soccer

Fans told to 'respect' England players over kneeling row

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How about getting security to remove the racists who boo during the time the players take the knee? After all, they are troublemakers who are of the same ilk of "fans" who throw bananas and make monkey chants at black players, which is not uncommon in european soccer.

Kick the racists out!

-3 ( +9 / -12 )

ABE - Anyone But England!

2 ( +8 / -6 )

Sports and Games - are fine platforms to demonstrate life in full flow. All the best to sportspersons and their fans to take sports and games to the next and a higher level.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

They are doing this as a mechanism of peacefully protesting against discrimination, injustice and inequality.

What an empty "mechanism".

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

England is the only team in the whole of the Euros which is getting on their knees

Wales and Belgium are also doing this. Other teams (e.g. Scotland, Switzerland) have said they will also kneel when playing these teams as a mark of solidarity.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Expression of anti-racism, pro equality and love for all sentiments...YES!

Black Lives Matter organization (rioting, killing, anti nuclear family, Marxist activism)....NO!

1 ( +5 / -4 )

The right to express oneself must be considered inviolable. If they wish to express something with a knee on the pitch, then FA must respect the spectators who wish to express a contrary thought. If they don't want England to be booed, then have them make their political statements at times that paying fans are not present.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Fans should also protest and walk out en masse

1 ( +5 / -4 )

BungleToday 10:05 am JST

England is the only team in the whole of the Euros which is getting on their knees... let's hope Croatia keep them there.

Yeah, I saw Belgium making a 10 second anti-racism protest before the Russia game. More fake news...

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Told too!

Well that is one way of putting it, 22,000 have paid to watch a game of football,.

Respect the fans that are paying your wages.

Not to gag on a self-righteous wokey, wokey lecture on gesture politics.

Kick the flipping ball, leave the politics to the politicians.

2 ( +9 / -7 )

Let's hope they boo the roof off the stadium over this pointless empty gesture forced on the players.

Boooooooo!

1 ( +8 / -7 )

"They are doing this as a mechanism of peacefully protesting against discrimination, injustice and inequality. This is personally important to the players and the values the team collectively represents."

The FA said England football had made it clear that it did not view the gesture "as being aligned to a political organisation or ideology".

Both these paragraphs are contradictory.

When the knee drops it is clearly a political gesture.

So much for kick it out.

That's yesterday, today it the, one minute, purely intended to attract public attention. symbolic. meaningless. "look at me I am on one knee"

"I really haven't clue why, but it looks good"

And you wonder why the fans that have dug deep in there pockets boooooooooo!!!

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Mr KiplingToday 05:39 pm JST

Let's hope they boo the roof off the stadium over this pointless empty gesture forced on the players.

Hmmm, so you're in favour of booing your country's national team moments before they kick off the Euros over a ten-second peaceful protest against discrimination, injustice and equality. Okay.

pointless empty gesture forced on the players.

The players are all in favour. More fake news.

Respect the fans that are paying your wages.

Footballers are paid by their clubs. They don't earn wages. For international games they receive a small fee from the FA which they donate to charity. For 10 years or so it was a bowel cancer charity, I'm not sure about now.

Seriously, if you're going to slag off the England team you could at least spend five minutes getting your basic facts straight.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

Alfie....

They don't have the individual choice... They don't want to rock the boat and risk getting dropped.

If you think that a football team taking a knee, or any other "gesture" will change the mindset of one single racist then good luck to you!

Sport is not the place for political protest. For causes we agree with or those we don't.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

Sal Affist: The right to express oneself must be considered inviolable. If they wish to express something with a knee on the pitch, then FA must respect the spectators who wish to express a contrary thought.

Exactly. But I think we'll see enforcement of the "request" to 'respect' when people bend the knee. They will ask you to leave, then drag you out or have you arrested if you refuse. Take a screenshot of this comment.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

The fans buy the ticket, a minority show an incongruous disdain when the knee drops.

It is the fans whose silence, should and will worry the sponsors.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Bungle, my friend, Southgate isn't a fool. misguided, a tad bonkers.

However, Southgate will inevitably do the FA bidding. Southgate is contracted to do so.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Sport is not the place for political protest. For causes we agree with or those we don't.

So you'll be against the upcoming American-led attempt to boycott the Beijing Winter Olympics next year, then? I'll be looking forward to your posts supporting the Chinese government when they claim politics should be kept out of sport.

BungleToday 09:04 pm JST

Southgate came out and said that players who refuse to take the knee are not welcome in his squad.

Yawn. More lies from the peanut gallery.

misguided, a tad bonkers.

No, he's intelligent, articulate and extremely thoughtful. Which you'd know if you'd read this essay he wrote for the Player's Tribune this week:

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/dear-england-gareth-southgate-euros-soccer

"The last 18 months have put added pressure on everyone, I know. Venting that might have taken place while walking out of the stadium, or in the pub has been transferred online. I get that. However, there are things I will never understand.

Why would you tag someone in on a conversation that is abusive?

Why would you choose to insult somebody for something as ridiculous as the colour of their skin?

Why?

Unfortunately for those people that engage in that kind of behaviour, I have some bad news. You’re on the losing side. It’s clear to me that we are heading for a much more tolerant and understanding society, and I know our lads will be a big part of that.

It might not feel like it at times, but it’s true. The awareness around inequality and the discussions on race have gone to a different level in the last 12 months alone.

I am confident that young kids of today will grow up baffled by old attitudes and ways of thinking.

For many of that younger generation, your notion of Englishness is quite different from my own. I understand that, too.

I understand that on this island, we have a desire to protect our values and traditions — as we should — but that shouldn’t come at the expense of introspection and progress."

That's good stuff, neither misguided nor bonkers.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

I guess leadership from an England Manager, is when he directs his squad to stand tall.

To support Kick it Out,

To stop kneeing, kissing the grass.

Refrain from the self congratulatory, pompous, posturing.

The reality is Southgate, in his bubble never envisaged the booing.

Now, Southgate is in a political quandary of his own making.

Stand tall support Kick it Out.

*
-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Alfie we all pick and choose our huff puffs.

Boycott the Beijing Winter Olympics is an interesting point.

To boycott, or not to boycott?

Tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune........not an Olympic event

I think this is best left to the competitors themselves,

We must then support there decision.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Hmmm, so you're in favour of booing your country's national team moments before they kick off the Euros over a ten-second peaceful protest against discrimination, injustice and equality. Okay.

The players are all in favour

That kneeling relates to BLM, Antifa types, and there is nothing peaceful about them, and that's they are being booed,the players maybe are in favor of kneeling, but they are being forced to do this, they do not have any decision making authority.

It’s clear to me that we are heading for a much more tolerant and understanding society.

It might not feel like it at times, but it’s true. The awareness around inequality and the discussions on race have gone to a different level in the last 12 months alone.

I am confident that young kids of today will grow up baffled by old attitudes and ways of thinking.

There is nothing tolerant about BLM, Antifa types, they are all about mass looting's, mass violent protests,destruction of property and everything along those lines..that's what everyone saw in the last 12 months and hence the booing, now if BLM, Antifa had been about non violent mass peaceful protest, nobody would have booed.

The awareness around inequality and the discussions on race have gone to a different level, definitely yes..but given the intolerant nature of these protest..this will definitely not lead to a tolerant and understanding society, it will divide the society..and that's the idea behind these violent protest.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

I think that the George Floyd issue is a matter for the American courts, and not the Engand football team.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Free speech

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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