As England goes down to the pitch this Sunday against Croatia, fans have been warned against booing Players who take a knee in solidarity against Discrimination.
The Gareth Southgate side open their tournament on home turf at Wembley but there are fears the anti-discrimination gesture prior to kick-off could once again be jeered.
PHOTO/COURTESY
This follows after the crowd at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough booed players for taking a knee prior to the recent Euro warm-up friendlies against Austria and Romania.
England have already made it clear they intend to take a knee before every one of their matches at the Euros and a video and statement released on the eve of their first game has urged fans to support them.
In the statement released to the public, England insists that taking a knee isn’t political and isn’t linked to the Black Lives Matter movement, but is simply a stand against discrimination in all its forms.
The statement that was posted on social media via twitter urged fans to stay calm and observe highest order in supporting the Team.
‘Tomorrow, our England senior men’s team will begin their EURO 2020 campaign at hour home, Wembley Stadium.
‘Major tournaments don’t come around often and when they do, it’s an opportunity to unite friends, family and the country.
‘This collective support is what spurs our team on during challenging moments and it gives them the best chance of succeeding.
‘As the team has reiterated many times, they will collectively take the knee ahead of their fixtures during the tournament.
They are doing this as a mechanism of peacefully protesting against discrimination, injustice and inequality.
‘This is personally important to the player and the values the team collectively represents.
‘This gesture of unity and fighting against inequality can be traced back as far as the 18th century.
‘It is not new, and English football has made it very clear that it does not view this as being aligned to a political organisation or ideology.
‘There can be no doubt as to why the players are taking a knee and what it represents in a footballing context.
The FA received the backing of tournament organizers UEFA last week amid frustrations that the Government had refused to condemn fans who booed.
In addition to UEFA’s plea to fans, there will be a series of messages displayed on the big screen at Wembley on Sunday condemning discrimination and asking for the players to be treated with respect.
‘UEFA has a zero tolerance against racism and any player who wants to demand equality among human beings by taking the knee will be allowed to do so,’ a UEFA spokesperson said.
‘We urge spectators to show respect for teams and players taking the knee.
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