A WORLD CUP feed was mysteriously cut on the big screen at the Qatar World Cup fan festival when England took the knee.
It is claimed the screen blacked out for between 10 and 15 seconds as the Three Lions took part in the powerful gesture.
Gareth Southgate’s side decided to reintroduce taking the knee before kickoff after not doing so during recent fixtures.
Qatar has faced criticism over its oppressive laws and treatment of migrant workers.
The feed alleged was cut at the Fifa Fan Festival at Al Bidda Park in Doha – which is the central hub for fans at the World Cup.
It was unclear if that was a deliberate move or a technical error for the big screen.
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Two journalists on the ground at the fanzone tweeted about the fact the TV feed went black as England took the knee.
Pictures from the festival show hundreds of fans gathered around the central big screen as Doha loomed in the background.
And meanwhile as England took the knee, Iranian players appeared to refuse to sing their own national anthem.
Iran has been swept by anti-regime and women’s rights protests in recent months – with thousands arrested and hundreds dead.
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The two gestures came as the Qatar World Cup is overshadowed by politics and human rights issues.
And it came amid a day of rowing and U-turns as the FA decided to ban Harry Kane wearing the “OneLove” armband during the game.
The armbands were meant to promote inclusivity and LGBTQ+ rights while same-sex relationships are criminal in Qatar.
Fifa warned players could face a booking if they wore the armband as it was not officially sanctioned.
But in a sudden U-turn, England, Wales, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Switzerland and Denmark all decided to drop the gesture.
“As national federations, we can’t put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions including bookings,” they said.
But despite this, England opted to continue taking the knee.
Southgate explained: “We feel we should. It’s what we stand for as a team and have done for a long period of time.
“Of course, we understand in the Premier League that clubs have decided to only do that for certain games, big occasions, we feel this is the biggest.
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“We think it is a strong statement to go around the world for young people in particular to see that inclusivity is very important.”
It remains to be seen as to what other nations, if any, will join England in the gesture during the World Cup.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
