England’s footballers will take the knee before their match against Scotland at Wembley tonight in an anti-racism protest that has divided supporters. Liam Rosenior and Paul MacInnes reflect on how football became enmeshed in the culture wars
When England’s footballers took to the pitch for their first match of Euro 2020 last Sunday they felt the weight of expectation as one of the tournament’s hotly tipped sides. But after a loudly bellowed national anthem, the team dropped to one knee on the Wembley turf for the anti-racism act that has become a mainstay of English football for the past year. Some of their own supporters loudly booed before the majority drowned them out in applause.
Liam Rosenior, a former professional footballer currently on the coaching staff at Derby County, tells Anushka Asthana of his sadness but not surprise at the booing. He takes apart the argument that the players are making an overtly political statement and chastises politicians who he believes have sought to use the issue to inflame existing tensions. The Guardian’s sports reporter Paul MacInnes delves into the history of the gesture itself, which gained traction in the US on the back of the long-running anti-racism protest made by NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
