Respectable reporters responds to claims that West Ham fans booed as players took the knee just hours after Millwall did the same.
The Hammers were ready to face Manchester United with it being the first Premier League fixture of the 2020/21 season to have fans in the stands.
For the first time in eight months, 2,000 West Ham supporters were allowed inside the stadium to watch the game play out, though Moyes did feel a lot more could have been let in considering the size of the ground.
Both squads made it out onto the pitch, before the referee whistled, then each team’s players took the knee for ‘Black Lives Matter’.
Check out match updates and our live stream for this game by clicking HERE.
Immediately, fans took to social media, suggesting they had heard boos, while others accused Sky Sports, who was broadcasting the game, of muting it.
.@jarrodbowen_ has goal disallowed for offside. @WestHam starting well and fans playing their part. Contrary to some comments, West Ham didnt boo when players took the knee pre-match pic.twitter.com/qk23lLB9U1
— Ian Abrahams (Moose) (@BroadcastMoose) December 5, 2020
Ian Abrahams (Moose) wrote via his Twitter account: “Contrary to some comments, West Ham didnt boo when players took the knee pre-match.”
However freelance football journalist Richard Buxton backs up some of the fans comments in that there was booing, saying in his tweet: “West Ham fans following Millwall’s lead in booing the taking of the knee. Turns out they have more in common than kicking s*** out of each other once in a blue moon.”
2,000 Millwall supporters were allowed inside the stadium for the visit of Derby County in the Championship clash this afternoon.
Journalists and reporters at the game were said to be angered to hear loud boos at the start of the league encounter and soon video footage emerged online. Yet there was no mention of it on Sky Sports News.
Millwall booing the knee😐 pic.twitter.com/v3qfXRmf0Z
— Oliver⚒🎄 (@HammerzOliver) December 5, 2020
The Football Association wrote a statement on Saturday: “The FA supports all players and staff that wish to take a stand against discrimination in a respectful manner, which includes taking of the knee, and strongly condemns the behaviours of any spectators that actively voice their opposition to such activities.”
The statement released by Millwall read: ‘We are fully supportive of the efforts in ridding the sport, and society, of all forms of discrimination.
‘It is our duty to reinforce the positive messaging.
‘Taking the knee, for us, is in no way representative of any agreement with political messaging or ideology.
‘It is purely about tackling discrimination.’
Queens Park Rangers made the decision to stop taking the knee in September with director of football Les Ferdinand saying the gesture had ‘reached a point of “good PR” but little more than that’.
He added: ‘Taking the knee was very powerful but we feel that impact has now been diluted.
‘In the same way ‘Clap For Carers’ was very emotional for us all, it got to a stage where it had run its natural course and the decision was rightly made to stop it.
‘No one is more passionate than me about this topic. I have spoken on the matter throughout my footballing life.
‘I work for one of the most diverse football clubs in this country. A lot of people are being fooled out there.
‘What are our plans with this? Will people be happy for players to take the knee for the next 10 years but see no actual progress made?
‘Taking the knee will not bring about change in the game – actions will.’
The EFL decided to allow individual players and teams in the Football League to make their own decision on whether to continue taking the knee while the gesture still takes place in the Premier League.
The Premier League have said it will continue to give its backing to players who want to kneel before games, which started last season following the death of George Floyd and subsequent rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.
“We still feel strongly about taking the knee and we will carry on doing it until there’s change,” Brighton captain Lewis Dunk told Sky Sports News.
Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson stressed that both messages remained crucial.
“Both messages [Black Lives Matter and No Room For Racism] are vitally important,” he said.
“No Room For Racism does not exclude Black Lives Matter. Football players are taking so much responsibility and showing that they really care about this important issue in our society.”
Crystal Palace duo Patrick van Aanholt, Wilfried Zaha, former Arsenal forward Ian Wright, Sheffield United’s David McGoldrick and Borussia Dortmund signing Jude Bellingham were all subjected to online racist abuse at the end of last season.
Fans reacted before and after a reporter responds to claims that West Ham fans booed as players took the knee…
You’re the only person I’ve seen saying that they didn’t boo.
— Dale Edgington | Health & Fitness 📈💪🏻 (@healthydale) December 5, 2020
There were boos Ian
— P Louey (@Iborra79L) December 5, 2020
Sounded like West ham fans booed the “taking of the knee” but can’t be true as Piers Morgan and Gary Linekar ain’t chirped up yet.
— Scott Nixon (@scottnixon001) December 5, 2020
Did I hear a few boos there from the west ham fans for the BLM kneeling?
— BRUNOMUFC1997🥶 (@BRUNOMUFC_1997) December 5, 2020
West Ham fans just booed the knee too, Sky tried their best to hide it.
— Wayne Wellwood aka Carlitoswayne #IamEuropean (@WayneWellwood) December 5, 2020
What?! You could clearly hear it on TV 😂 and it wasn’t even a minority.
— Andy Bebbington (@AndyBebbington) December 5, 2020
Sounded like a 50/50 split between boos and applause
— Chris Elliot (@Chris_Elliot84) December 5, 2020
It’s because Sky turned the crowd sound off & played I’m forever blowing bubbles over the sound. They were booing.
— Ash (@ASH_LV17) December 5, 2020
Hard to make direct comparisons since different camera footage and very different stadium size, but yeah, definitely sounded like there were boos at West Ham.
— Grace Robertson 🏳️⚧️ (@GraceOnFootball) December 5, 2020
Players should walk off the pitch if fans boo.
This is the first time, players are taking the knee infront of fans and the reaction was disgusting!
First @MillwallFC , Now @WestHam and if any how this happens at the bridge, the club better take charge of the situation.
— CFCSyed (@AbbAreef) December 5, 2020
anyone gonna mention the west ham lot that started booing/moaning when the players went to one knee? anyone having a go at a player going down is part of the issue, who does it hurt and the people who boo or moan about it give your heads a wobble
— Chris Prescott (@Chris150379) December 5, 2020
I for one am shocked that there were boos for players taking the knee at Millwall and West Ham.
— Liam McGarry (@Liam_McGarry) December 5, 2020
I hope it’s not true that West Ham fans booed as players took the knee today
— Jason Lee 🇬🇧 (@ForeverAYellow) December 5, 2020
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