Millwall fans/Racism debate

Lots of black people face racism every day, not just on a 'picked out weekend'. Taking the knee helps to normalise opposition to racism whilst also exposing racist scum like the Millwall fans who booed this afternoon. Hope they enjoy finding their football banning orders on their doorsteps on Monday. 

Banning orders for what exactly ? Booing something you don’t agree with - is this really the road we are going down because it’s a dangerous one if we are, because I wasn’t aware that booing something was actually a crime ?

Who doesn't agree that black lives matter? The only people who don't agree with that statement are racists. Even more so if they not only think that black lives don't matter, but they would actively choose to boo such a statement. And racism is a banning order offence so its pretty clear cut as far as I'm concerned. 

If your view on this is any different to your attitude toward, for example, people booing on remembrance weekend, or Holocaust Memorial day, then you ought to have a long hard look in the mirror and ask yourself why that might be.  

So easy for the foaming haters to throw in the “stop making it political” / “keep politics out of football” line isn’t it? There’s nothing “political” about wanting ethnic minorities to be treated equally. It’s basic human decency.

I don't know, I think there is a degree of politics behind BLM with the likes of the Defund the Police campaign, and supporting Biden/Harris. It may be politics I agree with, but still I can see how it's polarising.

I do think a lot of white people are way too defensive about the whole thing. It's amazing to see people still retorting with comments like "all lives matter" as if it's clever and original. Anyone saying that hasn't bothered to read or understand the basics of what the campaign is all about, so I don't know why they think their views deserve any respect. 

But at the same time, if that's the response it's getting, is it working? Is it conducive to racial harmony? I'm not so sure. Maybe it's for black people to decide as I can't speak for their experiences. 

They can disagree with it and make their feelings known in a more dignified manner. Whether or not the behaviour of the Millwall fans is overtly racist it's appalling behaviour. That club has a seriously nasty minority of fans who revel in the whole 'no one likes us, we don't care' image. I have some sympathy for the club, which has tried to an extent to drive out the real scum, but they won't go far enough because they don't want to alienate their core support. Anyone who has ever been there as an away fan will testify that it's a thoroughly unpleasant experience.

So Gary Rowett has come out this morning and said he and his players
feel that taking the knee is nothing more than an empty gesture and it’s something they actually don’t want to do... Maybe those fans all getting banning orders on Monday morning actually felt the same 🤔

That’s the problem in a nutshell. Millwalls players have decided they don’t want to take the knee as they feel it’s become an empty gesture. But if they play a team that decides they are going to take the knee then they’ll be left standing there while it happens, then no doubt they’ll be labeled racists, which is ridiculous when you consider that they have black players in their squad.

The same has happened in Formula 1. Lewis Hamilton practically branded any driver who didn’t take a knee a racist when it first happened.

I give up.

He may have a point, but in the context of what happened it doesn't seem like the best angle to take, or the best time to argue it.

There's a debate to be had about the effective of the campaign and how long it should go on for, but for as long as it's done, it should be respected.

When the Burnley plane incident happened, their captain came out straight after the game and condemned it. Millwall's response has been unimpressive in comparison, taking nearly a full 24 hours to release a pretty feeble statement. 

Shall we include gypsies in that ethnic minority that you want treated equally? I seem to remember you posting on here that you would like them all "exterminated" 

I always thought that the moment fans were allowed back in grounds that this would happen. It just seems so orchestrated a bit like synchronised swimming . Every body has their place to stand, and all kneel on unison, this to me gives the impression that the players don't all believe in it and it is something they are told to do.

Yes, because what we definitely need here is a few more white men like Gary Rowett telling the black community that standing in solidarity with them is an empty gesture. He can proceed directly to the bin alongside the booing fans. 

I do think the movement of BLM represents something really important that needs addressing in society. I do think in football also though talking the knee is becoming like the @kick it out' weekend where lots of badges and shirts are worn alongside gestures and announcements. In reality this hasn't addressed any deep issues in football of lack of diversity in management both on and off the pitch or in governance. Taking the knee is becoming very similar very quickly unless or other things change.

I do think the vast majority of football fans are decent people and are an easy story for lazy journalists. In 30 years of supporting Chester home and away I've hardly heard anything racist , which is still to much but in reality of lot of time spent watching football by a lot of people being decent people. I've heard far worse and more at cricket matches (and not all by england fans) which I've spent a lot less time at.