Promoted Bournemouth won’t reverse stance on gesture that ‘has run its course’
BOURNEMOUTH’S players will stand by their decision not to take the knee as they prepare for their first game back in the Premier League. The Cherries squad stopped making the pre-match gesture in February 2021, while in the Championship, and will not change their stance regardless of their return to the top flight after a two-year absence.
Led by captain Steve Cook at the time, Bournemouth announced: ‘Fighting all forms of discrimination and creating an equal, inclusive society is something that we feel very passionately about. ‘But that is defined by much more than a gesture, which we feel has run its course and is no longer having the effect it first did eight months ago.’
While Bournemouth respect other clubs’ desires to potentially go in different directions, they feel their squad’s decision from last year still stands and have no plans to perform a U-turn. Cook has since left for fellow promoted side Nottingham Forest. As Premier League clubs deliberate about how regularly they will perform the gesture, more and more clubs outside the top flight have started to make their own announcements. One of the latest teams to confirm they will not take the knee this season is Swansea City, who have said they want to focus on other ways to enhance equality. ‘Taking the knee has undoubtedly helped to raise awareness and encourage conversations about how to remove racism from the game we all love,’ Swansea said in a statement. ‘Should any opposition side take the knee before a game this season, then we will line up and applaud them, because we absolutely support the sentiment behind it.’ Fellow Championship side Bristol City have also confirmed they will not take the knee this season. ‘We have taken the knee at every game we have played since June 2020 as an important stance of solidarity in the fight against all forms of discrimination,’ they said.
‘That battle must continue every day in how we all behave and contribute to society and we will applaud opposition teams who take the knee and raise awareness while ensuring that we have a zerotolerance approach to hate and abuse.’