Evening Gazette comments page on ‘the knee’

Muttley said:
The poppy thing is very strange. I really don't understand how or why it started. As an old git who went to football in the late 60's which let's not forget was only 25ish years after WW2 it was NEVER a thing and there would have been veterans of that global conflict stood on the terraces. It seems to be part of the lurch towards nationalism that I find disturbing. Not prepared to wear a poppy? GET OUT! It is divisive, it shouldn't be it should be a simple remembrance of those who gave their lives often conscripted and ill led. For me plastering poppies all over football shirts is almost insulting to the sacrifice of those poor lads.

I'd certainly lose the poppy before I stopped players taking the knee
Click to expand...
It began in 2015 and the shirts are then auctioned off, raising money for the Royal British Legion. I personally like it. It also helps keep them in the minds of the public.
 
Muttley said:
The poppy thing is very strange. I really don't understand how or why it started. As an old git who went to football in the late 60's which let's not forget was only 25ish years after WW2 it was NEVER a thing and there would have been veterans of that global conflict stood on the terraces. It seems to be part of the lurch towards nationalism that I find disturbing. Not prepared to wear a poppy? GET OUT! It is divisive, it shouldn't be it should be a simple remembrance of those who gave their lives often conscripted and ill led. For me plastering poppies all over football shirts is almost insulting to the sacrifice of those poor lads.

I'd certainly lose the poppy before I stopped players taking the knee
Click to expand...
Poppy bling, never a thing when I was a lad, people I know who years ago wouldn't even know why people wore poppies are draped in them from October onwards.
 
BoroFur said:
All of the F1 drivers do support the anti-racism principle which is the most important thing in my book. Whether they kneeled or stood silently in solidarity is irrelevant to me.

Sportspeople around the world could make any form of anti-racism gesture yet the racists would find a way to criticise.
Click to expand...
Why was this never the case with Kick It Out, or UEFA? In all the years I have been seeing them perform pre-match anti-racist gestures; players read out statements, wearing t-shirts and unfurling banners, etc. there was never any booing, or criticism or negative reaction.

Muttley said:
The poppy thing is very strange. I really don't understand how or why it started. As an old git who went to football in the late 60's which let's not forget was only 25ish years after WW2 it was NEVER a thing and there would have been veterans of that global conflict stood on the terraces. It seems to be part of the lurch towards nationalism that I find disturbing. Not prepared to wear a poppy? GET OUT! It is divisive, it shouldn't be it should be a simple remembrance of those who gave their lives often conscripted and ill led. For me plastering poppies all over football shirts is almost insulting to the sacrifice of those poor lads.

I'd certainly lose the poppy before I stopped players taking the knee
Click to expand...
Pretty sure because club's PR agents decided it was a way to try and connect with their disenfranchised fanbases after the poppy had been appropriated as a symbol of pride and patriotism during the Afghan and Iraq wars. I think it was Sunderland, or West Brom that started it in England about 15 years back.
 
Muttley said:
The poppy thing is very strange. I really don't understand how or why it started. As an old git who went to football in the late 60's which let's not forget was only 25ish years after WW2 it was NEVER a thing and there would have been veterans of that global conflict stood on the terraces. It seems to be part of the lurch towards nationalism that I find disturbing. Not prepared to wear a poppy? GET OUT! It is divisive, it shouldn't be it should be a simple remembrance of those who gave their lives often conscripted and ill led. For me plastering poppies all over football shirts is almost insulting to the sacrifice of those poor lads.

I'd certainly lose the poppy before I stopped players taking the knee
Click to expand...
I see poppies on the shirt and taking the knee as a form of forced inclusion on the part of others, the "poppy police" who question why you aren't wearing one and the " if you don't agree with taking the knee you are racist" types are two sides of the same coin. Although I doubt many in both camps would see it that way.
 
Ex pfc wintergreen said:
I see poppies on the shirt and taking the knee as a form of forced inclusion on the part of others, the "poppy police" who question why you aren't wearing one and the " if you don't agree with taking the knee you are racist" types are two sides of the same coin. Although I doubt many in both camps would see it that way.
Click to expand...
I don't think this is about not agreeing. Personally, I don't bother with a poppy, but I certainly don't boo those who do, or give them any hostility for wearing one.
 
Ex pfc wintergreen said:
It's about personal beliefs being forced on others by people who claim the moral high ground as their main argument.
Click to expand...
How is it being forced? And what do you have against a gesture in favour of racial equality anyway? The only time that a grown bloke should boo is if they happen to be at a Pantomime with their kids. Embarrassing and thoroughly dispiriting that adults feel the need to behave in that way.
 
I like to see players kneeling before a game but I don't know much about the political Aims of BLM. For that reason I am not really in a position to be critical of someone who boos the gesture.

Overall it may have been better if a different gesture had been used to show solidarity with our cousins of every race, religion and background.
 
If you listen to people like Ian Wright talk about the daily racist abuse that he receives via social media, that to me is more compelling than the stange or clever arguments that people come up with against this.

Lots of the arguments against the knee seem to miss the point of the whole kneeling thing, and the arguments are against things that the kneeling does not actually stand for.
 
Teesside87 said:
Bill seems to be a character on there. Got into an argument on there the other day. He claimed that no child goes hungry in the UK and that because obesity has went up in children, children cannot be going hungry. Didnt seem to realise that not every child is obese. But there are a lot of awful people on there, some of it makes me ashamed of the area with the pure hatred, ignorance and uncaring nature a lot of them seem to have.
Click to expand...
I've noticed a huge amount of bigotry and right wing agendas being pushed on local facebook news groups (not just the gazette). I think both the papers and the facebook groups are infiltrated by Tory shills, on the payroll, to push misinformation. No doubt Cummings legacy.
 
Last edited:
bumface said:
How is it being forced? And what do you have against a gesture in favour of racial equality anyway? The only time that a grown bloke should boo is if they happen to be at a Pantomime with their kids. Embarrassing and thoroughly dispiriting that adults feel the need to behave in that way.
Click to expand...
I was referring to those who demand you wear a poppy as well as those who think it's racist if you don't agree with taking the knee,my point being that people will select their particular cause and use a moral argument to back it up. Ironically they think they are being progressive but it's really a form of reactionary behaviour.
 
Ex pfc wintergreen said:
I was referring to those who demand you wear a poppy as well as those who think it's racist if you don't agree with taking the knee,my point being that people will select their particular cause and use a moral argument to back it up. Ironically they think they are being progressive but it's really a form of reactionary behaviour.
Click to expand...
Thanks for replying with some words. Are you missing COB?
 
Ex pfc wintergreen said:
I was referring to those who demand you wear a poppy as well as those who think it's racist if you don't agree with taking the knee,my point being that people will select their particular cause and use a moral argument to back it up. Ironically they think they are being progressive but it's really a form of reactionary behaviour.
Click to expand...
Your missing the point new member its not about not agreeing with taking the knee it's about why people feel the need to boo
 
Laughing said:
I like to see players kneeling before a game but I don't know much about the political Aims of BLM. For that reason I am not really in a position to be critical of someone who boos the gesture.

Overall it may have been better if a different gesture had been used to show solidarity with our cousins of every race, religion and background.
Click to expand...
Isn't the aim simply equality?
 
Ex pfc wintergreen said:
I was referring to those who demand you wear a poppy as well as those who think it's racist if you don't agree with taking the knee,my point being that people will select their particular cause and use a moral argument to back it up. Ironically they think they are being progressive but it's really a form of reactionary behaviour.
Click to expand...
Disagreeing with the gesture of taking the knee is one thing. Actually booing it is another. Surely you see the difference. I don't think I have ever been booed by anyone for not wearing a poppy in the first week of November.
 
Laughing said:
I like to see players kneeling before a game but I don't know much about the political Aims of BLM. For that reason I am not really in a position to be critical of someone who boos the gesture.

Overall it may have been better if a different gesture had been used to show solidarity with our cousins of every race, religion and background.
Click to expand...
Also, are white people marginalised and do they face institutional racism in their daily lives? They are fighting to be equal, to have the same opportunities as everyone else.

I will say working class white people do face similar disadvantages to the BAME community in regards to social mobility and opportunity but that demographic aside the above point stands.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top