A section of Millwall fans booed players taking a knee ahead of kick-off against Derby on Saturday, leading to widespread criticism; Millwall and QPR players will "hold aloft a banner to show their collective commitment towards ongoing efforts to rid the game of racism"
Tuesday 8 December 2020 10:48, UK
Millwall and QPR have released statements to say that their players will stand arm-in-arm in a show of solidarity against discrimination ahead of their match at The Den on Tuesday, with Millwall "firmly" asking fans to respect players who take a knee.
The two teams will hold aloft a banner to show their "collective commitment" towards ongoing efforts to rid the game of racism following discussions between the two clubs, Kick It Out, Show Racism The Red Card, The PFA, The FA and The EFL.
A Millwall statement read: "Millwall believe that this gesture, which the club hopes to repeat with other visiting teams in the coming weeks and months, will help to unify people throughout society in the battle to root out all forms of discrimination.
"Kick It Out's logo will also replace that of principal partner Huski Chocolate on the front of Millwall's shirts for the London derby.
"QPR have informed Millwall that a selection of their players wish to take the knee as a way of showing their support for anti-discrimination efforts - a gesture which the club respects and it firmly asks all those in attendance to do likewise.
"Millwall have a zero-tolerance policy against racial and all other forms of discrimination and want to again make clear to anybody who holds such views that you are not welcome at this football club. Millwall's stance, as always, is that anybody found guilty of racial abuse is banned for life."
QPR CEO Lee Hoos said: "We have always been at the forefront of encouraging equality and diversity while tackling discrimination in all its forms. Our initial approach to this particular situation was for all our players to take the knee in a show of solidarity.
"However, following a series of discussions with Millwall, as well as internal conversations involving myself, Director of Football Les Ferdinand, manager Mark Warburton and the entire first team squad, it was agreed that standing shoulder to shoulder with our opposition players would be a more powerful response.
"On top of this, some of our players wish to take the knee and we fully support this action.
"As I said in September on this subject, each individual needs to be free to make their own decision on how to express intolerance for social injustice, without fear of being negatively judged."
Millwall defender Mahlon Romeo has accused the club's supporters of "spreading hatred" after a section of fans booed when the players took a knee in support of the fight against racial injustice at the start of their match with Derby.
Saturday's match at The Den, which Derby won 1-0, represented the first time Millwall supporters had been able to attend a home game since the coronavirus pandemic saw the Championship halted in March.
Players in England's top divisions have been taking a knee at the start of matches since football resumed in June as part of global sporting protests against racial injustice.
In an impassioned interview after the game, Romeo, a London-born black player who has represented Antigua and Barbuda at international level, explained how the reaction of the club's supporters had affected him.
Romeo told the South London Press: "Today's game, to me now, has become irrelevant. The fans have been let back in - which the whole team was looking forward to. But in society there is a problem - and that problem is racism.
"The fans who have been let in today have personally disrespected not just me but the football club. And what the football club and the community stand for. What they've done is booed and condemned a peaceful gesture which was put in place to highlight, combat and stop any discriminatory behaviour and racism. That's it - that's all that gesture is."
