Quote Originally Posted by SwalePie View Post
Do they have to kneel? I thought it was a voluntary gesture of support?
I don't think any white player has a choice, to be fair, the flak they would get for refusing or even questioning it just wouldn't be worth making the stand for, he'd be accused of being a racist. There are some black players who are not doing it (including one over the river on the basis that BLM is a tool for political manipulation), but none in the England team. I'm guessing they are persisting with it now because of what the top players are experiencing on social media, but it doesn't appear to be helping and very possibly is making the situation a whole lot worse by encouraging or goading people into doing something they now know will upset these players.

When you consider that this country is among the very the least racist and least homophobic on the planet and all of the very serious human rights issues in places like China and the Middle East, it is a bit of a joke that fans are being made to feel as though they are complicit in "systemic racism" and I don't blame anybody for taking offence to the knee. Belgium have done it as I type and it was roundly booed.