Nottingham Forest striker Lyle Taylor has explained his decision not to take a knee before games and strongly criticised the Black Lives Matter campaign.
The Championship striker scored the only goal in Forest's FA Cup third-round tie against Cardiff City on Saturday. Post-match, Taylor explained that he believes the effectiveness of taking a knee has been "diluted beyond belief".
"My support for what is that we're trying to achieve is absolute, but I do not support Black Live Matter as an institution or organisation," he told BBC Radio Nottingham, per Nottinghamshire Live.
"I would request anyone looks into Black Lives Matter to look into what that organisation does and what they stand for because it's scandalous that the world and the world's media has got behind Black Lives Matter.
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"Not the message; of course black lives matter. [But] standing behind Black Lives Matter and all the institutions that have done that - the BBC, Sky, all of them saying Black Lives Matter - it's not a good idea because of what the organisation stands for.
"The message overall is 100% important, don't get me wrong on that... In terms of black lives actually mattering and black people being killed by police more frequently, that's not a good thing.
"Black lives do matter, but you'll never hear me say Black Lives Matter again in reference to that company."
"My support for what it is that we're trying to achieve is absolute. But I do not support Black Lives Matter as an organisation." #NFFC matchwinner @lyletaylor90 on beating Cardiff in the cup, and why he doesn't take the knee. Listen here: bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0…
The Black Lives Matter group was founded in 2013 after the death of black American teenager, Trayvon Martin. He was shot dead but the man charged with his murder was acquitted.
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The movement became increasingly visible worldwide following the death of another black American, George Floyd, who died after police officer Derek Chauvin pushed his knee into Floyd's neck for almost eight minutes.
Footballers taking a knee before kick-off became a common sight in 2020 after football returned, with players also wearing Black Lives Matter on their shirts. It has continued this year and has the support of most professional players.
But Taylor - who has stopped taking the knee before games and has the blessing of his manager Chris Hughton - questioned the effectiveness of this.
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"The message has been diluted beyond belief. If we stopped this three months ago it was diluted," he said. "It's gone past the point. What's really happening?
"Every week I see a player has been racially abused. What are Twitter and Instagram actually doing to stop these people being able to make fake accounts and abuse black people? What about how long it takes to tackle it too?
"There's channels we have to go down to it the right way though, otherwise we end up with martial law and civil unrest. It is what it is."
#nffc striker Lyle Taylor speaks out against Black Lives Matter and players taking a knee as he criticises broadcasters. #BLM nottinghampost.com/sport/football…
The 30-year-old Taylor, who is mixed race, also questioned whether society is becoming too politically correct.
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"You have some people saying you can't say black," he said. "You can't say mixed race because it's now dual heritage. No, no. I'm mixed race. My mum is white and my dad is black.
"He's black, not 'coloured'. My mum is white not, I don't know, 'beige'. The problem is the words we use and which words we can use.
"We get told you can't say certain words so often. I don't want to be called dual heritage.
"Are we going the same way as people choosing their pronouns? Saying I don't want to be called he or him, I want to be it or they or them.
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"Are we maybe missing the point? I wouldn't disagree. Maybe we're a bit too politically correct where people are hanging on you making a mistake.
"If you say a word in an interview you are waiting for someone to be offended. That's the issue. Everyone wants you to be offended, especially us in the public eye, or you writing these pieces, people want to be able to say, 'Oh I'm outraged now.'
"I can now say what I want to say. No you can't, just get on with it."
All imagery: PA Images
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