Fans are back in stadiums
Millwall fans were heard booing their own players for taking the knee before their game against Derby County kicked off.
The gesture, first coined by NFL quarter-back Colin Kaepernick as a protest against institutional racism in the United States, has been adopted on these shores as an anti-racism gesture.
The gesture was endorsed by English football following the Black Lives Matter protests in the summer, and has become a custom of the pre-match routine as football sends a ‘no room for racism’ message.
But with the return of small numbers of fans to some stadiums in areas in tier 1 or tier 2, some have voiced their opposition to the gesture.
In the clip below, one can hear audible boos from the few fans in the stadium as players took the knee before kick off.
Section of crowd at Millwall vs Derby game start booing as players take a knee in support of Black Lives Matter movement
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) December 5, 2020
Journalists at the game were dismayed to hear the boos.
https://twitter.com/neilfissler/status/1335237950855065601
Ryan Conway, a black journalist who covers Derby County for the Athletic, tweeted: “We were so excited for fans to be back. Hurrah they’re back. Yay isn’t it great. Their first act is to boo a peaceful protest calling for equality and justice. Sometimes I despair.”
We were so excited for fans to be back. Hurrah they’re back. Yay isn’t it great. Their first act is to boo a peaceful protest calling for equality and justice. Sometimes I despair.
— Ryan Conway (@RJConway92) December 5, 2020
