soccer

England players booed for taking a knee despite plea by team

36 Comments
By ROB HARRIS

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36 Comments
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Good for the players supporting efforts to stop racism.

The irony is, it was a Black man - Sterling - who won the game for England. I bet a lot of the thousands of racist scum who were booing, cheered when that Black man scored. Hypocrites.

5 ( +12 / -7 )

The boos were drowned out by most of the fans applauding. Great match, England were great.

3 ( +10 / -7 )

The headline, while perhaps accurate, is a little misleading. From what I saw and heard, far more fans applauded the team kneeling than those booing.

The jeering was by some fans who also chanted “No surrender” during the national anthem

Is that those Glasgow Rangers fans cheering England again?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

We know these kneelers are political activists doubling as athletes.

Yet those who were booing the players were likely wildly cheering Raheem's goal a short time later, conveniently forgetting he is a "political activist".

The chants from the England "fans" in the terraces are usually political, every game they play, about the troubles in Northern Ireland, as well as WW2, which makes a mockery of their nonsense tbey dont want politics in sport. These "fans" are always preoccupied by politics.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

LudditeToday 07:56 am JST

The boos were drowned out by most of the fans applauding.

Yes, that's what I heard on my TV. A timely reminder that the EDL/BNP/UKIP knuckle draggers are a small minority.

MickeliciousToday 08:29 am JST

What do we expect with one of the most reactionary right-wing governments ever?

Every time this topic is raised with Lying Johnson I expect him to say, "Gosh. Look, yes. Jolly good. Fine people on both sides. Certainly. I think."

LudditeToday 07:56 am JST

Great match, England were great.

There were indeed. Raheem awoke from his lengthy slumber to score the winner, Kalvin Philips bossed the midfield, Mount was terrific and the Stockport Iniesta hit the post. Even Pickford looked comfortable! The Scotland game should be a cracker.

1 ( +9 / -8 )

That is generous. I could hardly hear that anthem over the booing.

England fans have been booing the opponent's national anthem for as long as I can remember despite calls from almost every England manager for them to stop. I can think of no nation that does it. It's pretty shameful, some basic respect should be shown, even when we play the Argies.

I also think it must give the other team a bit of a lift, makes them eager to shut us up.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Persuade me this act has no political significance.

Racism and politics are separate things. I've known left and right supporting people who are racist. It's ugly.

I think many on this forum will be aware of racism towards their children. It needs to be overcome.

While I'm not sure kneeling is the best approach, it doesn't harm. Surely anything that makes race a non-factor in everyday life should be supported.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

.....a Scottish friend of mine suggested that England's anthem should be played second, and that if the fans boo the first one then they shouldn't even play the English one (even when we play the Argies).

Pretty drastic, but it would certainly make the Cro-Magnon element of England fans think about it. It's the only language they speak etc

0 ( +5 / -5 )

As an expat Brit - English to be specific - football culture is one of the most embarrassing things about that country. It presents the worst of the English: proudly ignorant, knuckle-dragging scum who tie their entire identity to the fortunes of a bunch of overpaid prima donnas.

That said, I’m quite impressed by the knee gesture. Takes a certain level of commitment to go through with that.

Anyway, the instant we reach the knockout stages and we get a penalty shootout, Ingurland are out and their fans can roam the land attacking anyone they perceive might be a member of “the other side”.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

It's said

"Football is a gentlemen game played by thugs". "Rugby is a thugs game played by gentlemen".

Not sure how correct that is.

Fairly accurate. A lot of rugby players are from private schools and are what you might call “officer material”. Football, is basically entertainment for the English proletariat.

Rugby has had its share of issues, but rugby fans do not have the reputation as subhumans like certain football fans.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Why is so difficult to accept that politics and sport are an incendiary toxic mix.

International football is played between countries. Countries are distinct political entities. I'd be interested to hear how people propose to remove politics from games between political entities.

hmmm1Today 07:44 am JST

Get Politics out of sport.

I think you mean Get Politics I don't like out of sport.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Alfie, can I present two thought.......

The Olympics are political. The IOC ban denies reality — and athletes their voice.

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/olympics-are-political-ioc-ban-denies-reality-athletes-their-voice-ncna1117306

And ......

The Olympics strive for political neutrality. So, how will they deal with surging athlete activism?......

https://theconversation.com/the-olympics-strive-for-political-neutrality-so-how-will-they-deal-with-surging-athlete-activism-144951

Both actually don't oppose the debate but in many respects complement each other.

Social media, its rancid, puerile, race to the bottom mentality. It's glib disingenuous need to create a blame culture.

The mega-phone madness of cancel this, followed by statue tumbling wokery.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

The quote, football is a gentlemen game........ I believe is attributed to none other than Winston Churchill.

Mentioned in this article....

https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2018/0530/967034-how-irish-sports-fans-are-omnivores-when-it-comes-to-football/

Why is so difficult to accept that politics and sport are an incendiary toxic mix.

One will smother and eventually suffocate the other.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Well played Three Lions. Congrats to goal scorer Raheem.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Meanwhile, Republicans gave Blacks the lowest unemployment in U.S. history.

One thing does not negate all other things

That's like saying "my best friend is black" or "I have a gay relative" negates all other things you do

I know, these athletes don't get paid to use their brains

Actually, athletes do get paid to use their brains - that's why they watch film of opponents and formulate strategies

(And let's not forget that, in his own words, Trump was an athlete)

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Get Politics out of sport. Just play the game.

-2 ( +16 / -18 )

Albaleo, I sense a tentative link between the two (racism and politics) especially in the full glare of social media.

However, just an opinion.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Disgraceful. Even at away games?

Of course! They love the idea of sticking it to the foreigners on 'their manor'.

The article mentioned a fine. Do they just eat that every time?

I recall Scotland being fined for booing England, but I can't recall England being fined. That's not to say that they haven't.

I'm more a rugby fan, and have never noticed it at rugby matches. Just football?

I've never heard eggchasers booing either. They tend to be a bit more civilized.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Good, let the players know that this type of behavior is unacceptable.

disrespecting the fans with childish behavior.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Not all the booing fans are racist. Sure football has a higher proportion of right wing nutjobs than the general population. I would have booed the pantomime of kneeling, not the players ordered to do it.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Croatia's national anthem was also booed by some of the 22,500 fans allowed into Wembley

They booed Croatia's national anthem too

They are a very disrespectful childish bunch

These are not the type of people that should be respected

Who's more disrespectful - the players who take a knee, or the fans who boo a national anthem

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

What do we expect with one of the most reactionary right-wing governments ever?

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

Get Politics out of sport. Just play the game.

I agree with this.

Let's get politics out of work in general, unless of course our work is concerned with politics.

Let's be professionals.

-5 ( +6 / -11 )

I hope they continue booing this obscene behaviour. This BLM cult has nothing to do with football, and should not exist in the first place. The West is the least racist civilisation that ever was, and ever will be.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

It's the symbolism, Raheem Sterling on one knee, in crucifixion, to the Croatian Caucasian standing.

Persuade me this act has no political significance.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

What do we expect with one of the most reactionary right-wing governments ever?

Feed working class fans a diet of chip butties, larger and late night curries, what do you expect?

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

We know these kneelers are political activists doubling as athletes.

If it was truly about fighting "racism", they would be calling out the liberal politicians that have subjected Blacks to generations of poverty thru never-ending violence and failed schools in inner cities. Meanwhile, Republicans gave Blacks the lowest unemployment in U.S. history.

I know, these athletes don't get paid to use their brains, but sad to see them being used as puppets.

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

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