Premier League clubs to hold talks on how to best show support for Black Lives Matter when football returns

PREMIER LEAGUE clubs will  hold talks about making a public show of support for Black Lives Matter at next week’s big return.

Prem chiefs are coming under increasing pressure to take a stand in support of the campaign.

Jadon Sancho has made a number of Black Lives Matter statements since the Bundesliga’s restartCredit: AFP

Some top-flight clubs in Germany took a knee before their weekend gameCredit: Reuters

A number of players want League chiefs to announce a strong and determined message to show they back the movement which has seen protests across the UK following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

And the question of how English football’s highest tier should respond will be put on the table at Thursday’s virtual meeting of the 20 Prem clubs.

One club chief said: “This is a big issue and it is one we have to address as a League.

“We have to be aware of the public mood and also the feelings of so many of our players.”

Prem chiefs are likely to consult with anti-racism groups Kick It Out and Show Racism The Red Card before formalising plans.

One option would be for all players to kneel behind a Prem placard showing support for Black Lives Matter.

It would be a fantastic signal if every club took a knee before a game.”

Kick It Out’s Sanjay Bhandari

That slogan could then be prominently displayed on the hoardings set to cover the empty seats in the lower tiers of grounds when the Prem resumes on June 17.

Kick It Out chairman Sanjay Bhandari has backed the idea of players ‘taking a knee’.

He said: “It’s at the point now where something should be organised.

“I would love to see every club doing something together but it has to be completely up to the players. It would be a fantastic signal if every club took a knee before a game.

“You can’t shake hands before kick-off, so maybe they could replace it with a new pre-match ritual.

“We’re having some conversations to see what the appetite is. It would be a strong gesture of solidarity if everybody took a knee, but it would be an even stronger symbol if it came from the players.”

The first game of the restart will see Sheffield United visit Aston Villa, whose England defender Tyrone Mings made a prominent appearance at one march in London last week.

League chiefs recognise the FA’s swift public statement that they would not seek to sanction any players who make public shows of support, even if their actions would normally be breaches of the Laws.

Chelsea players lined up to take a knee in the shape of an H, for Humans, in trainingCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Liverpool and Chelsea are among the Prem squads who have already “taken a knee” in training ground statements of intent.

But a formal and official response, led by the League, would be a powerful symbol.

In the US, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has now been criticised by President Donald Trump for admitting the League’s reaction to Colin Kaepernick’s gesture in 2016 – and the support from other black players – was wrong.

Prem chiefs are reluctant to become embroiled in a political dispute but are aware of the strength of feeling of players.

The PFA, which has been at the forefront of anti-racism campaigns and pushed strongly for the introduction of the “Rooney Rule” requiring clubs to interview non-white candidates for coaching jobs, is expected to support any Prem moves to back Black Lives Matter.

Meanwhile, Sport England board member Chris Grant insists it is not the responsibility of stars to fix racism in sport.

He told the BBC: “These problems have grown up quietly over decades

“I salute Raheem Sterling, Eni Aluko and Alice Dearing, who will be our first black swimmer at Tokyo next year, for speaking out.

“At the same time, it is not their job to fix this, and that is why I have written to the chairs of UK Sport and Sport England, asking them to work with other leaders in sport to see the real extent of these problems, and to fix them.”

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk