Still booing the taking the knee

Of course it won't, they'll boo even more.

Which is sad, but at least the club wouldn't look like they were pandering to them.

I think there's a myth that our club opposes this gesture becasue we don't participate in it.

I don't think that's true: I note that our players don't actually boo the opposition when they take the knee. Those booing in the stands are certainly not somehow speaking on behalf of our players, or representing their views.

However, if participating is what is to dispose of the flimsy myth that we, as a club, oppose this, then so be it.

Out of interest, how would fans feel if:
the first time the knee was booed, the players immediately take the knee again to challenge the gesture from the stands.
If it's booed the second time, they refuse to play?

We've praised, for example, the England team' preparedness to walk off the pitch if subjected to abuse in Eastern Europe. It's not like it would force the crowd to applaud; they can just stand in silence for 5 seconds if they disagree.
 
For me our players not taking the knee emboldens those who boo it and allows them to hide behind the "keep politics out of football" excuse. We should absolutely start doing it asap
The whole "keep politics out of sport" rhetoric is absolute horse$hit (not aimed at you but in general)

human rights issues should never be considered politics, and the fact that this government is hanging its very survival at the next election on dog whistling to the kind of morons who think its acceptable is the most truly frightening aspect of modern day right wing politics.
 
Do 'we' as a club find it unacceptable though? Many of us individually might but I;m not sure about it as a club. They really should clarify.
Yeah this is important. The silence is deafening. As Solomon Burke once sang: "If you don't say that it's wrong that says it's right"
 
Yeah this needs a club statement of some form.

I didn't notice Ramsey/Archer starting to do it - that's going to have some effect on them as well, even if on a sub-conscious level.

We know we have leaders in the dressing room, we need them to show a bit of leadership now.
 
I think there's a myth that our club opposes this gesture becasue we don't participate in it.

I don't think that's true: I note that our players don't actually boo the opposition when they take the knee. Those booing in the stands are certainly not somehow speaking on behalf of our players, or representing their views.

However, if participating is what is to dispose of the flimsy myth that we, as a club, oppose this, then so be it.

Out of interest, how would fans feel if:
the first time the knee was booed, the players immediately take the knee again to challenge the gesture from the stands.
If it's booed the second time, they refuse to play?

We've praised, for example, the England team' preparedness to walk off the pitch if subjected to abuse in Eastern Europe. It's not like it would force the crowd to applaud; they can just stand in silence for 5 seconds if they disagree.

I don't think the club opposes the gesture, I don't think the majority of Boro fans do either, but I think it creates an unfortunate association when our team isn't kneeling and a minority of racists in our crowd are loudly booing the opposition when they do.
 
Yeah this needs a club statement of some form.

I didn't notice Ramsey/Archer starting to do it - that's going to have some effect on them as well, even if on a sub-conscious level.

We know we have leaders in the dressing room, we need them to show a bit of leadership now.

its kinda tricky isnt it. The club should absolutely not force the players to take the knee, it has to be a personal choice or one arrived at as a collective to show solidarity. the club cant put that responsibility on the players.

IMHO the club wont issue a statement, as they wont know what to say or will be fearful of pouring petrol on the flames. But the club needs to do something.

Maybe a video message like the McGree "stay off the pitch" type message. You know, "please stop being a racist scumbag?" maybe?
 
Depressing isn't it?

FFS just sing a song or STFU for thirty seconds. Racist bellends gonna do their thing I guess,
 
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It was Britt as captain that made the final decision. He is no longer here. Time for other ideas.

I noticed both the Villa lads went to take the knee then stopped. It's expected that we should by incoming players, just do it.

It wasn’t you know.
Britt had a view which was fair enough.

The manager at the time spoke to the players to get their view.
You know the one - the 70 year old dinosaur.

This wasn’t a decision for players or a manager.
This was a decision for Gibson and Bauser as leaders of their ‘brand’.

They were happy with the outcome
 
I don't think the club opposes the gesture, I don't think the majority of Boro fans do either, but I think it creates an unfortunate association when our team isn't kneeling and a minority of racists in our crowd are loudly booing the opposition when they do.

Agreed on both points.

However, I think non-participation gets twisted into opposition in the minds, or at least the explanations, of those booing.
 
Where is the other stuff we were doing in stream of taking the knee? It certainly hasn’t been visable.. which was the whole point of doing it in the first place.
They played a video - can't remember if pre-match or half time - promoting inclusiveness and saying everyone should be together. Has that stopped?
Not that it would stop the booing
I agree I would hope the players would resume taking the knee until the booing stops
 
Where is the other stuff we were doing in stream of taking the knee? It certainly hasn’t been visable.. which was the whole point of doing it in the first place.

Yep. I mean this was the rationale at the time wasn't it? Taking the knee is a hollow gesture, more needs to be done etc. I've not seen us do any more or anything different than any other club, happy to be corrected.

But as far as I can see we've taken the decision not to take knee because "more needs to be done" (which hollow gesture or not, arguably has just emboldened the racists) and we've not actually done anything else either! 🤦‍♂️
 
It saddens me that our fan base who are on the most part amazing can boo something that is an anti racism and discrimanatory gesture. It also saddens me that children are hearing it and taking part.
 
They played a video - can't remember if pre-match or half time - promoting inclusiveness and saying everyone should be together. Has that stopped?
Not that it would stop the booing
I agree I would hope the players would resume taking the knee until the booing stops
We can’t get stuff on point when it comes to selling our own shirts.. what hope do we have of the club producing and effective anti racism campaign.

I was shot down when I critized the clubs approach with the counter agrguement being.. we do alright with the food bank stuff.

As I’ve said before we need to have an honest conversation with ourselves before anything is even attempted.
 
We can’t get stuff on point when it comes to selling our own shirts.. what hope do we have of the club producing and effective anti racism campaign.

I was shot down when I critized the clubs approach with the counter agrguement being.. we do alright with the food bank stuff.

As I’ve said before we need to have an honest conversation with ourselves before anything is even attempted.
Yes we do, that is correct it must all be considered.
Boro Masala are setting up a supporters group at present for BAME and other fans of diversity and colour. They are gradually picking up support but also taking on board advice locally and nationally.
We will be out with selfie frames on Saturday at the Riverside gathering photos from fans in Boro shirts as well as gathering in unwanted Boro shirts (past and present). This is part of #myboromyshirt campaign which will culminate in a new mural of a Boro fan in Middlesbrough, an exhibition of Boro fans in their shirts and lots of signs between the town and Riverside of Boro fans.
The fans images will represent inclusivity and will say to everyone.. look this person is a big part of the Boro community.
Those final images could speak volumes about what feel about race, age, (dis) ability and how we are all welcome as Boro fans.
Just imagine having a mural or two at the ground and in the town with a striking image like this on it.
Would this not send out a big, big message against the racists?

MyCityMyShirt.jpg
 
Yep. I mean this was the rationale at the time wasn't it? Taking the knee is a hollow gesture, more needs to be done etc. I've not seen us do any more or anything different than any other club, happy to be corrected.

But as far as I can see we've taken the decision not to take knee because "more needs to be done" (which hollow gesture or not, arguably has just emboldened the racists) and we've not actually done anything else either! 🤦‍♂️
“It’s something we’ve been thinking about as a squad, and we’ve just come to this decision," he said.

"We obviously took the knee in the last game, but as a squad, we’ve talked about it since then. As a captain, I spoke to the boys because I wanted to take that responsibility.

"QPR obviously didn’t do it at their last game, so it was something we spoke about. There’s an important point to it, but I just feel now that there has to be action. It has to lead to something, as opposed to just being a trend. It can’t be a case of us just doing it for the sake of doing it. We want to see some action.

This was September 2020.. we haven’t seen any action.

Boro’s captain says the gesture has been a powerful force in supporting the movement for racial equality.

But now he says it's time for action. And time for change.

Boro's stance comes a week after QPR's director of football Les Ferdinand released a lengthy statement explaining why the Hoops had stopped taking a knee, with the former striker saying the impact of the gesture "has now been diluted".

Ferdinand said: "The taking of the knee has reached a point of 'good PR' but little more than that. The message has been lost. It is now not dissimilar to a fancy hashtag or a nice pin badge.

"What are our plans with this? Will people be happy for players to take the knee for the next 10 years but see no actual progress made?

Britt Assombalonga left in April 2021 not only did he not want to take the knee.. he didn’t want to play or perform for Boro. 1 year, 10 months and 22 days
 
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