Swansea City have confirmed that their players and coaching staff will not be continuing the practice of taking the knee for the forthcoming season.
The taking of the knee has been a familiar sight prior to kick-off at matches ever since the resumption of football in June 2020 after the Covid-enforced hiatus. It is seen as a gesture of solidarity against racism and other forms of hate and discrimination. But a number of clubs and individuals have stopped the practice in recent times, citing its lack of impact over time and that other more tangible actions are needed.
A lengthy statement published on the Championship club's website said: "Following discussions as a group, we have collectively decided to no longer take the knee prior to fixtures during the 2022-23 season.
"We have taken the knee before every game since football resumed in June 2020, following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is not a decision that has been taken lightly, and in no way reflects any diminishing of our belief that discrimination of any nature is abhorrent and has no place in football or society. We remain firmly in support of what taking the knee stands for and represents.
"Taking the knee has undoubtedly helped to raise awareness and encourage conversations about how to remove racism from the game we all love. 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.
"But we feel we want to take responsibility as a group and find alternative ways to show our commitment to inclusion and diversity, and we feel that needs to run deeper than taking the knee each time we play. We want to work to be a force for positive, substantive change. We are a family, and we will always stand shoulder to shoulder with each other, whether that’s on the pitch or helping to fight injustice and raise awareness off it."
A number of clubs have already stopped the gesture in recent years, including Queens Park Rangers. Les Ferdinand, QPR's director of football, has previously been vocal against the stance and says the message has long been lost.
Speaking in 2020, he said: "Taking the knee was very powerful but we feel that impact has now been diluted. In the same way 'Clap For Carers' was very emotional for us all, it got to a stage where it had run its natural course and the decision was rightly made to stop it. No one is more passionate than me about this topic. I have spoken on the matter throughout my footballing life.
"I work for one of the most diverse football clubs in this country. A lot of people are being fooled out there. Recently, I took the decision not to do any more interviews on racism in football because the debate was going around in circles. Taking the knee will not bring about change in the game - actions will."
