SAN FRANCISCO, December 06, (THEWILL) – In Saturday’s Championship game between Millwall and Derby County, some Millwall supporters were heard booing the players of both teams taking the knee just before kickoff as has been the case for some months.
It was the first game to welcome fans of the club back to The Den since the outbreak of coronavirus, with 2,000 permitted in for the match versus the Rams due to the area being in Tier 2.
Players and staff of sporting teams from all around the country have been taking the knee for months as a show of solidarity and support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
However, there was such an obvious vocal expression of disapproval by a significant number of Millwall fans as the act of taking the knee happened before them for the first time on Saturday.
Millwall’s first-team squad released a statement prior to the game of their intent to continue taking the knee that said: “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.
“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.
“We will continue to do this until the start of the New Year when a new and comprehensive anti-discrimination strategy will be announced by the club.”
After the match the English Football League (EFL), Football Association (FA) and anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out all released statements outrightly condemning the incident.
“We are disappointed that a small group of supporters have today chosen to voice their opposition to such activities directly aimed at raising awareness of the fight against racism,” the EFL statement said.
“Discrimination in any form is not welcome and we remain committed to working with our clubs, including Millwall who undertake a significant amount of work on equality and inclusion initiatives, as we continue with our collective objective to eradicate all types of prejudiced behaviour, ensuring the EFL is an inclusive and diverse environment for all.”
A statement from the FA read: “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.”
Kick It Out said it was “saddened” by the scenes at The Den. The charity’s statement said:
“What this demonstrates is that players are right to continue standing up to discrimination, whether that is through taking the knee or speaking out.
“The fight for racial equality continues and we will continue to work closely with clubs across the country to tackle discrimination in all its forms.
“We applaud the players for taking a stand and defying the hate shown today.”
Across the world, those who engage in professional sporting activities, especially footballers, began taking a knee last season to show their support for the ongoing anti-racism movement, which surged in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd in May who died after police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds.
In England, players decided to continue the gesture as the 2020-21 season began in September, with the Premier League and English Football League (EFL) reiterating their support for players who chose to do so.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
