It's an odd one. Even if you feel it no longer carries the same impact, I feel choosing not to take a knee could possibly create further division. And I'd argue you could continue to take the knee whilst recognising that the gesture alone isn't enough. It's hardly an inconvenience.
Its definitely a fine line, if however we start to criticise players for not doing it to the point they feel they have to just to avoid bad press then it does become meaningless. Also what we don't want to do is just see players taking a knee and thinking "well that's racism dealt with" which I think was the basis of Les Ferdinands point. So while I have no issue with player taking the knee I also have no issue with them not doing so. I think most of us could do more, I've sat at football and heard racist comments and let them go unchallenged, and that's poor. I've also heard them and challenged them and I will continue to do so going forward. I'm sure the Brentford players want to tackle racism too, they will do what they feel is best and that's fine.
all these things in the world are racist and we just let it happen, 820 million people with not enough to eat, poor countries not affording vaccines, think the players should carry on doing it , but expand the reasons for it , no one can be against wanting people to eat or get well
You raise some good points. However, I still feel society doesn't gain anything from footballers stopping taking the knee and potentially more friction is caused if they decide to not do so. I also find it hard to understand how any footballer would feel uncomfortable taking a knee. I also find it odd it being classed as a team decision as opposed to allowing the individual to choose.
“We believe we can use our time and energies to promote racial equality in other ways.‘ It’s for a few seconds before kick off , what are they going to do instead
Certainly agree it should be down to the individual. But we have to respect Brentfords players choice.
Football definitely has a problem with racism but I’ve got conflicting feelings. I agree the gesture feels like Windows dressing, and a copy from America. Racism is not the same everywhere and the deep rooted Jim Crow, lynching version in America is for Americans to sort out. We should our own issues out in our own way- but it does need addressing. For example, do we have the only black manager in the division? That statistically can’t be right. It just annoys me that we seem so keen to copy their fckin mess over here.
I hope we continue it personally. Seeing our racist fans on Facebook wãnking over Brentford’s decision because “fook antifa, the real victims of racism now are white men” is making my skin crawl.
I agree with Brentford. I must be a racist ****** because you say so, and ill probably get jumped on by the rest of the group on this board who have a competition to see who can be the most offended at anything they decide is the slightest bit racist.
You can agree with Brentford's stance and not be racist. I was just talking about the folk on Facebook who literally are openly racist and don't give a monkeys about it.