Premier League teams to limit 'taking the knee' to significant games

Players and staff of Premier League teams have been taking the knee since the 2020 killing of George Floyd, but they will henceforth be asked to do it do it only in “significant matches”

Premier League teams will limit their pre-match anti-racism gesture of "taking the knee" to only some significant games from the new season, the league said on Tuesday.

The Black Lives Matter cause was taken up by Premier League clubs in 2020 following the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis in May that year.

Premier League clubs wore the Black Lives Matter logo on their shirts before it was replaced by "No Room for Racism".

But whether players should continue taking a knee before games has divided opinion across sport, with some analysts saying that the gesture, first performed by NFL player Colin Kaepernick in 2016, was in danger of becoming diluted.

Premier League club captains reaffirmed their commitment to fighting racism and all forms of discrimination but said players had decided to use specific moments during the upcoming campaign, which begins on Friday, to take the knee.

"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," Premier League captains said in a statement.

"We remain resolutely committed to eradicate racial prejudice, and to bring about an inclusive society with respect and equal opportunities for all."