Why EPL stop ‘take di knee’ before evri football match

Take the knee: Community Shield between Liverpool and Manchester City

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Premier League players go stop di pre-match anti-racism gesture of bending di knee before evri match.

Instead dem fit take di gesture before certain rounds of games, including di Boxing Day fixtures and cup finals.

Top-flight clubs begin take a knee to support di Black Lives Matter movement, and dis become popular afta di death of George Floyd for di United States for May 2020.

Premier League captains say dem take di decision afta dem consult wit players.

Players and staff go also fit take di knee before di first and last matches of di 2022-23 campaign.

Dis go also happun for dedicated No Room for Racism match rounds for October and March.

Di gesture bin happun before di Community Shield between Liverpool and Manchester City last Saturday.

Why di move?

Captains and players say dem believe say ‘less is more’ – dey hope say wen dem take di knee e go get greater impact.

“We don decide to select significant moments to take di knee during di season to highlight our unity against all forms of racism…

“… and in so doing we continue to show solidarity for one common cause,” dis na wetin one joint statement from di Premier League captains tok.

“We remain committed to comot racial prejudice, and to bring about inclusive society wit respect and equal opportunities for all.”

However, Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha wey stop for February 2021, tok dat time say “at di moment e no mata whether we kneel or stand, some of us still continue to receive abuse”.

Several Championship clubs, including Derby, Brentford, Bournemouth and Queens Park Rangers, also stop taking a knee around dat time.

Swansea City and Bristol City recently announce dem go stop di action as well.

“We meet wit di captains last week, dem still dey totally committed to di issue,” Premier League chief executive Richard Masters tell BBC Sport on Tuesday.

“For two years now taking di knee don become part of di pre-match ritual.

“Di players fear say e dey lose power and momentum and we go see am take place in a different format”. Oga Richard tok.

Take di knee history – wia e start?

NFL player Colin Kaepernick bin first inspire di gesture

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Na one NFL player Colin Kaepernick bin first inspire di gesture.

Colin Kaepernick decide to go on silent protest against racial oppression wen e kneel during di US national anthem before one match for 2016.

E tok say im no go fit stand to show pride for di flag of one kontri wey oppress black pipo.

Di anti-racist statement don since become a prominent symbol for sport and during protests.

E don also  become a feature of Black Lives Matter protests, including those wey follow di murder of George Floyd.

Di practice of taking di knee enta football for 2020, sake of di murder of George Floyd for di US.

A number of teams also take di knee during di Euro 2020 competition before some or all of dia matches, including Scotland, Wales, Belgium, Portugal and Switzerland.

For 2021, England players take di knee during one of dia Nations League match wit Hungary to protest against racial prejudice.