It’s been a regular sight before Premier League and England matches for more than a year, but footballers taking a knee “isn’t going to change anything”, according to one former Three Lions star.
John Barnes was repeatedly racially abused while playing for Watford and Liverpool in the 1980s – including being pelted with bananas on the pitch – and he believes “football can do nothing to change racism”
“Until we change the perception of the average black person, we will never combat racism,” he tells Sky News.
“Any discrimination towards any footballer is a very small, minute part of racial discrimination towards black people.
“Is taking the knee going to change someone who’s racially biased?
“They can take the knee as much as they want. Taking the knee isn’t going to change anything.”
England footballers were jeered by Hungary fans as they knelt before Tuesday night’s match at Wembley, which was marred by violence from the away supporters.
Some England supporters booed their own players for taking the knee before the Euro championships earlier this year over apparent opposition to the Black Lives Matter organisation, which has called for the police to be “defunded”.
Gareth Southgate’s players have repeatedly insisted they are not making a political gesture and they are simply reinforcing the message that racism and discrimination will not be tolerated.
SOURCE: https://news.sky.com/story/why-increasing-number-of-footballers-have-stopped-taking-the-knee-12432154
