As a black football fan who grew up going to matches in the seventies and eighties, I know more than most about the beautiful game’s troubles with racism.
I can still remember my own club West Ham United being the first English Football League side to select three black players in their starting team on Easter Saturday 1972; and I can still recall, for two seasons in a row, a particular section of fans in the old west side stand ‘Sieg Heil’ saluting during every home game.
Nowadays, racism in football is less obvious but it still exists – and it needs to be called out. But I’m convinced that ‘taking the knee’ isn’t the way to do it.
Even those who support players taking the knee must surely now be able to see that this gesture has run its course
Why? Because the more footballers insist on genuflecting before kick-off, even if fans boo them in response, the more trouble is likely to erupt as a result. And
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