The new way WSL players showed opposition to racism – replacing taking the knee | OneFootball

Several WSL teams marked the start of Black History Month with a new gesture to signal their opposition to racism.

Players had taken the knee prior to matches for several seasons, following the example of NFL player Colin Kaepernick, who began kneeling during the US’s national anthem in 2016.

But in recent months there has been the development of a feeling that it was having no impact – despite the WSL themselves saying that teams were “invited to take the knee as a symbol of solidarity against racism and discrimination.”

Instead, ahead of some of the weekend’s matches, players from both teams joined together in a circle, with their arms linked – representing taking a united stand.

That was what happened before Friday’s 1-1 draw between Manchester United and Chelsea, and Saturday’s 3-2 win for Manchester City against Arsenal as well as Sunday’s matches between West Ham and Aston Villa, and Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton and Hove Albion.

“As players, we have chosen to not take the knee before kick-off this afternoon. Instead, we will stand up against racism,” Tottenham captain Bethany England was quoted as saying by the BBC.

“I have spoken to my team-mates at length, and we agree that taking the knee no longer feels meaningful. We are still seeing prejudice and racism, and there is so much more that everyone should be doing.”

And in the rest of the women’s football pyramid, teams lined up for a group photograph ahead of kick-off in their fixtures in solidarity with Peterborough United’s Kira Rai, who has also received racist abuse on social media.

There is a suggestion that teams may return to taking the knee for the next round of matches, and that this was a one-off change.

“Powerful actions are needed right now”

This all follows Jess Naz’s post on social media in September hitting out at the abuse she had received, saying: “Racism in any form is unacceptable and [it] is important to address this behaviour and ensure that steps are taken to prevent it from happening again.”

The Lionesses decided to stop taking the knee during the summer’s Euros after the racist abuse aimed at Jess Carter on social media.

“We feel like it has gone past that [taking the knee] now,” Georgia Stanway said at the time.

“We feel it is still happening even when we are taking the knee. We have decided that we will stand and we will not do that.

“We think that is a way of making change in itself because we want to get people talking – we want to tell people that what is being done isn’t enough.”

However, Piara Power, the executive director of FARE, football’s anti-discrimination organisation, was disappointed with that decision.

“The taking of the knee is a powerful anti-racist act and this England team have shown leadership across Europe in taking it for so long,” he said to the BBC.

“Powerful actions are needed right now, to deal with the issues that are being played out as we speak.”