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Millwall Manager Gary Rowett Calls On Football "To Find A Better Way To Unify People" Than Taking The Knee After Fulham Players Were Booed

Millwall Manager Gary Rowett Calls On Football "To Find A Better Way To Unify People" Than Taking The Knee After Fulham Players Were Booed

Fulham players were booed by fans while making the gesture.

Millwall manager Gary Rowett has called on football "to find a to find a better way to unify people" than taking the knee before kick-off.

It comes after Fulham players were booed by some supporters during their Championship clash against Millwall on Tuesday night.

Image credit: PA
Image credit: PA

After the full-time whistle, Rowett said he thinks football clubs need help to find more 'positive forms of action' to tackle discrimination.

"If you look up and down the country, there are so many football clubs that do such good work in their communities around equality and anti-racism," the 47-year-old told Sky Sports.

"What we need at the moment is, we need the authorities to help clubs out and find a better way to unify people.

"I don't want to comment on individual people's decisions to do that, but we need to find a way to unify people and at the moment 20 seconds, 30 seconds in a game is causing such a rift and divide in football.

"Football is a great spectacle, we're all privileged to be part of it. It has the power to help communities and help do some really good work behind the scenes. It's not just our football club, it's a lot of clubs doing that, but we need help to find a more positive way of making some form of action."

Image credit: PA
Image credit: PA

Following the interview on Tuesday night, former Leyton Orient boss Jobi McAnuff expressed his disappointed that Rowett did not condemn fans who booed players taking the knee.

"I don't think we can be any clearer in terms of the messaging behind taking a knee and what it represents. It's the fight against racism and discrimination. It's that simple," McAnuff told Sky Sports.

"When somebody decides to make a racist tweet or shout racist abuse at somebody, that's a decision. These fans at this football club are making a decision to boo the players taking a knee.

"For me, there's no other explanation anymore other than they're opposing equality and that's as simple as it is.

"Yes, you're the manager of a football club and might say you can't control what a fan does when they come in. But what you can do as the figurehead is condemn it in the strongest possible terms.

"That is what I would have liked to have seen. That is why I'm disappointed."

Back in December, after a section of home fans booed players taking the knee before kick-off against Derby, Millwall said they were "dismayed and saddened" by the incident.

"The club has worked tirelessly in recent months to prepare for the return of supporters and what should have been a positive and exciting occasion was completely overshadowed, much to the immense disappointment and upset of those who have contributed to those efforts," the statement said.

"The impact of such incidents is felt not just by the players and management, but by those who work throughout the club and in its Academy and Community Trust, where so many staff and volunteers continue passionate endeavours to enhance Millwall's reputation day after day, year after year.

"The club will not allow their fine work to be in vain.

"The players are continuing to use the biggest platform they have to support the drive for change, not just in football but in society generally.

"There is much work to be done and at Millwall everyone is committed to doing all that is possible, both individually and collectively, to be a force for good and to ensure that the club remains at the forefront of football's anti-discrimination efforts."


Featured Image Credit: Sky Sports/PA

Topics: Football, Millwall, Fulham, EFL Championship