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Football

05th Dec 2020

FA condemns Millwall fans for booing anti-racism gesture

The Football Association have issued a statement condemning the behaviour of Millwall fans who booed their players for taking a knee before kick off

Reuben Pinder

Millwall fans booed their own players on Saturday

The FA have condemned the Millwall fans who were audibly booing their own players for taking the knee before kick off on Saturday afternoon.

Fans were allowed back into the stadium in small numbers for the first time since March this weekend. Millwall hosted Derby County at The Den, and the small number that attended the game were heard aggressively booing the anti-racism gesture just before kick-off.

In response, an FA statement read: “The FA supports all players and staff that wish to take a stand against discrimination in a respectful manner, which includes taking of the knee, and strongly condemns the behaviours of any spectators that actively voice their opposition to such activities.”

https://twitter.com/HammerzOliver/status/1335244473069088774

Millwall were expecting some resistance to the gesture, issuing a statement to their fans on Friday, explaining why they continued to make the gesture despite other clubs abandoning it.

“As a squad we are fully supportive of the entire football family’s efforts in ridding the sport, and society generally, of all forms of discrimination,” read the statement.

“We wish to make clear that taking the knee, for us, is in no way representative of any agreement with political messaging or ideology. It is purely about tackling discrimination, as has been the case throughout.”