The Football Association has encouraged England supporters to report any racism in the stands as the players’ decision to take a knee before kick-off is likely to be met with booing once again on Friday night against Scotland at Wembley.
i can reveal that 21,000 members of the England Supporters Travel Club have been sent an email making clear that England’s players will take a knee throughout the tournament, that it is a gesture against racism and inequality, and is not politically aligned. At the end, highlighted in bold, the message added: “If you or any of your friends or family do see, hear or experience any behaviour you feel to be inappropriate, anti-social, abusive, racist, homophobic, or discriminatory whilst at the game, just know that we are here to listen and to support you in any way we can.”
It added that “all you need to do to report any incident like this is drop us an email” and that “a member of the team will talk you through what can happen next”.
Some ESTC members – who pay up to £75 for special benefits and access to tickets – considered the message as “threatening and inappropriate”, i has been told.
The reminder, sent on the eve of England’s Euro 2020 campaign, was also posted in the private ESTC Facebook group, which has more than 4,000 members, and was met with fierce debate, with some supporters describing those who boo the knee as racists. Others continued to argue that taking the knee is a political gesture and that they would support a different anti-racism gesture.
i revealed last week ahead of the Croatia game that the FA intended to appeal to their core fans to stop booing the gesture and get behind the team.
England fans booing their own players in the seconds before kick-off formed an unexpected backdrop to the Euro 2020 warm-up week in Middlesbrough, occurring when they faced Austria and Romania in England’s two friendlies.
After the first incident, Gareth Southgate and his squad held several meetings to discuss if they should continue the gesture and it was agreed they would. Yet despite England’s manager, several players and senior FA officials publicly explaining the meaning behind England’s players taking a knee, the boos have continued.
Against Croatia at Wembley in England’s opening match of the tournament, they were still audible, although with 22,500 fans in attendance, rather than 7,000 at the Riverside Stadium for the friendlies, a larger number of supporters actively cheered to drown out the booing.
This week, Home Secretary Priti Patel said that fans had the right to boo players taking a knee and that she does not “support people participating in that type of gesture politics”.
Asked about the comments, England defender Tyrone Mings said that “everyone is entitled to their opinion”. He added: ”We’ve spoken about it a lot, we’ve spoken about trying to educate or trying to inform the minority who refuse to acknowledge why we’re taking the knee and want to boo it.
“But at the same time, in Wembley there was a hugely positive reaction to us taking the knee as well and I don’t think that should be overshadowed by a minority that refuse to accept what the reasons are or don’t agree with them.”
England vice-captain Jordan Henderson said that “if there’s still people booing because we’re standing together against racism, then there really still is a problem and we’ve still got to fight it and stand together on that.”
He added: “It shows even more that we have to keep going, keep fighting it. From our side, it’s about being together and doing what we think is right – and that’s what we feel is right.”
More from i on Euro 2020
- The football nomad who became a hero for his role in saving Eriksen’s life
- How Ronaldo’s Coca-Cola stunt could change the face of football sponsorship
- In praise of Emma Hayes, the best pundit at Euro 2020 so far
- Eriksen collapse has thrown a spotlight on football’s relentless thirst for more
- How to watch every Euro 2020 match on TV and online in the UK
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3gMgYj0
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