Premier League Clubs Want To Stop Taking A Knee Before Matches This Season

Premier League teams want to stop taking a knee before every match in the upcoming 2022/23 season.

The decision reportedly comes after a meeting between all 20 clubs with some captains agreeing that the gesture has 'lost its gravitas'.

Since the 2020/21 campaign, every Premier League outfit has thrown its support behind the Black Lives Matter movement by conducting a pregame demonstration which involved the players taking a knee.

The protest was first introduced by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick back in 2016 as other big-name stars such as Lewis Hamilton soon followed suit after the death of George Floyd in the United States in 2020.

The Premier League's anti-racism gesture received widespread praise from the wider sporting community when it first began.

But as time has gone by, more and more players have spoken out against it including the likes of Wilfried Zaha and Ivan Toney.

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Now, according to Mail Plus, some Premier League skippers have agreed that taking the knee should only happen before 'selected' matches 'amid rising concerns that the gesture has lost its gravitas'.

It's understood the demonstration could be reserved for televised matches as well as local derbies to ensure the most eyeballs are on it when possible.

But while most clubs are still open to the idea of doing it, some are not.

The report also states that recently-promoted Bournemouth will not take the knee at all with the players deciding that the move has 'run its course'.

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One of the first Premier League players to speak out against the symbol was Wilfried Zaha.

“I feel like taking a knee is degrading,” the Crystal Palace star told the FT Business of Football conference.

“Growing up, my parents just let me know that I should just be proud to be black, no matter what, and I just think we should stand tall.

“I think the meaning behind the whole thing is becoming something that we just do now. That’s not enough. I’m not going to take the knee.”

He added: “We are trying to say we are equal but these things are not working.

“Unless there’s change, don’t ask me about it. Unless action is going to happen I don’t want to hear about it.”

Topics: Australia, Football, Premier League, Wilfried Zaha, Black Lives Matter

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry