Captains of Premier League clubs had in August revealed that they would not be taking the knee routinely this season, to preserve the importance of the act. Instead, they have opted to take the knee at strategic times during the season.
Darren Moore, the chair of the Premier League’s Black Participants’ Advisory Group (BPAG), said: “In my time as chair of BPAG, I have seen a lot of significant changes and progress in tackling discrimination and creating more opportunities across the game.
“I think it is fantastic players are continuing to take the knee to show a united front against racism. The BPAG fully supports the players as they take the knee at selected matches to continue to send this powerful message.
“I am proud of the work being done to increase the number of coaches from under-represented groups going into full-time professional roles. The coaching initiatives are excellent and well-received by candidates.
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“There has been really good work in opening doors and creating pathways – the challenge now is to ensure we continue to work together to maintain progress and enhance these opportunities for even more coaches.
“We already have a brilliant game and bringing more diversity into all areas of football will only continue to make it even better.”
Speaking on the same matter, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: “Fighting racism and all forms of discrimination is always a priority for the Premier League and our clubs.
“We urge everybody to play their part and demonstrate that racial prejudice is not acceptable in football or wider society.
“We support the decision made by players to take the knee at specific moments during the season and we will use these matches to further promote anti-discrimination and educate fans.
“We continue to work hard to address discrimination and improve opportunities within the game, in line with our No Room For Racism action plan.
“We know more can be done to remove barriers to make football more inclusive, and that football will benefit from greater diversity across all areas of the sport.”
Source: Skysports
