Tyrone Mings

[baggieal]

Mings is way out of order and showing that he doesn’t have much intellect. It’s not a law to take the knee. Taking the knee doesn’t mean you aren’t racist. Speaking out about it and being a black person (Priti) should really be enough to show that she is supportive. It’s balanced to accept that for whatever reasons (and there could be many) many won’t like the taking the knee concept and might even boo it from the crowd. I think he’s actually an embarrassment to their cause here.

Best post on this thread Boingy!

123 makes comments about Patel but that's irrelevant to the debate. This is a girl speaking out who has been racially abused herself and regardless of what anyone thinks of her - she has worked damn hard to get in that position and unlike Mings - she's educated! The treatment of those black players is absolutely shocking and I would ban for life those culprits from football. Everyone though has a right to be negative about taking the knee every week in a football match and they can boo if they wish - for God sake this does not mean they are racist! I have booed Sam Johnstone before when he's made howlers!

What would Southgate do if a white player for his own reasoning refuses to take the knee? We know they won't as it could mean they will be slaughtered and their career ended! Are most of the European sides all racist because they didn't take the knee?

Mings needs to engage his brain before he speaks.

Taking the knee is actually making the whole thing worse - don't these players get it! I applaud the first manager who bans all footballers from social media! Will Elton John or anyone who is openly gay do the equivalent of taking the knee when they receive disgusting comments too from those that are 99% full of praise for them?

[Titchfieldbaggie]

Mings is way out of order and showing that he doesn’t have much intellect. It’s not a law to take the knee. Taking the knee doesn’t mean you aren’t racist. Speaking out about it and being a black person (Priti) should really be enough to show that she is supportive. It’s balanced to accept that for whatever reasons (and there could be many) many won’t like the taking the knee concept and might even boo it from the crowd. I think he’s actually an embarrassment to their cause here.

I also think that because you say a gesture is non political, it doesn't make the statement true.

[Joy_Division]

I wonder in a few weeks time if we will see an advert for Pizza with either Rashford, Sancho or Saka in it with a paper bag over their head hiding from the shame of missing a penalty like we did with Southgate. I think not. Because it was perceived as a joke when it was Southgate and kudos to him for taking part. But if it was done now with anyone of the black players there would be outrage and yet who knows, maybe those players would be prepared to take part in the joke and see the funny side of things.

[westcountryvillain]

Something fishy here, I abhor all racism but the way the media, celebs and politicians are talking you'd think the abuse was all over social media when it came from just over 100 people with about half of the accounts being abroad (unless there's a way of masking your location within an app) - we are a nation of 66M.

Gareth Southgate and the players have repeatedly stated they take the knee as an anti-racism show of solidarity & not to endorse the stated aims of BLM. Priti Patel has endured racism for years including from the Guardian so she more than most is qualified to give an informed view but at the end of the day it's just how she sees it. But - she's a government minister and could have used her platform to support the players' intentions & taken the sting out of it. I suppose it could be argued she is brave to endorse freedom of expression given what she has gone through.

Mings is no less qualified though and I admire him for shining a light on it, in reality they both want the same thing - freedom of expression without hate that harms themselves & others.

[boingy]

You don't defeat racism by kneeling down on a piece of grass. You don't allow free expression by succumbing to every person who demands you see things their way. Through succumbing to demands from groups there is a square named and dedicated to a career criminal who held a knife to a pregnant womans throat, for all we know she might have to walk through that square and see the admiration he was allowed. I still hold that most calls of "Racism" are in fact problems with one group wanting to dominate another. Even in totally black countries in Africa some tribes have butchered others with machetes not because they were black but because they wanted to over power them. The real problem is domination, divisions and it isn't always a black or white issue. Hitler in Europe was another example. He tried to dominate a largely white group of people. If the England players want to take the knee then so they should. If the crowd doesn't like it, then they are totally within their rights to voice it. This is a free country. Or at least it was.