Gary Neville comments about Conor Bradley incident trigger 576 complaints to Ofcom

Gary Neville's Comments on Conor Bradley Incident Spark 576 Ofcom Complaints

During Sky Sports' coverage of Arsenal's 0-0 draw against Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium last Thursday, pundit Gary Neville fiercely criticized Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli's actions toward injured Liverpool right-back Conor Bradley, prompting 576 complaints to broadcasting regulator Ofcom—the highest for any program from January 6 to 12[1][2][3].

The controversy erupted late in the match when Bradley suffered a serious knee injury near the touchline, collapsing in agony and requiring a stretcher. As medical staff attended to him, Martinelli dropped the ball on Bradley and pushed him to expedite play resumption, actions deemed unsportsmanlike by many[1][2].

Neville, a former Manchester United full-back, reacted vehemently on air: "You can't push him off the pitch. You cannot do that. That is so poor. An apology is needed. Bradley is being stretchered off. I'm fuming with Martinelli to be honest... I don't know how the Liverpool players didn't go over and absolutely whack him to be honest with you and take a red card. Absolutely disgraceful, that."[1][2][3]

Bradley underwent surgery and will miss the rest of the domestic season[1][2]. Martinelli apologized post-match, but Neville's suggestion of retaliation—using the phrase "absolutely whack him"—drew ire, particularly from Arsenal fans who filed the bulk of complaints, viewing it as inciting violence[3]. Sky colleague Roy Keane echoed the sentiment, calling Martinelli's behavior an "absolute disgrace."[3]

Ofcom's weekly report highlights the complaints' scale, dwarfing others (none exceeded 50). Arsenal supporters have since chanted "Gary Neville, you're a w**ker" at games, protesting punditry that they feel misrepresents the backlash—not over calling Martinelli an "idiot," but endorsing physical assault on live TV[3]. The incident underscores growing scrutiny on commentator language amid player welfare concerns in football[3].

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