Fans attending the Millwall football club’s match against Derby have made the news for booing as players from both teams took a knee while raising awareness for racial injustice.
It has become a common action for England’s top division clubs to take a knee at the beginning of matches in support of the fight against racial injustice since June, however this week a minority of Millwall’s fans made their displeasure of the movement known by booing from the stands in a display of anger.
Saturdays match against Derby saw fans return to Millwall stadium for the first time since the Coronavirus restrictions were implemented in March.
After the match came to an end, the Football Association went on to release a statement voicing their displeasure of the incident.
“The FA supports all players and staff that wish to take a stand against discrimination in a respectful manner, which includes taking of the knee, and strongly condemns the behaviours of any spectators that actively voice their opposition to such activities,”
In light of the incident, Millwall’s players came together to release a statement stating they would continue to take the knee before kickoff at games until the new year, with “a new and comprehensive anti-discrimination strategy” set to be used in the near future.
“As a squad, we are fully supportive of the entire football family’s efforts in ridding the sport, and society generally, of all forms of discrimination,” the statement from the club’s first-team squad said.
“It is our duty as players to reinforce the positive messaging and action of clubs, Community Trusts, charities and governing bodies, and we do so with great pride and knowledge that so much good work is being done up and down the country.”
“The gesture of ‘taking the knee’ before matches provides an opportunity for us to do exactly that and continues to allow all those playing to publicly showcase their support – on behalf of the whole squad – for the fight against discrimination.”
“We wish to make clear that taking the knee, for us, is in no way representative of any agreement with political messaging or ideology. It is purely about tackling discrimination, as has been the case throughout.”