ZAHA MAKES HIS STAND
Palace star is f irst PL player to stop taking knee after he calls gesture ‘degrading’
WILFRIED Zaha became t he Premier League’s first player to stop taking the knee before kickoff yesterday, with the Crystal Palace winger having declared the act ‘degrading’.
Zaha was making his first start since February and while the rest of his Palace team-mates knelt, he followed up on his promise to ‘stand tall’. The 28-year-old instead stood with his arms behind his back.
Every West Brom player took the knee, a gesture which has been happening before games since June. Zaha explained: ‘There is no right or wrong decision, but, personally, I feel kneeling has just become a part of the pre-match routine.
‘At the moment it doesn’t matter whether we kneel or stand, some of us still continue to receive abuse.
‘I know there is a lot of work being done behind the scenes at the Premier League and other authorities to make change and I fully respect that. I also fully respect my teammates and players at other clubs who continue to take the knee.
‘As a society, I feel we should be encouraging better education in schools and social media companies should be taking stronger action against people who abuse others online — not just footballers. I now just want to focus on football and enjoy being back playing on the pitch. I will continue to stand tall.’
Speaking at the FT Business of Football summit in February, Zaha said he felt the gesture had become ‘degrading’, adding: ‘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.’
Some Championship sides, including Brentford and Bournemouth, have already stopped taking the knee and Derby County made their own statement against discrimination before kick-off against Millwall at Pride Park by lining up on the touchline.
Derby decided to make the gesture after striker Colin Kazim-Richards was racially abused on social media following the home draw against local rivals Nottingham Forest last month.
The club said the first-team squad and senior staff had made the decision ‘unanimously’ because the ‘symbolic gesture of taking a knee is not enough.’
Crystal Palace captain Luka Milivojevic supported Zaha’s decision not to take a knee before kick-off, saying: ‘We spoke yesterday about it. I support him 100 per cent. We are taking a knee to show an example so when kids see they are asking — why are players doing that?
‘Wilfried is going further, he did it the other way, and I respect him 100 per cent.’
Hodgson backed Zaha’s stance in Friday’s press conference and did so again after the 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.
‘I read his statement which I thought was very well put together and very articulate and I think it is a statement all of us would agree with,’ said the Palace boss.
“That basically is what we are trying to get across and we are trying to get it across by taking the knee. But Wilf is not alone in thinking maybe taking the knee has become a bit of a ritual rather than a massive statement.
‘So he has chosen to take this step to show how strongly he disapproves of what has been going on and what is still happening, unfortunately, in terms of abuse and racial abuse in particular.
‘We are all behind that and he cleared it with the rest of the players.’
Derby County players and coaching staff explained their decision to stand in a line on the touchline rather than taking the knee by saying more needs to be done.
The club added that they will support the fight against all forms of discrimination by ‘delivering the unified message of standing together as one.’
A club statement added: ‘No longer taking a knee does not change the club’s stance on all forms of discrimination. It will not be tolerated at Derby County.’