Taking The Knee

[jon1959]

Swansea have decided they will stop this season.

https://www.swanseacity.com/news/swa...nt-taking-knee

My impression from a statement on the Cardiff website last week was that we will continue (I may be wrong).

It feels like the number of clubs continuing to make the gesture is dropping, and it will be the minority that carry on.

Most of the statements from clubs that have decided against Taking The Knee talk about finding other ways of making a stand and fighting discrimination. Do any of them actually do anything to back that up? Or is it just a move from a gesture that highlights a cause and maintains a conversation to nothing at all?

Personally I hope we carry on. It is not enough, but it is something. All the shouting from a section of the support and public about BLM and 'Marxists' (to my mind usually displaying their own ignorance and prejudice) makes me want to see it continue even more. My guess is that players like Mahlon Romeo who faced abuse from his former club's fans for taking a stance will be strongly in favour of carrying on.

[Des Parrot]

I went to the Poland v Wales game with my Polish colleagues from work. Wales took the knee Poland didn’t. I asked my colleagues why they didn’t. The answer is difficult to articulate here but the shortened version, is that it’s not their problem and they see it as a reaction to historic slavery, you caused it, you have to deal with the consequences.

These are professional people and they see zero relevance to them or their country in taking the knee. Having lived here a couple of years now and living in a predominantly Indian community, I personally have seen or heard zero issues and their mindset seems to be more open.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Swansea have decided they will stop this season.

https://www.swanseacity.com/news/swa...nt-taking-knee

My impression from a statement on the Cardiff website last week was that we will continue (I may be wrong).

It feels like the number of clubs continuing to make the gesture is dropping, and it will be the minority that carry on.

Most of the statements from clubs that have decided against Taking The Knee talk about finding other ways of making a stand and fighting discrimination. Do any of them actually do anything to back that up? Or is it just a move from a gesture that highlights a cause and maintains a conversation to nothing at all?

Personally I hope we carry on. It is not enough, but it is something. All the shouting from a section of the support and public about BLM and 'Marxists' (to my mind usually displaying their own ignorance and prejudice) makes me want to see it continue even more. My guess is that players like Mahlon Romeo who faced abuse from his former club's fans for taking a stance will be strongly in favour of carrying on.

If the players want to continue then good on them

[Citizen's Nephew]

Swansea have decided they will stop this season.

https://www.swanseacity.com/news/swa...nt-taking-knee

My impression from a statement on the Cardiff website last week was that we will continue (I may be wrong).

It feels like the number of clubs continuing to make the gesture is dropping, and it will be the minority that carry on.

Most of the statements from clubs that have decided against Taking The Knee talk about finding other ways of making a stand and fighting discrimination. Do any of them actually do anything to back that up? Or is it just a move from a gesture that highlights a cause and maintains a conversation to nothing at all?

Personally I hope we carry on. It is not enough, but it is something. All the shouting from a section of the support and public about BLM and 'Marxists' (to my mind usually displaying their own ignorance and prejudice) makes me want to see it continue even more. My guess is that players like Mahlon Romeo who faced abuse from his former club's fans for taking a stance will be strongly in favour of carrying on.

Yeah, good post. I agree. It's vital imo to keep this going. Keep this in people's consciousness. I'm also like you insomuch that if it pisses people off then I want more of it because I find that kind of attitude very revealing.

In terms of diversity, the club is still woefully bad at encouraging its local demographic to attend games and if we are seen as supportive of this then that's a positive for the club.

We see diversity on the pitch but not enough in the fanbase.

[JamesWales]

I'm not a fan of it for several reasons, largely because I think it's pretty pointless and doesn't really raise nor solve any of the issues it purports to do. I also am not a fan of the formal BLM movement, which again I don't think will solve any issues and is divisive with it.

That is of course not to say there are no issues about racial discrimination, I just don't think this is a way to solve it.

That said, I have noted how the gesture has become far less controversial, and just a kind of pre-match tradition like tossing a coin or exchanging pennants or something, which shows that it is now both not as controversial as it's critics stated nor has the impact it's supporters claimed.

Personally, I'd drop it and stick with the more established and less divisive 'Kick it Out' messages.

[HiVis]

I'm not a fan of it for several reasons, largely because I think it's pretty pointless and doesn't really raise nor solve any of the issues it purports to do. I also am not a fan of the formal BLM movement, which again I don't think will solve any issues and is divisive with it.

taking the knee isn't going to solve racism, but it makes it clear that racist still persists. It should be a personal choice whether someone takes the knee or not, and no inference should be made if they do or don't.

That is of course not to say there are no issues about racial discrimination, I just don't think this is a way to solve it.

taking the knee is about awareness, its not meant to be a solution.

That said, I have noted how the gesture has become far less controversial, and just a kind of pre-match tradition like tossing a coin or exchanging pennants or something, which shows that it is now both not as controversial as it's critics stated nor has the impact it's supporters claimed.

so we become oblivious to taking the knee and it becomes the norm. A bit like casual racism then?

Personally, I'd drop it and stick with the more established and less divisive 'Kick it Out' messages.

why can't we have both?

[BLUETIT]

I went to the Poland v Wales game with my Polish colleagues from work. Wales took the knee Poland didn’t. I asked my colleagues why they didn’t. The answer is difficult to articulate here but the shortened version, is that it’s not their problem and they see it as a reaction to historic slavery, you caused it, you have to deal with the consequences.

These are professional people and they see zero relevance to them or their country in taking the knee. Having lived here a couple of years now and living in a predominantly Indian community, I personally have seen or heard zero issues and their mindset seems to be more open.

We were not the only country involved in slavery !

The Vikings were doing far worse, years before this country got involved !

People can’t keep going back to the past !

Now and the future are more important

[splott parker]

If Swansea have dropped it (no shock there) it’s all the more reason for us to continue. More gestures to oppose racism should be encouraged, not fewer.

[Citizen's Nephew]

We were not the only country involved in slavery !

The Vikings were doing far worse, years before this country got involved !

People can’t keep going back to the past !

Now and the future are more important

Said the person mentioning the f*cking Vikings!

[delmbox]

Said the person mentioning the f*cking Vikings!

[splott parker]

Now and the future are more important

Exactly, get the ‘now’ right and there’s a fair chance of a better future. ‘Taking the knee’ is now

[WJ99mobile]

We were not the only country involved in slavery !

The Vikings were doing far worse, years before this country got involved !

People can’t keep going back to the past !

Now and the future are more important

It's not about slavery of the past is it? It's about the racism they still experience now, be it blatant or unconscious bias.

Vikings ffs

[WJ99mobile]

I don't want it to continue as I don't want football to be used as a political football excuse the pun.

We're seeing sport being used more and more for activism, and whilst I agree with everything they're supporting at the moment, I just want to see a ball get kicked around.

[Citizen's Nephew]

Hope mine arrives in time for tomorrow's match.

images.jpeg

[Citizen's Nephew]

If Swansea have dropped it (no shock there) it’s all the more reason for us to continue. More gestures to oppose racism should be encouraged, not fewer.

When we play the Jacks we should do it at the start of the second half too just to really p*ss them off!

[delmbox]

When we play the Jacks we should do it at the start of the second half too just to really p*ss them off!

WE DID IT FOR 180 MINUTES LAST YEAR WHO'S WITH ME

[Citizen's Nephew]

WE DID IT FOR 180 MINUTES LAST YEAR WHO'S WITH ME

[life on mars]

Hate gesture ,HYPOCRISY,
politics, causes , awareness, justice In football, whilst it supports awful regimes ,countries placement of competions ,tours of countries who have no justice or fair play.

Football is corrupt and weak driven by money and poor behaviour that would not be cordoned in a decent business setting .. hence its need to hyprocitally hang up banner of causes , sadly. it has the real power to fix them .

We still don't see any black figures of note in its higher positions its like the BBC white folk making gestures for black folk but doing nothing themselves as an organisation to recruit and practice what it preaches..

Same as the players who kneel and then behaviour appallingly like Mason Greenwood , there's loads more like him who we don't see or hear about as its not good PR .

Hypocrisy at its best...

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Yeah, good post. I agree. It's vital imo to keep this going. Keep this in people's consciousness. I'm also like you insomuch that if it pisses people off then I want more of it because I find that kind of attitude very revealing.

In terms of diversity, the club is still woefully bad at encouraging its local demographic to attend games and if we are seen as supportive of this then that's a positive for the club.

We see diversity on the pitch but not enough in the fanbase.

The club are useless when it comes to getting the local community involved

It's almost as if they don't care

And in the case of that mural down the docks .......well wtf were they doing with the line they took on that ?

[Citizen's Nephew]

"What do we want?"
"Procrastination!"
"When do we want it?"
"Tomorrow!"

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

I'm not a fan of it for several reasons, largely because I think it's pretty pointless and doesn't really raise nor solve any of the issues it purports to do. I also am not a fan of the formal BLM movement, which again I don't think will solve any issues and is divisive with it.

That is of course not to say there are no issues about racial discrimination, I just don't think this is a way to solve it.

That said, I have noted how the gesture has become far less controversial, and just a kind of pre-match tradition like tossing a coin or exchanging pennants or something, which shows that it is now both not as controversial as it's critics stated nor has the impact it's supporters claimed.

Personally, I'd drop it and stick with the more established and less divisive 'Kick it Out' messages.

Kick it out has done feck all compared to BLM

It's not perfect but it's the best we have at the moment

If it pisses off the meatheads and singles them out then I am all for it

[Citizen's Nephew]

The club are useless when it comes to getting the local community involved

It's almost as if they don't care

And in the case of that mural down the docks .......well wtf were they doing with the line they took on that ?

I went for a walk in Grangetown yesterday from the top of Penarth Rd, down to The Grange Pavilion and spoke to half a dozen people from a massive range of ethnicities and socio-economic groups. If I'd had free tickets for Saturday to hand out there'd have been about twenty people who'd go to their first match on Saturday. I'd love to see players and our owner and board walking around locally and speaking to the community.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

"What do we want?"
"Procrastination!"
"When do we want it?"
"Tomorrow!"

Absolutely

I am against racism !

What should be done about it ?

Nothing !

[life on mars]

I went for a walk in Grangetown yesterday from the top of Penarth Rd, down to The Grange Pavilion and spoke to half a dozen people from a massive range of ethnicities and socio-economic groups. If I'd had free tickets for Saturday to hand out there'd have been about twenty people who'd go to their first match on Saturday. I'd love to see players and our owner and board walking around locally and speaking to the community.

Absolutely my point exactly its all pretence and meaningless..

It's like the false adverts and roles on TV which portrays black people in false positions in life ...

Great idea your ticket hand out e mail the club ...

[WJ99mobile]

I went for a walk in Grangetown yesterday from the top of Penarth Rd, down to The Grange Pavilion and spoke to half a dozen people from a massive range of ethnicities and socio-economic groups. If I'd had free tickets for Saturday to hand out there'd have been about twenty people who'd go to their first match on Saturday. I'd love to see players and our owner and board walking around locally and speaking to the community.

I'm probably going to get pilloried for saying this but I don't think you should be giving out free tickets because they're a different race?