England fan who posed with flag mocking Diego Maradona’s loss of life

An England fan who posed with a flag mocking the death of Diego Maradona in Naples yesterday was supplied a life span ban by Burnley FC a few yrs ago for flying a ‘white life matter’ banner higher than the Etihad stadium. 

Jake Hepple had his match ticket for very last night’s video game torn up by the FA following he was pictured keeping the St George’s Cross with the words ‘Diego’s in a box’ in the four white quadrants though on a prepare. 

The senseless stunt provoked disgust among the Neapolitans, who commonly revere the Argentinian footballer for his exploits although enjoying for area staff Napoli. He died of a heart assault in 2020.

Mr Hepple, who is in his mid-20s, is a supporter of EDL founder Tommy Robinson and frequently shares offensive and provocative substance on his Facebook web site, including a photo of himself supplying the thumbs up following to a mugshot of killer Raoul Moat. 

In a previous job interview with MailOnline, he experimented with to excuse his use of the racist phrase ‘p***’ on social media by indicating he occasionally receives ‘a bit drunk and coked up and utilizes offensive language’. 

The guy was seen pictured with a St George’s flag that had the words ‘Diego’s in a box’ in just about every quadrant

A airplane carrying a banner reading through ‘White Lives Issue Burnley’ was flown about the Etihad stadium forward of the team’s match with Manchester

Mr Hepple is pictured on the left with English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson

Mr Hepple arranged for the ‘White Life Make any difference Burnley’ banner to be flown about the Etihad through Burnley’s sport against Manchester City’s stadium on June 22, 2020 just soon after players experienced taken the knee. 

He was later on dismissed from his part as a welder at Lancashire-dependent Paradigm Precision, with the firm expressing it ‘did not condone or tolerate racism in any form’.

Afterwards he explained to MailOnline: ‘I’m not racist. I know persons are hoping to make out to be a single but I’m not. I have obtained tons of Black and Asian good friends and this banner was actually encouraged by the Black Lives Motion.

‘We were not hoping to offend the movement or black people today. I believe that it’s also important to acknowledge that white life make any difference also. Which is all we were seeking to say.’

Mr Hepple had already been warned he was struggling with the sack, and reported in response: ‘My employer, the club and so several other people have totally overreacted to what is actually happened.’

His girlfriend at the time, Megan Rambadt, also faced criticism for racist social media posts and was sacked from her career as a beautician. 

Final night’s match amongst the Three Lions and the Azzurri experienced now been flagged for likely crowd difficulties and was becoming held in the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium which is named soon after the footballing icon.

The preceding week there have been working battles immediately after Eintracht Frankfurt’s check out in the Champions League and which also observed law enforcement autos set on fireplace.

England would go on to gain 2-1, with aims from Declan Rice and Harry Kane putting the the match over and above Italy as Gareth Southgate’s group fought off a second 50 percent comeback.

A team of England followers – which includes Hepple – posing with the flag in Naples yesterday 

Mr Hepple’s girlfriend, Megan Rambadt, also missing her occupation thanks to racist feedback she experienced created on social media

Ms Rambadt’s tweet about Burnley being like a ‘foreign country’ that ‘needs sorting’ 

While identical scenes ended up not observed yesterday, the sight of an England admirer mocking one of Naples’ most beloved figures would not have long gone down very well with locals.

Maradona, who died three a long time ago, gained 5 trophies – which includes two Serie A titles – with Napoli in between 1984 and 1990, at which place his profession was curtailed by a drug ban.

The Argentinian footballer, who won two Globe Cups with his place and scored the infamous ‘Hand of God’ aim versus England, is adored by admirers of the Italian crew, which has a statue in his honour at the ground.

Mr Hepple’s stunt sparked a robust reaction from the FA, with a spokesperson saying: ‘We strongly condemn the actions of the specific who travelled to Naples with a flag that experienced a extremely offensive message on it.

‘We promptly took techniques to have their tickets cancelled ahead of the match. The matter will be reviewed even further when we return to England.’

People today on social media were yesterday still left involved for his safety, with quite a few stating he could be expecting a violent response from Italian fans in Naples if witnessed carrying the flag. 

Mr Hepple outed himself as the organiser of the 2020 white lives make any difference banner in a put up on Fb.    

 A picture from Mr Hepple’s social media reveals him at the again with close friends at the pub keeping up England flags

In a former job interview with MailOnline, Mr Hepple tried out to justification his use of the racist phrase ‘p***’ on social media by declaring he in some cases gets ‘a bit drunk and coked up and works by using offensive language’ 

A private plane crossed the sky earlier mentioned the stadium just moments after the two Burnley and Manchester gamers took a knee to show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement

The Suicide Squad, a group of much-correct Burnley fans, are thought to have crowdfunded for the flight. 

Mr Hepple reported 60 people today contributed in direction of the banner and the employ of the airplane, which charge £600 in overall.

He reported organisers experienced offers of dollars from ‘hundreds’ of people who were prepared to assist the ‘white life issue trigger.’

The aircraft flew over the stadium just immediately after Manchester Town and Burnley FC gamers had taken the knee in help of the Black Lives Matter movement. 

Mr Hepple, who lives at dwelling with his mother Jill and stepfather Dave, reported he only grew to become involved after a terror attack in Examining shortly prior to the match.  

In 2010, Mr Hepple posted this flag displaying support for the much-appropriate English Defence League 

Mr Hepple, a Burnley neighborhood, refused to apologise for the white lives make a difference banner 

Mr Hepple shared images and a online video to Fb of the airplane carrying the concept ‘White Life Make any difference Burnley’

He continued: ‘The thought for it came from a football pal of mine. He needed to make the issue that not just Black Life Issue but so do white ones and all other ones.

‘I supported the plan and feel that it needed to be reported. I even now do. Then the assault occurred in Reading through and I imagined I have to get a lot more concerned with the banner.

‘I was offended that white individuals had been killed and nobody was building a fuss about that.’

Mr Hepple’s stunt led to outrage and has been broadly condemned, with Burnley captain Ben Mee expressing he was ‘shamed and embarrassed’.

Other Burnley enthusiasts commenced a Go Fund Me page raising cash for the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Belief, established up in memory of the black teen just after he was killed in a racist assault in 1993.