Still booing the taking the knee

All we need to do is not be passive when we see racism in any form. It's not exclusively a white issue, but more prevalent as a white issue in the UK.
Everyone has a part to play.
There can not be a place for it. In any form.
 
As for taking the knee. That's definitely not my right to have an option on.

Booing taking the knee..? I will have my opinion heard on that...
 
I mentioned this booing the taking of the knee to a non-Teesside mate. He asked why we don't take it and I explained it was stopped during Warnock's tenure, to which he somewhat sardonically replied, "What, Neil Warnock the keen Tory and Boris supporter oversaw the stopping of an anti-racist gesture? And now people are booing it? Surely not!"
 
I mentioned this booing the taking of the knee to a non-Teesside mate. He asked why we don't take it and I explained it was stopped during Warnock's tenure, to which he somewhat sardonically replied, "What, Neil Warnock the keen Tory and Boris supporter oversaw the stopping of an anti-racist gesture? And now people are booing it? Surely not!"
I think there was booing when we did do it.. as much as some folks took for granted those booing fully understood what the gesture meant, where it came from and what it represented I think many underestimated at the time how much the gesture had been politicised by American Conservatives saying it was anti patriotic, anti american.. then of course communist/marxist which goes from prominent right wing social media commentators in America describing ‘antifa’ as some sort of terrorist group.. this then gets translated by wannabe social media commentators in Britain as ‘anteefa’ - no real knowledge of what they are talking about, what they are hearing from America what it means and the huge difference in politics from across the pond (not such a big difference now) anteefa, marxists becomes ‘the left’ ‘Corbynites’ ‘Labour’ ‘snowflakes’ ‘wokeists’ - as that passes down the ladder from social media, to work, to pub, to terrace.. you quickly have folks more than happy to boo what they have been told and understand to be a political statement.. meaning Labour, Remain, Political Correctness, Wokeness.

Sharing videos of cats from British First, eating up every last shred of gormeless Clarkson quips, Boris gaffs, Schofield gurns and even Gary Lineker tweets that don’t interfere with the status quo or match of the day going to air.. we have racism by osmosis.

Now, how do you educate your fans as about that when as ll they want to do is go to the football?

We ducked out, we passed the book, we hid behind Britt who agreed with Les Ferdinand.. but we forgot the action, we failed to be visible in our anti racist stance snd we allowed a small minority to sneak threw the cracks and control the narrative.

We are not Millwall fans, we are not Chelsea fans.. we have black players celebrated and close to the hearts of the boro fan base. Our most successful moments in our history don’t happen without Emerson, Ehiogu, Hasselbaink to name just a few.. is that what our fans are booing?

We were quick to jump on the bandwagon #WorldWithoutNature Greenpeace was considered to be a terrorist organisation by those who they held to account. The tories and the BBC have decided climate change is political now so they are cancelling a David Attenborough documentary.
56DF7557-023A-40C0-BC18-DE10E1E6A0D2.jpeg
Imagine a world without wildlife?

How about imagine cup finals without our black players.. which we are in effect booing when teams take the knee. Imagine this season without Steffen, Archer, Ramsey, Akpom.. imagine a play off final with no black players because we failed to be visable, we put our heads in the sand when we needed to speak out.

We made a decision out of cowardice and we’ve failed to recitify that.. perhaps out of fear. Fear of confrontation? Fear of holding our hands up and saying we got it wrong?
 
Last edited:
I'm not sure the big about the Attenborough TV show being cancelled is accurate - I had read that it was an extra episode that was never intended to air on the BBC and always planned to be shown on another platform (I don't know this, but have read it), but otherwise I agree wholeheartedly with everything you've said here, Newy.
We're sleepwalking our way into intolerance and division. The Boo boys don't even know what they're booing for, when you get down to it.
 
Last edited:
I think there was booing when we did do it.. as much as some folks took for granted those booing fully understood what the gesture meant, where it came from and what it represented I think many underestimated at the time how much the gesture had been politicised by American Conservatives saying it was anti patriotic, anti american.. then of course communist/marxist which goes from prominent right wing social media commentators in America describing ‘antifa’ as some sort of terrorist group.. this then gets translated by wannabe social media commentators in Britain as ‘anteefa’ - no real knowledge of what they are talking about, what they are hearing from America what it means and the huge difference in politics from across the pond (not such a big difference now) anteefa, marxists becomes ‘the left’ ‘Corbynites’ ‘Labour’ ‘snowflakes’ ‘wokeists’ - as that passes down the ladder from social media, to work, to pub, to terrace.. you quickly have folks more than happy to boo what they have been told and understand to be a political statement.. meaning Labour, Remain, Political Correctness, Wokeness.

Sharing videos of cats from British First, eating up every last shred of gormeless Clarkson quips, Boris gaffs, Schofield gurns and even Gary Lineker tweets that don’t interfere with the status quo or match of the day going to air.. we have racism by osmosis.

Now, how do you educate your fans as about that when as ll they want to do is go to the football?

We ducked out, we passed the book, we hid behind Britt who agreed with Les Ferdinand.. but we forgot the action, we failed to be visible in our anti racist stance snd we allowed a small minority to sneak threw the cracks and control the narrative.

We are not Millwall fans, we are not Chelsea fans.. we have black players celebrated and close to the hearts of the boro fan base. Our most successful moments in our history don’t happen without Emerson, Ehiogu, Hasselbaink to name just a few.. is that what our fans are booing?

We were quick to jump on the bandwagon #WorldWithoutNature Greenpeace was considered to be a terrorist organisation by those who they held to account. The tories and the BBC have decided climate change is political now so they are cancelling a David Attenborough documentary.
View attachment 54856
Imagine a world without wildlife?

How about imagine cup finals without our black players.. which we are in effect booing when teams take the knee. Imagine this season without Steffen, Archer, Ramsey, Akpom.. imagine a play off final with no black players because we failed to be visable, we put our heads in the sand when we needed to speak out.

We made a decision out of cowardice and we’ve failed to recitify that.. perhaps out of fear. Fear of confrontation? Fear of holding our hands up and saying we got it wrong?
Scotland and Wales - despite not always doing it (certainly Scotland don't always and think Wales are the same?) both took the knee with England after there had been some booing of England doing it
QPR had stopped doing it but took the knee at Millwall after Millwall had been booed
It gave a clear message that even if not usually taking the knee they stood by those who did
While I hope Boro would start doing it anyway I would hope that they at least do it alongside any team that comes here and choose to do it
 
Some have tried to defend it on here and none of the defences stack up or make any kind of sense from what I've read.
The only real defence, and it is valid, albeit a little distasteful, is they have a right to boo, providing it isn't accompanied with hate speach.
 
The only real defence, and it is valid, albeit a little distasteful, is they have a right to boo, providing it isn't accompanied with hate speach.

I'm not sure that is a defence. If they are booing an anti-racist gesture that, in itself is a racist action. The club wouldn't tolerate people shouting the N word at players so I am at a loss as to why they tolerate this. I would imagine it is because a lot of people are doing it and it would cause a storm to ban all of these fans. It is weak from Boro and very disappointing.
 
I'm not sure that is a defence. If they are booing an anti-racist gesture that, in itself is a racist action. The club wouldn't tolerate people shouting the N word at players so I am at a loss as to why they tolerate this. I would imagine it is because a lot of people are doing it and it would cause a storm to ban all of these fans. It is weak from Boro and very disappointing.
The club don't have to tolerate it, the Riverside is private property. They are, however, allowed to protest the gesture by booing, in law. Rightly or wrongly. Probably rightly given what that kind of legislation would, possibly, do.
 
I think it's a little bit more simple than that.

Do you think any of our black players or their colleagues have been booed because of their skin colour and do they have the right to do something against that?

There's a real danger of placating racists here and in this place, they're the last ones who need looking after.
 
Massively playing devil's advocate here. Where does freedom of speech end and offensive begin?

I know I am going to get pelters for this, and I am, in no way shape or form supporting the booing.

I would like to see the club do something about this. Perhaps our right to express ourselves is why they are not. Is this a stretch?
I can’t imagine the club are happy at all about what’s going on.

When opposition fans/staff, media and members of the public watching at home hear loud boos for an anti-racist gesture the logical conclusion would be Middlesbrough is a club that has a problem with racism.

I’m sure if as a anti-monarchist if I’d have booed the minute’s silence for the Queen the same people saying it’s their freedom of speech to boo the knee would have been calling for me to hung, drawn, quartered and banned.
 
I can’t imagine the club are happy at all about what’s going on.

When opposition fans/staff, media and members of the public watching at home hear loud boos for an anti-racist gesture the logical conclusion would be Middlesbrough is a club that has a problem with racism.

I’m sure if as a anti-monarchist if I’d have booed the minute’s silence for the Queen the same people saying it’s their freedom of speech to boo the knee would have been calling for me to hung, drawn, quartered and banned.

My first thought is: is booing actually speech? If not, freedom of speech isn't relevant.
I've long said that if anyone has what they think to be considered and reasonable objections to taking the knee, it is their responsibility to find a better way of expressing it that booing. If not, they will be lumped in with those who just hate people with different skin colours, and are presumably happy to be regarded in this way. Booing is fairly childish really, and suggests the individual doesn't really have a point beyond hatred. If you had a reasonable objection to players taking the knee, you'd be embarrassed and ashamed by those booing; you wouldn't join in.

Likewise, if you'd booed the queen's passing, you'd have been considered a fool with no real point beyond "I just hate the monarchy", and you would have harmed the republican cause, as many without strong opinions would have reacted against your actions. I think most republicans saw sense in displaying at least some respect for the queen, and from many of them it was sincere, even if they didn't approve of the institution. The valid arguments against the monarchy are not best expressed by booing, are they?

So I don't really consider booing political speech: it's just an expression of hostility.

So would I think, for example, racist chanting is covered by free speech and booing, isn't because the first involves words? Probably not: if you have a genuine point to make, you don't do it through the medium of a football chant, do you?
 
Last edited:
Back
Top