premier league restarted with black lives matter on jersey and kneeling before KO

Do you think that was necessary? I always thought BLM is an American thing.

I mean in the UK police rarely kill people.

Guess what? Racism still exists, you know what I’m absolutely staggered that racism still exists when multi-millionaire premier league footballers have black lives matter on the back of their shirt and they kneel at the start of the game. It’s almost like it’s just pointless virtue signalling which has done absolutely **** all to end racism. Keep politics away from football, don’t shove BLM down our throats when it’s clearly a Marxist, political uprising.

How can you keep politics away from football when racism is an issue within the sport itself?? Are you just going to turn a blind eye or what?? Or maybe it’s not as big an issue for you to care, idk

Black footballers are extremely well represented in football. Every team has numerous black players, there really isn’t that big of an issue in football these days. Times have changed. Of course you’re going to get a few isolated incidents, there’s always going to be a few bad eggs in a crowd of 30000+. If someone was being racist at a football match, I’d report it. I would not turn a blind eye, what I’m saying though is that kneeling and having BLM on the back of the shirts has likely not done anything to solve racism. A racist guy isn’t just going to stop being racist because they had a little kneel at the start of the game, you can’t magically change how people think. It’s pointless.

Having black players in a team doesn't immediately equate to reduced racism.

Unless I'm mistaken, players kneeling and having BLM on their shirts has never been and is not currently presented as a solution to racism. I would be interested to see any source that suggests otherwise. Actions like these are not taken to eliminate an issue, they're taken to raise its profile.

Do you think that was necessary? I always thought BLM is an American thing.

I mean in the UK police rarely kill people.

No it doesn’t, but come on it’s not nearly as racist as people make it out to be. I’ve been watching Huddersfield for 10-15 years and I’ve never ever heard racism ever. I’ve been to many away games too. I’ve heard every other phobia under the sun, but that’s for another time.

I think people are very aware of what’s going on with racism, I really don’t think kneeling and having BLM on the back of the shirt is going to do anything. That’s just my opinion, plus I struggle to see who’s who as there are no names on the back 😂.

Black footballers are extremely well represented in football. Every team has numerous black players, there really isn’t that big of an issue in football these days. Times have changed. Of course you’re going to get a few isolated incidents, there’s always going to be a few bad eggs in a crowd of 30000+. If someone was being racist at a football match, I’d report it. I would not turn a blind eye, what I’m saying though is that kneeling and having BLM on the back of the shirts has likely not done anything to solve racism. A racist guy isn’t just going to stop being racist because they had a little kneel at the start of the game, you can’t magically change how people think. It’s pointless.

No it doesn’t, but come on it’s not nearly as racist as people make it out to be. I’ve been watching Huddersfield for 10-15 years and I’ve never ever heard racism ever. I’ve been to many away games too. I’ve heard every other phobia under the sun, but that’s for another time.

I think people are very aware of what’s going on with racism, I really don’t think kneeling and having BLM on the back of the shirt is going to do anything. That’s just my opinion, plus I struggle to see who’s who as there are no names on the back 😂.

Your first statement is wrong. Black footballers are well represented in playing numbers. Black and other ethnic minorities are not well represented in the rest of the footballing community - from coaches, to managers, to the board room etc.

Ignoring racism or pretending it doesn't happen in modern society also isn't going to change how people think. Footballers (rightly or wrongly) are obviously role models for a lot of young people and so they have more influence than you think. Even if you encourage one youngster to think twice before making or using a racist term means you're making a difference.

No you’re right, we should have quota systems. Absolutely ridiculous, people should be hired because of their skills and merit, not because of their race. People are just actively seeking out discrimination these days like honestly.

I’m not ignoring it, in fact I’ve said that there have been numerous racist incidents over the past couple years, but come on. There’s going to be a few bad eggs in a crowd of 40000, that’s just going to happen. Unfortunately that’s always going to happen, you can’t change how people think.

You’ve got a good point about youngsters actually, so thank you for raising that point.

The quota system has flaws but when change is not coming from within then it's not the worst way to try and force some change. Once the doors open, more people will be treated fairly on skill and merit.

It's funny that you're against positive discrimination but instead hit the nail on the head as to why racism is bad. Why shouldn't a black person be given the same opportunity to be a manager at a top club is an obvious one and yet it doesn't happen.

Racism comes in many different forms. The easiest one is when someone is shouting racist terms at someone. But when a black person, who on skill and merit, should get the job but instead gets turned down in favour of a white candidate - because the hirer says "it just feels a better fit" - you don't think that's racism?

Well in that case, you continue to persevere until racism is stamped out or shunned by society as a whole. Of course you can change how people think or how they behave. You can draw a distinction between those who are actively racist and believe they are superior/others are inferior or different and those who might have racist behaviours because that is all they have seen around them and think that is normal or acceptable.

Racism is a learned behaviour - no one is born a racist. If you can learn racism, thenyou can learn how to be tolerate and fair to all people.

Black people aren't asking to be treated better or more postively than anyone else. They just wanted to be treated for what they are, just another human who probably has the same dreams and aspirations as the next person (regardless of colour).

A quota system is never fair. Positive discrimination is not a good way of stamping out racism, surely positive discrimination is actually racist.

Big clubs are going to hire managers that have merit, that have experience, their race wouldn’t come into it at all. We have to look at the bottom if we want to change this, the internet says there are less black managers in the manager academy and we need to find out why this is. Positive discrimination is never the way to go, but instead solving issues from the bottom, we have to find out why there’s an under representation first of all, and tackle it from there.

Yes it does. You’re going to have to find an example of that happening, I’d love to hear it. I’m not saying it’s bull****, but still, find me an example of when that actually occurred.

You can change how youngsters can think sure, but if you think kneeling at the start of the game is going to cause a 40 year old male to do a complete u turn on his racist thoughts then you’re sadly mistaken I’m afraid.

Agreed.

Fair enough. Thank you for understanding and having a civil debate.