Season › 2022-23 › General Forum Premier League agree to limit 'taking the knee' 03/08/2022 Share: Premier League players will stop the pre-match anti-racism gesture of taking the knee before every match. Top-flight clubs started taking a knee to support the Black Lives Matter movement, which rose to prominence following the death of George Floyd in the United States in May 2020. Premier League captains took the decision after consulting with players. The gesture will instead be seen before certain rounds of games, including the Boxing Day fixtures and cup finals. Players and staff will also take the knee before the first and last matches of the 2022-23 campaign as well as dedicated No Room for Racism match rounds in October and March. "We have decided to select significant moments to take the knee during the season to highlight our unity against all forms of racism and in so doing we continue to show solidarity for a common cause," said a joint statement from the Premier League captains. "We remain resolutely committed to eradicate racial prejudice, and to bring about an inclusive society with respect and equal opportunities for all." Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha stopped in February 2021, saying at the time that "at the moment it doesn't matter whether we kneel or stand, some of us still continue to receive abuse". Several Championship clubs, including Derby, Brentford, Bournemouth and Queens Park Rangers, also stopped taking a knee around that time. Reader Comments (3) Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer () Danny O’Neill 1 Posted 03/08/2022 at Watching the news footage, I noticed Wilfried Zaha not dropping to the knee whilst all the other players on the pitch did.Is he a bigot or just following his own belief and view? Peter Warren 2 Posted 03/08/2022 at Danny Zaha public stated a while ago he thought the whole knee thing, load of rubbish and token gesture rather than getting to heart of racism issue. My recollection is that Les Ferdinand voiced something similar around the same time. Danny O’Neill 3 Posted 03/08/2022 at Agree with that Peter. Gestures are exactly that even though sometimes they do convey a message. But it's about choice. Add Your Comments In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site. » Log in now Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site. How to get rid of these ads and support TW © ToffeeWeb