Taking the knee is not political so have a read of this "Statement opposing booing of players’ #TakeTheKnee & government failure to act We express our solidarity with those teams who show their opposition to racism by taking the knee at Euro 2=. We believe Boris Johnson should have forcefully condemned the booing of England players by a small minority of so-called supporters. Johnson’s statement said he “fully respects the right of those who choose to peacefully protest and make their feelings known” and “on taking the knee, specifically, the prime minister is more focused on action rather than gestures’. Tory MP Brendan Clarke-Smith repugnantly compared taking the knee to England footballers performing the Nazi salute during a 1938 match with Germany. Another Tory MP for Ashfield in Nottinghamshire has stated he will boycott England games because of Take The Knee. Johnson failed to condemn these MPs which is giving succour to the far right. A host of right wing figures including former UKIP leader Nigel Farage & former actor and right wing politician Lawrence Fox have joined in the attacks on the players, England’s manager Gareth Southgate and BBC pundit Gary Lineker who has publicly opposed the booing and supported the teams anti-racist stance. Now videos are circulating calling for protests against taking the knee at Wembley stadium coinciding with England’s first game against Croatia on Sunday. These videos are being promoted by convicted criminal Tommy Robinson and others. We reject racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism and attempts by the far right to use football to build support. We stand in solidarity with all teams who choose to #TakeTheKnee in support of #BlackLivesMatter and in opposition to racism. We call on all fans to show their solidarity with their teams taking the knee before kick off by applauding the players. Signed, Diane Abbott MP John McDonnell MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP Richard Burgon MP Claudia Webbe MP Zarah Sultana MP Len McCluskey, General Secretary of Unite the Union Christina McAnea, General Secretary of UNISON Kevin Courtney, General Secretary of NEU Dave Ward, General Secretary of CWU Shavanah Taj, General Secretary of WTUC Shaka Hislop, Honorary President of Show Racism the Red Card Mike Rosen, Poet & Writer Mick Lynch, General Secretary RMT Mick Whelan, General Secretary of ASLEF Lord Hain Baroness Blower Sabby Dhalu & Weyman Bennett, co-convenors Stand Up To Racism Patrick Vernon OBE, social commentator and Windrush campaigner Mohammed Kozbar, Chairman Finsbury Park Mosque Raghad Altikriti, Muslim Association of Britain President Anas Altikriti, CEO of The Cordoba Foundation Azhar Qayum, CEO of MEND Daniel Kebede, Senior Vice President of National Education Union Jane Loftus, President of CWU Gloria Mills, TUC Race Relations Committee chair/ Unison National Secretary & Head of Equality Aamer Anwar, Human Rights Lawyer Ben Chacko, Morning Star Editor Lindsey German, Stop the War Quite a non political list that but then the #TakeTheKnee in support of #BlackLivesMatter google #BlackLivesMatter and it links straight to the very political!!
My favourite bit is 'convicted criminal Tommy Robinson', funny they don't say that when mentioning George Floyd.
I've heard that the Tokyo Olympics are banning all mentions of BLM including banners and slogans, and are also outlawing the taking of the knee and/or giving the Black Power salute. It almost sounds like common sense to me.
I have mentioned this before but thought that I would bring it up again. Towards the end of the season, I made the point having watched a City game, that some players had put more effort into taking the knee than into playing. That comment was inspired by watching a game (I cannot remember which one) where prior to the game there was either a minutes silence or a minutes applause and I suspect that there was an agreement between the teams that taking the knee would not be done in this instance. The referee blew his whistle for the kick off and at least 4 BCFC players took the knee. It made me realise if they could forget that instruction minutes before the game, HTF could they remember the game plan? PS:- I wonder if Kalas, if he does return to us, will bow to peer pressure and take the knee if the squad decide to continue with the act?
I thought City had shown some common sense and had pledged not to take the knee at all after the initial knee (pun intended!) jerk reaction last season ? Here are some interesting stats from America too. For every black male killed between the ages of 1 and 35 years of age, 93% are by another black man. And where are BLM in all of this ? The owners are buying themselves mansions in Florida. So I'd sugest that it's about time the US Dept of Justice and the FBI looked into the hundreds of of millions of dollars they've obtained from massive American companies like McDonalds, Coca Cola, Target, Walmart etc and see how much money laundering has gone on. But of course they won't...… Also worth mentioning that for every 10,000 arrests, five white people die at the hands of the US Police compared to four blacks.
I see that Tyrone Mings has waded into the attack on Pritti Patel reference the online abuse and her criticism of the players taking the knee. Just a thought, doesn't he work under an assistant manager/coach at his club, who was found guilty of racially abusing a black player in game sometime ago?, just saying like.
A black bloke is having a pop at a women of colour over racism. I see no reason to not believe Patel when she states she experienced racism. She was a victim. A black bloke in a multi racial team is having a pop at a politician in a multi racial government. Piri Patel is creating racism ... Really! Anyone see the irony?
Absolutely and throw the book at and ban racists from attending football for life, but FFS do the same with professional footballers when they are deemed guilty. I am amazed any black player would want to work with him or Ashley Cole over that particular incident.
If they all grew up, stopped taking the knee like sheep etc, as Priti Patel is 100% correct in saying it's just political posturing, then maybe we could all move on. Pathetic
I am going to sound like a soppy Liberal. I don't support life bans for much beyond areas like the vulnerable e.g. children. We are all flawed, we make mistakes .. Our mistakes and flaws really should not define us for life unless it really is a consistent us. We are not a racist nation. 99.9% are not racist. You would think there is common ground. Instead of blame culture take responsibility. Sit down have a cup of tea. Think is this really working. Is there a better means of displaying the common ground and shared values we really do all share apart from that percentile of sub humans. The kneeling creates division. Change it for a unifying message.
I suspect you are correct in the case of kids but not adults, they should know better and face consequences, my point is the same punishment should be handed out to players found guilty of the same, because it's worse coming from a fellow professional and weakens the case.
This world of constant protesting against this and that is starting to make me want to puke. Whether it be BLM, trees, whales, global warming or something else I have to ask the question as to whether or not any of them actually have a real job. I would surely join in protestations that I truly believed in but to do it in the manner that a large percentage of the modern morons go about the job when they introduce violence is starting to wear very thin. I have always believed myself to be a tolerant man with a caring heart about things that really matter but this is going beyond the limits of sanity where the streets have only become a terror filled zone. Covid appears only to have fueled the flames of hatred and lack of compassion at a time when it was needed the most and yet we still have a chance of redemption. To all of those haters out there in the world who spend more of their time willingly creating mayhem at each and every turn rather than lending a friendly hand to those in need I would say: Wake up and look all around you at this beautiful planet on which we live together and give me one reason why you feel you have the right to tear down that for your own selfish reasons.
I'm like you Mike. But the world is more divided then ever, including here on our own doorstep, with Sturgeon, who is virtually running a 1 party state in Scotland, and at the same time presiding over the Covid capital of Europe presently, declaring that she wants masks worn in certain places until December. I don't understand why the Scots tolerate her. All she does is fuel division within the UK. I found it ironic that there is now a Police investigation into the SNP and what they've done with nearly £700k of party funds. All this appears to have come from an internal whistle-blower following 3 resignations from the Finance Dept in May when they were denied access to the party accounts. I read last week that of the ANTIFA brigade who are wreaking havoc in certain parts of the USA, are 84% Male, 87% of them are between the ages of 18 and 29, and 92% of them still live with their parents ! Speaks volumes. The boss of ITV News is now declaring that he will never return to normal following the Pandemic, and won't be frequenting any crowded places ever again, or even venturing out much. Now I am vehemently anti ITV anyway, but when you have heads of fairly major media companies trying to spread fear amongst the population for no reason, then the more and more I believe in Donald Trumps accusations of Fake News being everywhere. He is recently quoted as saying that those in control of the media and government want to beat the US citizens into being brainwashed and taxed to kingdom come whilst losing jobs everywhere, and whilst he was President, he was just 'in the way'. America is in utter turmoil at present. 127 Law Enforcement officers have been killed since 1/1/2021, the southern border is simply a free for all that the current leaders won't go near, and the gun violence in Chicago gets worse by the week. Something like nearly shooting 400 incidents in June alone and no sign of it stopping. As for players getting racial abuse, it's vile. But we live in a world with unprecedented technical marvels, but we can't (or won't) detect who is posting this. And the players could always remove themselves from Twitter, Instagram etc. It would stop then, but I guess that's giving in too easily. Rants over For now !
Spot on although the warning signs have been there for a while.....Trump was no mug, but was made out to be by the brainwashing American media and the easily influenced Americans, which had the power to spill over to the easily brainwashing society of this Country...IMO, it's been a total setup. Again IMO The Pandemic & BLM has been a distraction from what is really going on...worrying times now and will only get worse....
So theres no racism in the stadium anymore but the knee at games will be taken because of racism on twitter till Qatar???
There is racism everywhere throughout the world and at City it's been there since the early 70's when we had a young black player called Steve Stacey who took an awful lot of abuse. But through the likes of Junior Bent, Wayne Allison, Shaun Goater, Leroy Lita etc it continued well into the 90's when we had the likes of Kevin Amankwah and co. The amount of abuse some people sitting close by us in the Dolman used to give our black players was outrageous.
Is there everywhere??? not in grounds. How much racism has there been from how many twats?? according to channel four its hundreds of tweets some of which come from abroad directed at three players. some of these tweets are abusive but not racist from a population of sixty million?? Three footballers get abused by arseholes but for decades thousands of girls have been getting raped by grooming gangs and media, institutions and the government want it kept quiet. England players taking the knee will be boycotting the 2022 world cup in Qatar. A nation that represents everything they must find disgusting??? Things here are getting blown out of proportion!!!!
No matter how much players, or anyone else for that matter, say taking the knee doesn’t have a political message, the fact is it does. It’s like doing a Nazi salute, both are identified with a political message they can’t be separated. I’m sure the players mean well , but the fact is taking the knee DOES have a political message.
Indicators of virtue signalling. How much does the position cost me Is the cost to me of not taking the position less. Football and the England players are off to the World cup in Qatar because it would cost them more.
The players pretty much follow each other like sheep. Aside from those of colour, most probably don't even care but are doing it out of solidarity. Either way, I'm with Patel on this one.