Millwall finally condemn fans for BOOING their own players

Millwall Football Club have finally released a statement following an incident which saw supporters boo their own players for taking a knee in solidarity of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement. 

The club said they were ‘saddened’ by events which took place during Millwall’s Championship game with Derby county on Saturday and felt ‘disappointed’ that the return of fans to their stadium was ‘overshadowed’. 

As a result, Academy and Community Trust staff will meet with Kick It Out and representatives from other appropriate bodies in an attempt to use Saturday’s events as a catalyst for more rapid solutions which have an impact both in the short and long-term.   

Millwall fans booed after players took the knee ahead of their Championship clash with Derby

Supporters were allowed back into The Den for the first time since the Covid outbreak in March

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.

Not all teams continue to take the knee before games, with Queens Park Rangers’ director of football Les Ferdinand saying the impact of the stance had been ‘diluted’.

However, prior to their game against Derby, the Millwall squad released one of their own. They said:’The gesture of “taking the knee” before matches provides an opportunity for us to do exactly that and continues to allow all those playing to publicly showcase their support – on behalf of the whole squad – for the fight against discrimination. 

‘We wish to make clear that taking the knee, for us, is in no way representative of any agreement with political messaging or ideology.

‘It is purely about tackling discrimination, as has been the case throughout.

‘We will continue to do this until the start of the new year when a new and comprehensive anti-discrimination strategy will be announced by the club.’