In an era when professional athletes are expected to be present on social media, but also under pressure not to say or do anything of significance in case it offends politicians, some sporting heroes of yesterday aren’t afraid to speak their minds.
The Match of the Day presenter and former England striker Gary Lineker has come under criticism for commenting on politics on Twitter, but it is another former Everton player who has caught the eye on social media in the last few days: Neville Southall.
The goalkeeper during Everton’s 1984–85 title-winning season, and Wales’s most-capped player, Southall has issued a series of increasingly bizarre tweets about skeletons – many with an anti-austerity or anti-Tory theme.
At first glance, the skeleton tweets just seemed a bit surreal.
I love the thought of recycled skeletons
— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) October 3, 2017
Imagine walking down your street and all you dead relatives were lampposts
Brilliant
Wouldn’t it be great if all names of towns were put up in skeletons on entrance to town
— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) October 6, 2017
Art for arts sake
Imagine skeletons handle bars on your motorbike
— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) October 5, 2017
Made from arms
Hear changes and braking so eAsy and fun
But actually Southall first started talking about skeletons in the context of Tory austerity policies
Tories new policy
— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) October 3, 2017
Save money on burial s
Make your nans skeleton into a coffee table and your uncle into a lamp
Saving the country money
2 skeletons overlooking an old coalfield
— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) October 6, 2017
One says to other
Is this where the Tories started killing communities and its people
2 skeletons sat in prison one says to other what's a prison officer
— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) October 6, 2017
Tory Britain
Built for the rich
2 skeletons walking past a homeless man
— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) October 8, 2017
One says to other who gives a fuck
Tory cuts
Killing people
Southall, who also frequently retweets pictures of dogs in among the politics, has also attacked the government for a lack of funding for the army and navy.
2 skeletons in a rowing boat
— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) October 6, 2017
British Navy
Tory cuts killing people
His repertoire has expanded to including a supporting cast of crows and jackdaws alongside the skeletons.
A crow & jackdaw looking over hundreds of dead soldiers
— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) October 8, 2017
One says to other
If only the Tories paid for the guns they would have won
A crow and a jackdaw sitting on roof of Goodison
— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) October 7, 2017
One says to other wasting our time here Tories have already shit on these people
During the 2017 general election campaign Southall was vocal in backing Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party, writing for the Daily Mirror to explain: “I might have been a blue nose all my life. But on June 8 I’ll be a die-hard red.”
In particular, Southall praised Labour plans to force the Premier League to redistribute 5% of their television income into grassroots football.
Not all of his fans are enjoying the recent foray into skeleton-related political punditry.
Nev I love you to bits, a true EFC legend - but give it a fucking rest will you FFS it's getting boring now.
— Lee Forrest (@leeforrest8) October 8, 2017
Southall himself, however, seems unworried by the criticism.
I enjoy it mate just block me no problem
— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) October 8, 2017
People moaning about my skeleton s put them in some grounds atmosphere would be better
— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) October 5, 2017
I
But there’s always a limit – even for Neville Southall.
Imagine 2 skeleton s wearing number 10 shirts
— Neville Southall (@NevilleSouthall) October 5, 2017
Too far even for me
