Sheffield United: Boss explains decision not to 'Take a Knee' this season
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As The Star revealed ahead of Monday’s game against Watford, Heckingbottom was preparing to consult his squad on whether or not to continue with the practice which has become commonplace in English football over the past two seasons.
United decided not to do so during the build up to their opening match of the new campaign and, for reasons the 44-year-old has explained, are unlikely to do so when Millwall visit Bramall Lane tomorrow.
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Hide AdInsisting that both he and those under his command remain committed to eradicating racism from society - a cause ‘Taking the knee’ is designed to express solidarity with - Heckingbottom said: “We left it to the players. We were going to do it and then a preference was expressed to stand there and give a round of applause instead. Our values are still the same.”
Acknowledging that Premier League sides recently agreed to show their support for anti-racism initiatives in other ways, Heckingbottom continued: “Our values are still the same. I’ve seen the top-flight teams aren’t going to be doing it anymore either. That doesn’t mean to say that we’re forgetting about the importance of fighting this. Far from it.
“We just want it to have an impact, which is maybe why at certain times or on certain occasions, we’ll do it again. For instance, I went to the semi-finals of the women’s Euros here a couple of weeks back and it made a statement there.
“We just want it to be significant and to really mean something. Rather than just something people expect to happen and don’t really think about why it is.”
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Hide AdUnited hope their first appearance at home since last term’s play-off semi-finals will see them return to winning ways following a 1-0 defeat in Hertfordshire. Anel Ahmedhodzic, Reda Khadra and James McAtee, signed on loan from Manchester City, could all make their full debuts.
“If someone wants to do it, take a knee, then that’s fine,” Heckingbottom said. “You have to declare it to the referee, that’s it’s going to happen, when the teams go in. But if any individual wants to keep on doing it, they’ll have my support and the support of everyone else here.”
Millwall will make the journey north on the back of a victory over Stoke City, with Heckingbottom expressing his admiration for how Gary Rowett’s men performed on the opening day.
“Our focus isn’t any different, we go into every single one wanting to win and believing we can do it,” said Heckingbottom. “On the whole, I felt we dealt with Watford’s threat well but it meant our best work was recovery work and we wanted more at the top end, where we could have taken a few more risks when we had possession as the night wore on.”
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Hide Ad“Millwall pose different threats,” he added. “It’s two blue collar clubs and, watching their performance back, there was lots to admire about it. We’ll show them due respect but also try to go out there and play.”