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A section of Millwall fans booed as their Derby Championship players and opponents knelt in support of the Black Lives Matter movement at the start of their match on Saturday.
Players from England’s major divisions have knelt at the start of matches since football was resumed in June as part of worldwide sports protests against racial injustice.
Saturday’s game, which Derby won 1-0, represented the first time Millwall supporters were able to attend a home game since the coronavirus pandemic brought the Championship to a halt in March.
Shortly after the match ended, the Football Association issued a statement that appeared to condemn the incident.
“The FA supports all players and staff who wish to take a stand against discrimination in a respectful manner, which includes kneeling, and strongly condemns the behaviors of any spectator who actively expresses opposition to such activities,” the statement said.
Millwall players had issued a statement on Friday indicating their intention to continue kneeling before games until the New Year, at which time the club will announce “a comprehensive new anti-discrimination strategy.”
Millwall players kneel as Derby’s Colin Kazim-Richards stands with fist raised
“As a team, we fully support the efforts of the entire football family to rid the sport, and society in general, of all forms of discrimination,” the club’s first team team statement said.
“It is our duty as players to reinforce the positive message and action of clubs, community trusts, charities and governing bodies, and we do so with great pride and knowledge that great work is being done across the country.
“The gesture of ‘kneeling’ before games gives us the opportunity to do just that and continues to allow everyone who plays to publicly show their support, on behalf of the entire team, for the fight against discrimination.
“We want to make it clear that kneeling, for us, is in no way representative of any agreement with political messages or ideology. It is purely about addressing discrimination, as has been the case throughout.”
Millwall fans were attending a home game for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began
Footballers around the world began kneeling last season to show their support for the ongoing anti-racism movement, which emerged after the death of George Floyd in May, who died after police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck during eight minutes and 46 seconds. .
The players decided to continue the gesture as the 2020-21 season started in September, with the Premier League and English Football League (EFL) reiterating their support for the players who decided to do so.
Following the 2019/20 campaign restart, Premier League players decided to wear ‘Black Lives Matter’ on the back of their jerseys instead of their names for the first round of matches, and then they had a Black Lives logo Matter on their jerseys for the rest of the season.
EFL teams have been using an anti-racism message of ‘not today or any day’ on their jerseys this season
This has been replaced by a ‘No Room for Racism’ sleeve badge for the new season, but Premier League managers like Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson have emphasized that both messages remain vital. importance.
Meanwhile, the Championship, League One and League Two players have been wearing a ‘Neither today nor on any day’ logo on their shirts for 2020/21 in recognition of their own fight against racism.
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