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Time to stop taking the knee?

Daley Thomson

Kris Akubusi

Linford Christie

Sol Campbell

Viv Anderson

Ian Wright.

I just thought Idlook up the names you used as examples. 100% of whom have suffered racism.

All the more reason then to use these people, with their consent of course, to help unify the nation, Focus on the positives of their patriotism and achievements for this country, not the negatives of any racial abuse they may have received.
Positivity is far more unifying - negativity, by its very nature, is divisive.
 
All the more reason then to use these people, with their consent of course, to help unify the nation, Focus on the positives of their patriotism and achievements for this country, not the negatives of any racial abuse they may have received.
Positivity is far more unifying - negativity, by its very nature, is divisive.
and there, Mr CTH lies the problem.

"Ignore the racism."
 
This is clearly going to be a topic of debate and a problem for the FA ahead of the Euros. Could be loud booing in the England games at Wembley. There were also loud boos before kick off at the Champions League final.

 
This is clearly going to be a topic of debate and a problem for the FA ahead of the Euros. Could be loud booing in the England games at Wembley. There were also loud boos before kick off at the Champions League final.


Was at least reassuring to hear the applause drown out the initial boos.
 
This is clearly going to be a topic of debate and a problem for the FA ahead of the Euros. Could be loud booing in the England games at Wembley. There were also loud boos before kick off at the Champions League final.


Taking the knee has been a divisive issue since inception. With empty stadiums Sky and BT etc. were allowed to crack on indulging themselves in their echo chamber.

No matter how many times Sky or Southgate explain the intended message, some people will always associate the kneeling act with the Marxist element of BLM.

It’s been clear for a while a new campaign has been needed, one that is completely free of any political motive and everyone can get behind without excuse.
 
Taking the knee has been a divisive issue since inception. With empty stadiums Sky and BT etc. were allowed to crack on indulging themselves in their echo chamber.

No matter how many times Sky or Southgate explain the intended message, some people will always associate the kneeling act with the Marxist element of BLM.

It’s been clear for a while a new campaign has been needed, one that is completely free of any political motive and everyone can get behind without excuse.
They had one, that everyone supported.

But that has been lost in the bullshit, virtue-signaling, taking the knee debacle.
 
Think I said on the black life in America thread after the Millwall booing in December that as modern society and social media bubble, we’ve become way too accustomed to thinking that hashtags, gestures, virtue signalling, etc. makes a difference and actually resonates with all of the general public. A lot of people just don’t like it, whatever cause or social issue the gesturing is about.

In the case of football, it’s not necessarily that fans don’t agree with the cause or aim of the movement imo, it’s just that, ultimately, a lot of fans just want to turn up and watch the game of football, and they find these types of gestures and stuff irritating eventually when they go on for too long.

For example, we’ve debated on here in the past on the PNE section about how there seemed to be a minutes’ applause for someone every week at some point at Deepdale. Some people, including myself, said quite respectfully that after a while it begins to lose its meaning, and at the end of the day it’s just a game of football. I think similar attitudes have now emerged with taking the knee. Although I personally wouldn’t boo it, it’s clearly losing its meaning now and I think the footballers are slightly out of touch if they think they can go on doing it forever now supporters are back in the grounds.

If the elite footballing community wants to make a real difference in fighting racial equality, the FA should be investing more heavily in educating young footballers and in genuine grassroots campaigns that make a difference, rather than just coming up with slogans, or letting players do a gesture before a game that causes so much debate that the intended message simply doesn’t cut through.
 
If the elite footballing community wants to make a real difference in fighting racial equality, the FA should be investing more heavily in educating young footballers and in genuine grassroots campaigns that make a difference, rather than just coming up with slogans, or letting players do a gesture before a game that causes so much debate that the intended message simply doesn’t cut through.
*inequality, of course !
 
I thought two minutes of silence for Prince Phillip was more OTT than a few seconds of players kneeling but I would never have booed it! The kneeling gesture lost its impact a while ago as others have said. However, for a while there it certainly got everyone talking about and reflecting on institutional racism and what it means while also emboldening footballers to share more publicly the disgusting racist abuse they receive (which will hopefully go some towards improving accountability on social media platforms in the future?). I thought they would have stopped the kneeling ritual before the Euros to be honest - perhaps the booing will entrench their stance on it though, so to speak.
 
All the more reason then to use these people, with their consent of course, to help unify the nation, Focus on the positives of their patriotism and achievements for this country, not the negatives of any racial abuse they may have received.
Positivity is far more unifying - negativity, by its very nature, is divisive.
Only just noticed the Daley Thompson bit. Didn't he once wear a 'carl Lewis is gay' T-shirt at the Olympics?
 
Think I said on the black life in America thread after the Millwall booing in December that as modern society and social media bubble, we’ve become way too accustomed to thinking that hashtags, gestures, virtue signalling, etc. makes a difference and actually resonates with all of the general public. A lot of people just don’t like it, whatever cause or social issue the gesturing is about.

In the case of football, it’s not necessarily that fans don’t agree with the cause or aim of the movement imo, it’s just that, ultimately, a lot of fans just want to turn up and watch the game of football, and they find these types of gestures and stuff irritating eventually when they go on for too long.

For example, we’ve debated on here in the past on the PNE section about how there seemed to be a minutes’ applause for someone every week at some point at Deepdale. Some people, including myself, said quite respectfully that after a while it begins to lose its meaning, and at the end of the day it’s just a game of football. I think similar attitudes have now emerged with taking the knee. Although I personally wouldn’t boo it, it’s clearly losing its meaning now and I think the footballers are slightly out of touch if they think they can go on doing it forever now supporters are back in the grounds.

If the elite footballing community wants to make a real difference in fighting racial equality, the FA should be investing more heavily in educating young footballers and in genuine grassroots campaigns that make a difference, rather than just coming up with slogans, or letting players do a gesture before a game that causes so much debate that the intended message simply doesn’t cut through.
I think you've hit the nail on the head with the bit in bold, people go to football matches for leisure in their valuable spare time, not to be lectured at.
 
I thought two minutes of silence for Prince Phillip was more OTT than a few seconds of players kneeling but I would never have booed it! The kneeling gesture lost its impact a while ago as others have said. However, for a while there it certainly got everyone talking about and reflecting on institutional racism and what it means while also emboldening footballers to share more publicly the disgusting racist abuse they receive (which will hopefully go some towards improving accountability on social media platforms in the future?). I thought they would have stopped the kneeling ritual before the Euros to be honest - perhaps the booing will entrench their stance on it though, so to speak.
Absolutely, it was a great gesture and did it's job, but it's just becoming a ritual now.
 
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