Premier League players will limit taking a knee before matches, league announces ahead of the new season
Premier League players will limit taking a knee: Players and staff members for Premier League teams have been taking a knee during games ever since the death of George Floyd in 2020; but, going ahead, they will only be compelled to do so during “important matches.”
The Premier League said on Tuesday that beginning with the new season, clubs will only be permitted to execute the anti-racism gesture known as “taking the knee” prior to certain key games. The Premier League made this announcement.
In the year 2020, clubs competing in the Premier League united their support behind the Black Lives Matter movement in response to the killing of George Floyd, a Black man who died while in the custody of the police in Minneapolis in May of that year. Floyd was killed for no apparent reason.
Before it was switched out for the phrase “No Room for Racism,” the Black Lives Matter emblem was used on the shirts of clubs that competed in the Premier League. Shirts were also sold with the slogan.
The danger of becoming diluted
In spite of this, opinions regarding whether or not players should continue to take a knee before games have been met with widespread disagreement in the world of sports. The gesture, which was made popular by NFL star Colin Kaepernick in 2016, has been claimed to be in danger of becoming diluted by certain sports commentators. Kaepernick made the gesture famous in 2016.
Premier League club captains restated their commitment to eradicating racism and all forms of intolerance, but they also stated that players had decided to pick certain dates throughout the next campaign, which begins on Friday, to take the knee. The new season starts on Friday. This coming Friday marks the beginning of the new season.
“We have decided to select significant or considerable moments to take the knee during the season in order to highlight our unity against all forms of racism and in doing so, we continue to show solidarity for a common cause.” “We will not stand for racism in any form.”
“We are unwaveringly devoted to eliminating all forms of racial discrimination and developing a society that welcomes all people, treats them with respect, and makes equal opportunity available to all.”
Players will kneel during the opening match round of the season, the “No Room for Racism” match rounds in October and March, the Boxing Day fixtures after the World Cup, league matches on the final day of the season, and the FA Cup and EFL Cup finals. Players will also kneel during the finals of the FA Cup and the EFL Cup.
Premier League
The Premier League has issued a statement indicating that it supports the decision and that it intends to make the most of chances such as this to promote anti-racist messaging.
The statement went on to say that “on behalf of the captains, a total of 238,000 pounds ($289,836) will be donated to designated youth clubs.” This was in addition to the 119,000 pounds that had been earned from the royalties of the “No Room For Racism” sleeve badges that had been worn on club shirts during the previous season.
The Premier League came through on its promise to those teams by contributing an amount of money equal to the total that was earned through the sale of badges.