Sky Sports team ditch Black Lives Matter badges for Sheff Utd vs Tottenham after movement’s controversial statements

SKY SPORTS pundits ditched the Black Lives Matter badges for coverage of Sheffield United’s clash with Tottenham.

Analysts Jamie Redknapp and Graeme Souness appeared alongside presenter Dave Jones ahead of kick off.

But the logos were not on display as they have been for much of the Premier League coverage since the season restarted in June.

Some pundits have stopped wearing them following controversial comments made by the movement, criticising Israel and calling on the government to “defund the police”.

It remains an individual decision, Sky Sports has told The Sun Online.

On Tuesday, Redknapp, Patrice Evra and Kelly Cates opted against the badges in the Sky studios but on Wednesday, both Ashley Cole and James Collins wore BLM and NHS badges.

Over on BT Sport on Wednesday, meanwhile, Rio Ferdinand and Martin Keown continued with both logos pinned to their shirts.

Redknapp and Souness were not wearing either badge in the studio on Thursday night, while it was unclear if Jones had them on.

Jamie Carragher, Roy Keane and Micah Richards, covering the later game between Manchester City and Liverpool, were stood outside with coats on.

Nothing was visible and it was unclear if they had the badges on underneath.

Sky Sports News presenter Jim White, however, was wearing the two badges during his tea-time slot.

Sky Sports said pundits and hosts were able to make their own decisions about wearing Black Lives Matter badges.

A spokesperson for Sky Sports told The Sun Online: “Sky’s support is for the moral cause and campaign, that black lives matter, rather than for any political organisation.

“Our presenters and analysts on-screen are free to make their own choice as to whether they wear supportive badges or not.”

On Sunday, Black Lives Matter UK wrote a series of Tweets over Israel’s proposed annexation of the West Bank and claimed “mainstream British politics is gagged of the right to critique Zionism”.

The next day Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer called it a “shame” that the movement was getting “tangled up with these organisational issues” and said calls to defund the police were “nonsense”.

Black Lives Matter UK hit back by tweeting that “as a public prosecutor, Sir Keir Starmer was a cop in an expensive suit”.

BLM’s adoption of the slogan “defund the police” in particular has caused controversy over the aim to “dismantle capitalism”.

Crystal Palace became the first Premier League club to distance themselves from the Black Lives Matter UK movement.

Premier League chiefs had agreed they will not ditch the badge on club shirts – because it was designed by Troy Deeney and his partner.

And while Palace insisted they DO back the “ethos” of the cause, they today issued a statement drawing a definitive line between football’s adoption of the anti-discrimination message and the wider demands of the movement.