Sheffield United: Manager on whether his players will 'Take a Knee' this season
Sheffield United have yet to decide if they will continue to ‘Take a knee’ before the start of their matches next season, with manager Paul Heckingbottom revealing he will consult his squad on the matter before Monday’s Championship opener at Watford.
The gesture, a symbolic protest against racism, first became commonplace in English football two years ago although some clubs have since abandoned it, preferring to display their solidarity with the cause in other ways.
Although he is personally happy to continue with the practice, Heckingbottom told The Star: “We’ve not discussed it yet. We’ve always carried on doing it here, but really it’s however anyone wants to show their support.
“From a personal point of view, I’d gladly carry on. It’s about doing something, in my eyes, to show what you stand for.
“But if some of the lads think it’s lost its significance then we can do something different. We’ll talk about it and see what their thoughts on it are.”
Although Heckingbottom acknowledged that opinions on the matter throughout the men’s game might be divided, he highlighted his experience during the recent UEFA women’s championship semi-final between England and Sweden at Bramall Lane to stress there is still support for ‘Taking a knee’.
“I went to that with my daughter and when the players did it (before kick-off) there was huge applause all around the ground,” he continued. “Everyone joined in. I know at some of the games we’ve been to, you sometimes hear the odd ‘boo’ when it happens. But I do think there’s been a change, definitely.”
