will be – as ever on Twitter can only be impressed by the brilliance of people who are certain they do know – but a vitally important gesture to support players and protest the endemic negligence of social media companies

@BobbyHarrold: All clubs should follow suit. Do the right thing @LUFC

@JeffGape: I’ve just watched this afternoon’s press conference and I thought Steve Cooper was absolutely brilliant in explaining the club’s stance and giving background to how he/they have deal with these incidents. Top bloke.