The scenes have prompted reactions from pundits and former players including Trevor Sinclair, Gregg Halford and Gary Lineker, who told his Twitter followers the Millwall fans not booing were in the 'minority'. Millwall fans fight in stands as police and stewards step in to break Millwall supporters booed their own players while they took the knee in support of the fight against racism at The Den this afternoon. "We applaud the players of Millwall and Derby for taking a stand and defying the hate shown by some fans today.". But they sparked an anti-discrimination row after their vocal protest from the stands. "The players are continuing to use the biggest platform they have to support the drive for change, not just in football but in society generally. Millwall fans booed as their players took the knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. They don't agree with Black Lives Matter; that says they are racist to me. ', He added that it 'made me proud to wear this shirt with the boys today!!!'. The Football Association and anti-discrimination body Kick It Out have also condemned the booing. The visiting players took the knee prior to kick-off as they did in the Premier League last season but were booed by home fans at The Den.. After the match, which Fulham won 2-1, Lions boss Rowett called on authorities to "find a . About 2,000 fans attended the game at The Den but it was overshadowed as loud booing could be heard when players from both teams took the knee before kick off, with at least one supporter heard shouting "get up!". No commitment. said afterwards it was "disappointing and upsetting" to hear the booing from supporters. 'No one is more passionate than me about this topic. Coventry are another team who have opted not to take a knee this season. Millwall fans BOO after players take the knee ahead of Championship clash with Derby Gary Lineker leads footballers condemning Millwall fans for BOOING their own players as they took the. Due to your consent preferences, youre not able to view this. #BlackLivesMatter.". "It must've been really, really difficult proudly wearing a Millwall shirt to hear supporters boo something that you believe in, which is not a political message, let's make this absolutely clear. But what kind of mugs do they think the rest of us are? Those who booed were condemned by Millwalls club chiefs who said they were saddened and dismayed by the events. Fans at Saturday's EFL Championship match between Millwall and Derby County booed as the players took a knee to protest against racism after the opening whistle. "It is really important that the vast majority of us show respect and support of. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. There were Millwall fans who boo during recent matches against Portsmouth and Fulham. Everton midfielder Amadou Onana admits he's avoided this season's boo-boys. "Yesterday I witnessed the disgraceful and mindless behaviour by a large section of the Millwall supporters in the stadium," Rooney wrote in a social media post. Granit Xhaka reveals Mikel Arteta convinced him to stay after being Sheffield United are looking to put Wednesday evening's defeat to Middlesbrough behind them when they travel to Millwall this weekend. Black footballers should refuse to play if scenes at Millwall this What they have done is booed and condemned a peaceful gesture which was put in place to highlight, combat and stop any discriminatory behaviour. How to get into football - the most popular sport in the world, with clubs and facilities throughout the UK. Up to 2,000 fans were allowed into stadiums across England on Saturday, marking the first time since the pandemic began in March that any spectators were permitted to attend games in person. Millwall fans group says booing players taking a knee was not racist A statement from the Millwall Supporters' Club on Sunday, however, said the boos were aimed at the 'Black Lives Matter'. ', 'I am sure it is something that does need looking at and addressing. The gesture has been carried out by players and staff across the country originally in support of Black Lives Matter, before the Premier League distanced itself from the movement. And while none responded en masse the way Millwall supporters did to the players silent protest, it wasnt a totally isolated incident; a few scattered boos could be heard from fans of West Ham Millwalls historic rival before the Hammers Premier League clash with Manchester United. It is time and time and time again.". Captaincy chaos and Waldrum ultimatums - Will Nigeria be ready for World Cup. English soccer fans were allowed back into stadiums for the first time in almost a year on Saturday, but Millwall supporters didnt even make it to kickoff of the second-tier clubs match against Derby County before lustily booing both teams for taking a knee to call attention to systemic racism. "More on this story: https://t.co/SCap9J1hYZ pic.twitter.com/xETM4W5oHB, Lions fans are no strangers to controversy. Loud booing could be heard when players from both teams took the knee in support of #BlackLivesMatter movement before kick off, with at least one . Subscribe to leave a comment. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. he said on BBC Final Score. "There is much work to be done and at Millwall everyone is committed to doing all that is possible, both individually and collectively, to be a force for good and to ensure that the club remains at the forefront of football's anti-discrimination efforts.". There has been great progress in that campaign and to hear that today is upsetting for a lot of people.. The Den was able to host 2,000 home fans. A 1977 BBC documentary about the widely feared Millwall Bushwackers, a gang of hooligans known for attacking opposing fans, showed how ingrained antisocial behavior was in the culture of the club, which it linked to the National Front, a far right-wing British political party. Last updated on 6 December 20206 December 2020.From the section Millwall. "Millwall Football Club was dismayed and saddened by events which marred Saturday's game against Derby County at the Den," said the club in a statement. Former England defender Micah Richards described the scenes as 'disheartening'. "I don't want to say much about it, but all I can say is everyone at Derby County Football Club, we obviously took the knee, and no one condones that behaviour," Rooney said. "There are 2,000 so you can pinpoint the people going. The FA says it "strongly condemns" fans who "actively voice their opposition" to players taking a stand against discrimination. If youve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page wed love to hear from you. He then accused Laurence of fuelling these bigots with your absurd false equivalence. Home affairs reporter The Den welcomed back 2,000 supporters for the first time since the start of the pandemic for their 1-0. Millwall 'dismayed' after fans boo taking a knee Understand THAT., Laurence who has been critical of the BLM movement in the past spotted Piers comments and replied: Kneeling is a gesture of subservience and submission in our culture. Can Borussia Dortmund, Bundesliga's hottest team, topple Bayern for the title? Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV. Millwall footballer Mahlon Romeo said his team's fans 'have personally disrespected not just me but the football club'. I heard it and wasvery surprised. How do these fans get allocated to the games?". Millwall's match was among the first in England to welcome fans back to the stadium in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, which had locked fans out of matches since March. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. 'It is a political movement': British minister in row as fans boo That is racism. Millwall Fans Boo Players Taking Knee for Black Lives Matter First Round of Matches With Fans After over nine months, fans are finally back in the stadiums, albeit at a limited capacity. However, the Premier League and EFL made the decision toreplace the BLM slogan on shirts after growing concerns the movement has beenhijacked by extremists. Sport. Jacques Feeney/Getty Images. Rams veteran Colin Kazim-Richards slammed Millwalls boobirds on social media afterward, while also praising his Derby teammates and staffers for standing up for whats right. Even the UK government is tentatively supporting the Millwall fans so clearly the . Absolute disgrace.. pic.twitter.com/lVsdb1KUpa, Colin Kazim-Richards (@ColinKazim) December 5, 2020, Marquee Gonzaga-Baylor game postponed due to COVID-19, How Steelers 2020 draft class is fueling unbeaten season, Davis admits injuries played role in $190M deal with Lakers, Obamas high school hoops jersey fetches $192K at auction, English soccer fans were allowed back into stadiums. American football player Colin Kaepernick started kneeling symbolically during the pre-game national anthem in the NFL in 2016, in protest at police violence against African-Americans in the United States. Players in the Premier League now wear 'No Room for Racism' while EFL shirts bear the message 'Not Today or Any Day' in support of their ongoing campaign against all forms of discrimination. Some players, pundits and fans have condemned the fans' actions while others say the gesture is no longer appropriate. Millwall say they are "dismayed and saddened by events which marred Saturday's game against Derby . Piers Morgan defends Jeremy Clarkson over 'being cancelled by ITV' despite past feud, Matt Hancock 'planned to celebrate' Piers Morgan's GMB exit during lockdown, Dan Walker hits back at 'bitter numptie' Piers Morgan over claim he's 'milking' crash, It seems Laurence could be joining Piers and Susanna on Monday morning as he replied: Ill come on tomorrow morning. Millwall released a statement on Sunday that read: "Millwall Football Club was dismayed and saddened by events which marred Saturday's game against Derby County at The Den. "We are saddened by the behaviour of fans booing the players . Insistence that the knee is the morally superior way enforces religious rituals. Derby County caretaker manager Wayne Rooney has urged football fans to not "tolerate or accept" the actions of "mindless" fans who take part in discriminatory behaviour. The return of spectators was overshadowed by the pre-match incident. The Millwall miscreants that call themselves fans made headlines over the weekend for booing the players who kneeled before kickoff ahead of the club's match against Derby County. Professional clubs in England have taken a knee before kickoff in matches to support the Black Lives Matter movement, but the game at The Den was marred by supporters booing players. Dont think you come to this ground and spread hatred. Derby forward Colin Kazim-Richards, who is Black, described the booing as an "absolute disgrace" in a tweet after the match, where he expressed pride in taking a stand against racism. "It is important we do not tolerate or accept the actions of the mindless few.". As much as I find it distasteful, booing the gesture isn't in itself a racist act; you can't ban fans simply for booing. Rod Liddle is associate editor of The Spectator. It was pleasing to get the win. Despite seeing his first victory as interim manager of Derby, the 35-year-old expressed his disdain with the section of Lions supporters in an interview with TalkSPORT after . "The impact of such incidents is felt not just by the players and management, but by those who work throughout the club and in its academy and community trust, where so many staff and volunteers continue passionate endeavours to enhance Millwall's reputation day after day, year after year. Millwall FC 'dismayed and saddened' by booing at players taking the Get a grip Laurence youre losing the plot.. Millwall fans boo as players take the knee in support of Black Lives On players taking a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, Rowett added: 'Is it a political message, is it an anti-discrimination message? They don't agree with Black Lives Matter; that says they are racist to me. Facebook; Twitter; Facebook Messenger; Pinterest; Email; Fans at Millwall's home game against Derby booed when players took a knee before the game to support the league's anti-racism message on . Millwall Player Mahlon Romeo Issues Emotional Statement After Fans A section of Millwall FC fans booed players who chose to take a knee. There was widespread condemnation on Saturday of the behaviour of Millwall supporters who marked their return to the Den by booing as players took a knee before their Championship match against. I feel really low probably the lowest Ive felt in my time at this club.. ', Millwall boss Gary Rowett (left) said he was 'disappointed' by the fans' behaviour, while opposition manager Wayne Rooney (right) said it was 'surprising', In response, the FA said in a statement: 'The FA supports all players and staff that wish to take a stand against discrimination in a respectful manner, which includes taking of the knee, and strongly condemns the behaviours of any spectators that actively voice their opposition to such activities.'. Millwall 'dismayed and saddened' by fans' booing of players taking a Millwall fans boo taking of the knee; QPR take knee after scoring at Millwall; If any proof was needed that the deep, underlying problems of racism are trivialised and only addressed on a . On Twitter, Gary Lineker, said: 'Let's be fair, it only appears to be a small minority of Millwall fans that didn't boo the players taking the knee.'. It offended me, the players and everyone who works for this club. "We are disappointed that a small group of supporters have today chosen to voice their opposition to such activities directly aimed at raising awareness of the fight against racism.". Ahead of Saturday's game, Millwall's players released a statement signalling their intent to continue doing the gesture before matches until the New Year. Share the love. ', Players from both clubs took a knee before kick-off as part of the on going fight against racism, Inbetweeners actor Blake Harrison said: 'Sad and embarrassed to be a Millwall fan today.'.