Nice to see it was well received by County and Orient fans

I think the excellent announcements preceding it have helped - made it very clear that it's a stance the players support and they'd appreciate the backing of the fans. Impeccably observed at both the Southampton and Orient games.

Was it my imagination, or was the spontaneous applause in the England v Andorra match triggered by canned applause through the tannoy?

No room for politics in sport I liked lewandowski no kneeling he just pointed to the respect badge on his arm in the Poland v eng game let's just getback to sport no political statements

I'm not getting involved. Interesting article from Rashford in the Spectator this week about why he likes getting involved in politics. It'll be interesting to see what these outspoken footballers do when it comes to Qatar.

It's not a political gesture from the players it's a personal gesture

UPTHEPORT wrote:It's not a political gesture from the players it's a personal gesture

It's not party political but it is political. As is wearing a poppy.

I think FIFA are right in their hitherto opposition to political jestures. Just my personal view. I believe that all political stances have no place in sport. The punishment meted out to Celtic for their fans flying a Palestinian flag was in my view correct. And I hold this view, notwithstanding my views on Palestine.I strongly support the concept of a Palestinian state. I am highly critical of the behaviour of Israel. But football is not the proper place for these political issues to be raised.

Stan A. Einstein wrote:

UPTHEPORT wrote:It's not a political gesture from the players it's a personal gesture

It's not party political but it is political. As is wearing a poppy.

I think FIFA are right in their hitherto opposition to political jestures. Just my personal view. I believe that all political stances have no place in sport. The punishment meted out to Celtic for their fans flying a Palestinian flag was in my view correct. And I hold this view, notwithstanding my views on Palestine.I strongly support the concept of a Palestinian state. I am highly critical of the behaviour of Israel. But football is not the proper place for these political issues to be raised.

Celtic aren't Palestinians and that dispute has nothing to do with football. Racism against footballers is a football issue, black footballers in the UK are the actual victims of the racism they're protesting against.

UPTHEPORT wrote:It's not a political gesture from the players it's a personal gesture

Not necessarily the case, I definitely think it is more to do with PC pressure, it will be a brave Team that stops doing all this nonsense.
I remember Nathan Blake publicly chastising Newport County for not taking the knee, a multi millionaire who somehow made his fortune in this alleged racist Country of ours, which in reality is probably one of the most tolerant and welcoming in the World!
Sadly, freedom of speech and expression was lost months, if not years ago, all on the altar of the woke and easily offended minorities.

Taunton Iron Cider wrote:

UPTHEPORT wrote:It's not a political gesture from the players it's a personal gesture

Not necessarily the case, I definitely think it is more to do with PC pressure, it will be a brave Team that stops doing all this nonsense.
I remember Nathan Blake publicly chastising Newport County for not taking the knee, a multi millionaire who somehow made his fortune in this alleged racist Country of ours, which in reality is probably one of the most tolerant and welcoming in the World!
Sadly, freedom of speech and expression was lost months, if not years ago, all on the altar of the woke and easily offended minorities.

So just because Nathan Blake has managed to do quite well for himself he's not entitled to an opinion on the subject? I imagine being a professional footballer during the early 90's, he's been on the end of racist abuse far more than you or I, whether he has money or not.

As for a loss of freedom of speech, alter of the woke, and 'easily offended minorities'... you need to put down the Daily Mail and stop watching GB news mate!

Taunton Iron Cider wrote:...
Sadly, freedom of speech and expression was lost months, if not years ago, all on the altar of the woke and easily offended minorities.

Perhaps an alternative view might be:

Sadly, freedom of speech and expression was lost months, if not years ago, all on the altar of the unwoke and easily offended majority.

Surely, freedom of speech/expression cuts both ways. Just as one is entitled to argue against taking the knee, one is also entitled to argue for it/practise it.

Or is it a case that because one doesn't agree with taking the knee, or think it's a "nonsense", that taking the knee does not constitute a case of exercising freedom of speech/expression?

NearlyDead wrote:

Taunton Iron Cider wrote:...
Sadly, freedom of speech and expression was lost months, if not years ago, all on the altar of the woke and easily offended minorities.

Perhaps an alternative view might be:

Sadly, freedom of speech and expression was lost months, if not years ago, all on the altar of the unwoke and easily offended majority.

Surely, freedom of speech/expression cuts both ways. Just as one is entitled to argue against taking the knee, one is also entitled to argue for it/practise it.

Or is it a case that because one doesn't agree with taking the knee, or think it's a "nonsense", that taking the knee does not constitute a case of exercising freedom of speech/expression?

I agree entirely with the sentiment that much of society values black lives less than white lives. But that is not the issue. For me there are two problems which arise from the gesture. The first is should we not also hold a minutes silence for the Jewish people murdered by the Nazis? Jewish lives matter. Let's not forget the Roma people murdered by the same bunch of thugs. And of course we need to remember Trade Unionists murdered by that regime. The gay people. The disabled, the mentally ill, surely they all deserve recognition. And should we not acknowledge also the terrible plight of those being slaughtered on a daily basis in Syria, the Yemen, the refugees forced out of their homes in Myanmar?

The first question why if one group who have been subject to ugly prejudice should their cause be recognized at a football match sjould countless others not be?

The second problem. If political stances are acceptable at sports events, what happens when a demonstration takes place for a cause with which you disagree? And there are contentious moral issues, on which decent people hold radically opposing views.

Sometimes at three o'clock on a Saturday afternoon I just want to watch a football match.

Of course I agree with the cause that black lives matter as much as those with any other colour of skin, but personally view the pre match gesture now of footballers performing an act of genuflection, as tedious.

My opinion is that the FA should have come up with a politically neutral gesture to highlight racism in the game. I know that the players say 'taking the knee' isn't political but unfortunately it is. Let's keep the applause but lose the knee.

Kairdiff Exile wrote:I think the excellent announcements preceding it have helped - made it very clear that it's a stance the players support and they'd appreciate the backing of the fans. Impeccably observed at both the Southampton and Orient games.

Agree 100% with this. I'm a white man in my late 50s. I've never experienced abuse because of the colour of my skin.
I'll continue to stand and applaud as long as the players want to do it. I've no problem with others not agreeing - just don't applaud. Booing is something I do have an issue with. Why would you do it?