Ex City Star blasts fans booing

Cambridge fans' jeers for knee protest 'embarrassing' - Mark Bonner

15 December 2020

Cambridge lie sixth in League Two


Cambridge manager Mark Bonner said fans who booed the taking of the knee before his side's win over Colchester were "embarrassing" and "unacceptable".

Applause drowned out the initial jeering as the gesture was made before the League Two match.

"We don't stand for that at all here," said Bonner of the boos.

"It's an anti-discrimination message talking about racism, systemic racism and inequality. We've backed that with Colchester and everyone should."

It was the first time the gesture has been made at the Abbey Stadium since fans were allowed back at the venue.

Cambridge United went on to win the game 2-1.

"A small minority of fans booed and that is embarrassing and unacceptable," added Bonner.

"The best thing we can do is stand up and give credit to the vast majority of people who behaved in the right way, in a way that represents our club properly."

Cambridge player Harvey Knibbs said he was "appalled and embarrassed" by the fans who booed.

"It's 2020 and the action is a symbol of solidarity," he said on social media.

"I want to thank the fans who overhauled the boos with applause but this cannot continue."





EXETER CITY:


League Two side Exeter City said one supporter was ejected from the stadium after players took the knee before their game against Harrogate Town.

Exeter thanked "the vast majority" of fans for supporting players taking the knee but said they would take "the appropriate action" against the spectator who was removed.

Earlier this month some Colchester fans booed players taking the knee before their game with Grimsby.

Club owner Robbie Cowling was heavily critical of those who booed before the 5 December fixture, saying that any repeat offenders would no longer be "welcome at our club".

Where does taking a knee come from?
On the same day as the incident at Colchester, Millwall fans also jeered players for taking the knee before a defeat by Derby. The Millwall team had released a statement earlier in the week explaining that their gesture carried no political message, but was "purely about tackling discrimination".

The gesture first came to prominence when San Francisco 49ers quarter-back Colin Kaepernick chose to kneel rather than stand for the US national anthem before a game in September 2016 as a protest against police brutality.

After the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old man who died after a Minneapolis policeman knelt on his neck for several minutes, it became widespread in global protests against racial injustice and violence.

Mark Bonner is wrong

Millwall have it spot on

Equality matters and players standing side by side is the way forward

We are wasting our time trying to explain why we boo the taking of the knee.

Here we go again. These ex pros and current footballers are the ones who are embarrasing. When will they learn that genuine people are pi$$ed off with the 'knee' and are not racist?

Agree about Millwall & I hope other clubs follow suit.

They are so priviledged and and out of touch with real life. Normal ,everyday people are absolutely sick of it. Its pointless debating it anymore, let the overpaid twats Kneel all they want, i dont care anymore

They will only realise when all this virus is over and they get hit in the pocket when fans don't turn up or renew season tickets

If they took the time to ask supporters why they object, we might get somewhere. But just come out with the usual crap which will make them look good with the woke culture which runs society. Getting like North Korea without torture.

If they took the time to ask supporters why they object, we might get somewhere. But just come out with the usual crap which will make them look good with the woke culture which runs society. Getting like North Korea without torture.

i find it really strange mate.... invariably the reaction is how wrong it is and how disgusted / embarrassed / appalled they are..and how unacceptable it is.... .and pretending to be completely oblivious to the reason WHY people are booing

Its the way that little buzz words like systemic are thrown in with absolutely no understanding of what that means that shows him up as someone that is just repeating someone else's words because they think it is the right thing to say to not be the next in the leftist firing line.

Spineless or ignorant, neither are good traits in a man.

Politics has No place in Spor

Its the way that little buzz words like systemic are thrown in with absolutely no understanding of what that means that shows him up as someone that is just repeating someone else's words because they think it is the right thing to say to not be the next in the leftist firing line.

Spineless or ignorant, neither are good traits in a man.

what comes across for me is how strong the statements being made are.. those booing are dismissed out of hand...

doubly disappointing in this case as he was a very good servant here helping to win 3 promotions...

Fans booing is not that they are racist it’s the fact that players are taking the knee against racism ,then raise a fist in black power salute
Don’t they see what they are doing is also racist and offensive.

The Mark Bonnar who is Cambridge manager is NOT the Mark Bonner who played for us. Different spelling for a start.