Scots squad to take knee at Wembley after U-turn
Scotland players will take the knee in solidarity with their England counterparts when they meet at Wembley.
The Scots had confirmed on Thursday they would continue standing together in opposition to racism before their European Championship games. But the reaction to their decision - both negative and positive - prompted a partial rethink 24 hours later.
Scotland will still stand before their Hampden games but make an exception for the England encounter in London on 18 June as a gesture of togetherness with their opponents, who were booed by some of their own fans when they kneeled ahead of two warm-up games at the Riverside in Middlesbrough.
Head coach Steve Clarke felt their announcement that they would stand against racism had been "politicised or misrepresented" by some.
"In light of divisive and inaccurate comments being perpetuated by individuals and groups, whose views we denounce in the strongest terms, we have reflected today as a group," Clarke said.
"We remain committed to our principles of taking a stand but we must also be unequivocal in condemning the opportunistic false narrative being presented by some.
"We have therefore agreed that we will show solidarity with our counterparts in England, many of whom are teammates of our own players, and who have found themselves on the receiving end of abuse from fans in recent matches.
"We will continue to take a stand - together, as one - for our matches at Hampden. For our match at Wembley, we will stand against racism and kneel against ignorance."
Clarke added that Scotland had begun standing for their opening World Cup qualifiers in March. Days earlier Motherwell and Dundee United switched from taking the knee to standing in a bid to revive the anti-racist message.
The following day both Celtic and Rangers players stood in solidarity with Ibrox midfielder Glen Kamara soon after he was racially abused by Slavia Prague player Ondrej Kudela, whose ten-game Uefa ban rules him out of the Czech Republic's clash with Scotland on Monday.
Clarke added: "I explained in March the rationale behind the squad decision: not only is it consistent with the collective approach from Scottish football above but the purpose of taking the knee, to raise awareness and help eradicate racism in football and society, has been diluted and undermined by the continuation of abuse towards players.
"For the avoidance of doubt: me, my coaching staff, my players and my backroom team stand against racism and all forms of discriminatory behaviour. We do so to raise awareness of the problem but also as a reminder to those who have the ultimate power and responsibility to implement meaningful change."