ARSENAL and Manchester United’s owners are refusing to apologise for their part in banning black players from taking the knee in protest against racial inequality.
Gunners supremo Stan Kroenke and the Glazer family both gave their backing to a controversial rule forbidding NFL stars from joining Colin Kaepernick in making the powerful gesture during the American national anthem.
Man Utd’s Glazer family and Arsenal Stan Kroenke won’t apologise for banning NFL players from taking a knee
They supported the policy which forbid any of their players from making any public show of kneeling, which is widely recognised as the symbol of support for racial equality.
And though NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has said sorry on behalf of the league for “not listening to black players” there has been no apology for actually voting to bar it in the first place.
The owners’ continued refusal to acknowledge their part in suppressing the fight against discrimination is in contrast to the work their Premier League clubs have been doing supporting Black Lives Matter in recent weeks.
United and Arsenal have made big plays of working to support the drive for equality for all since George Floyd died under the knee of a police officer last month.
Yet for all the good work of the clubs, and calls for change, neither owners are prepared to explain why they chose to effectively silence the anti-discrimination protest back in 2018 – or say sorry for taking that decision.
Kaepernick first knelt during the US anthem before matches in 2016 in protest at the treatment of black people in America at the hands of the police authorities.
HUGE CONTROVERSY
That sparked huge controversy with other players following suit, and in 2017 Joel Glazer released a statement on behalf of their franchise Tampa Bay Bucaneers defending the first amendment right to free speech.
But a year later the Glazer family were among a group of 32 team owners including Kroenke of the LA Rams, who supported new league rules ordering everyone to stand during the anthem and banning the taking of the knee in public.
In their statement in May 2018, the NFL claimed the move to silence the protest was unanimously supported by all the owners – though since then the boss of the San Francisco 49ers has gone on record to say he had abstained in the vote.
Kroenke’s apparent backing of the policy came having in the past been on the committee which set up and implemented the Rooney Rule, increasing opportunities for black coaches.
Kaepernick has not played in the league since 2016, despite being a Super Bowl quarterback.
Commissioner Goodell, who in his role speaks for all the team owners, released a video earlier this month.
Everyone at the club – the owners, the board, staff and players – is united against racism and discrimination.
Man Utd spokesperson
In it, he said: “We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest.”
SunSport approached the Glazer family and Kroenke to ask why they had backed the drawing up of the regulations, and whether they would now individually apologise for taking that stance.
Both the Glazers and Kroenke failed to apologise.
Manchester United said in a statement: “Everyone at the club – the owners, the board, staff and players – is united against racism and discrimination in all forms and completely committed to the campaign against it.
“This has been a longstanding priority for Manchester United through our All Red All Equal campaign and our support for groups such as Kick It Out.
Many of our players have taken a personal stand against racism and we are all fully supportive of them in doing so.”
United also pointed to work the Bucaneers have done championing a social injustice initiative.
The franchise statement on June 5 read: “We will not accept racial injustice, which has been responsible for the indefensible murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and so many others.”
NFL star Colin Kaepernick first took the knee in a powerful statement on racial inequality in the USCredit: AP:Associated Press
An Arsenal spokesperson said: “Arsenal Football Club has always been about ensuring people feel welcome whatever their background.
“Driving equality and diversity is a key part of our strategy which is approved at board level. We have a long track record of doing this.
“This is evidenced by the fact we were the first Premier League club to gain the Advanced Equality Standard in 2011, a standard we continue to hold today.
“Along with our players, we are fully supportive of driving change to ensure our black community is treated fairly and equally across all aspects of society.
“We know there is much more to do and we have the full support of our board and ownership to make meaningful change happen wherever we can.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
