The Duke of Cambridge stood alongside “the entire football community” as social media accounts across sport shut down in a united front against online abuse.
Since it was first announced, the boycott, which runs from from 3pm on Friday until 11.59pm on Monday, has grown as other sport governing bodies, sponsors, partners, broadcasters and media outlets have come on board.
A coalition of football’s largest governing bodies and organisations, including the Football Association, Premier League and EFL, were among those to go silent on social media in a show of solidarity against sustained, sickening and spiralling abuse.
European governing body UEFA is also taking part, as well as Scottish and Irish football, England Rugby, Scottish Rugby, British Cycling, the Rugby Football League, British Horseracing, the England and Wales Cricket Board, the Lawn Tennis Association, International Tennis Federation and others.
In January, Prince William, who is president of the FA, hit out at racist abuse in football, describing it as “despicable” and saying it “must stop” after several black players were targeted online.
Shortly ahead of 3pm, in a tweet, signed W for William, the future king pledged his support.
The post, from the Kensington Royal account, read: “As President of the FA I join the entire football community in the social media boycott this weekend. W.”
Seven-time world champion Hamilton has 22 million followers on Instagram and more than six million on Twitter.
In a post ahead of the boycott, Hamilton said: “To stand in solidarity with the football community, I will be going dark on my social media channels this weekend.
“There is no place in our society for any kind of abuse, online or not, and for too long it’s been easy for a small few to post hate from behind their screens.
“While a boycott might not solve this issue overnight, we have to call for change when needed, even when it seems like an almost impossible task. Sport has the power to unite us.
“Let’s not accept abuse as part of sport, but instead, let’s be the ones who make a difference for future generations.”
