Some will applaud but judging from some of the trends on Twitter this morning, some will undoubtedly boo.
Before you say it, I know that Twitter isn't the world. On the upside, quite a few of those celebrating Wakey's stance don't really seem to know who Wakefield or Wigan are, so I'd hazard a guess that they're not regular RL fans.
But daily my faith in my fellow men is shaken a little by forays onto Twitter. I would truly hate to see that being replicated at RL matches being played on live TV.
I could be wrong. They may continue to kneel. But anyone anticipating a respectful silence if they do may be demonstrating high optimism.
I do not believe for one minute that every player in Cricket, Football and Rugby League wants to do, but do it because they are afraid of being criticised if they do not do it. Either that, or the clubs are under pressure from the ECB, FA, EFL and the RFL that they have to do it.
I only hope that it does not take place when the crowds returned as it could lead to trouble between different factions of supporters who have different political beliefs.
When supporters go to watch games of Football, Rugby and especially Cricket with its large multicultural support, the last thing they want to see at a ground is the left and right wing extremism like we see on the streets of town and city centres.
The twitter reaction to Wakefield's players standing has been pretty grim.
Tweets like "all lives matter" followed by the same people saying the migrant boats should be sank.
The thick/racist people of the country essentially see it as "kneeling to blacks", white people handing over 'power' or some sort of Marxist movement (which most people barely understand) when it literally just totals to a symbolic gesture - same as the raised fist salute. Obviously people/players shouldn't feel pressured to do it, and some of the journalist reaction to Folau etc. has been stupid.
Ruddy Duck wrote:
There is no place for politics in sport!
How is it only political? There is a ton of racism in sport and we need sportspeople - like Raheem Sterling, John Barnes, Jofra Archer, or whoever else wants to use their platform to teach the racists of their scummery.
It is a symbolic gesture, but a very important one. However, my concern is that it's becoming seen as not a means to an end, but a pretence to say look at us, we're all inclusive now. The underlying issue is being lost in tokenism and the unwillingness of too many not to call out ignorant @rses like Trump and Yaxley-Lennon who bleat on like petulant children the second anyone tells them they're wrong.
I warned two months ago that about sport getting involved in politics and was attacked by the usuual suspects.
You now have a situation where sports all over the western world are kneeling in solidarity with a marxist organistion which in itself is openly racist, just research some of the stuff that has come out of the BLM leaders mouths. If you want to support BLM, fine, thats your choice but this should be nowhere near sport, join the mobs defacing war memorials and pulling down historic statues if thats your thing.
Talking to a couple in their late seventies the other day that have been friends of the family for years. They have been Wigan season ticket holders and Rugby League nuts for decades. It was actually them that got me going to games in the 80s, they used to take me when i was a teenager. They are disgusted by whats taking place and said they will not put another penny into the game. These are people that i expected would be at games until they could no longer physically manage to get there. They are some of the nicest people you could wish to meet and will put themselves out to do anything for anybody, but go ahead, call them racists with your college view of the world.
As i said weeks ago, this should never of been allowed to creep into sport. Fair play to IF and others that are not afraid to break the trend.
Big Steve wrote: The Internet has provided some wonderful creativity, opportunities and knowledge sharing but it has also given a worldwide forum for people you would leave a full pint behind in the pub to avoid having to listen to them.
aboveusonlypie... If you don't bother to go to the game when you live in the locality then you are not really a fan and therefore your views are invalid. It's simple.
Whilst there is, and never could be, any argument with the statement "Black Lives Matter", there is a problem with the organizing body, whose leaders are heavily linked to marxist organizations. You can uncover this with only a little digging. So while the cause is correct, the organisation is a bit iffy.... In my opinion, and that thats not worth much
Not going to a game or enjoying a sport you've enjoyed for decades just because some people did something you don't like dumbest thing I've read so far on this thread (and there's a lot of dumb in this thread)
Theres a lot of people in their 70s/80 that are a product of their time and therefor wouldnt know racism if it slapped them in the face. I'm all for them staying away to be honest. The game won't miss them
Not going to a game or enjoying a sport you've enjoyed for decades just because some people did something you don't like dumbest thing I've read so far on this thread (and there's a lot of dumb in this thread)
Theres a lot of people in their 70s/80 that are a product of their time and therefor wouldnt know racism if it slapped them in the face. I'm all for them staying away to be honest. The game won't miss them
Were those same people not bothered about the treatment of Boston in the 50's and 60's, or the likes of Gill, Hanley and Offiah etc in the 80's and 90's. It was only through the intervention of sportsmen that South Africa were expelled from world sport until they sorted themselves out.
However I don't think players should automatically take the knee, they should be allowed to use their own judgement, just as Brian Carney chose to not sing God save the Queen.
