SHIPLEY MP Philip Davies became embroiled in a Twitter spat yesterday after a section of Millwall fans booed their own players for taking a knee against racism.

A loud section of the 2,000 Millwall fans allowed into their match against Derby County could be heard booing their own players and those of Derby when the players took the knee prior to kick off on Saturday in support of the Black Lives Matter movement against racism.

 

The reaction by the section of Millwall fans was condemned by pundits, current and former players, journalists and politicians as blatant racism.

Piers Morgan was among those condeming the fans who booed as disgusting, saying: "The players made it very clear they weren't supporting any political entity, but simply to show their opposition to racial discrimination. If you can't respect that, you're a racist. End."

He then tweeted again, in response to a tweet from author Paul Embery claiming the fans weren't booing because they were racists but because they'd become fed up with the "moral lecture" that "taking the knee had become".

TV presenter Morgan said: "They booed their own black players yesterday for kneeling in protest against racial injustice.

"Don’t you dare pretend the Millwall fans who did that have ‘taken black players to their hearts.’ Their black players like Mahlon Romeo were heartbroken yesterday. Understand THAT."

Replying to this comment from Morgan, Mr Davies, who has been the Conservative MP for Shipley since 2005, said: "If it is racist to not support taking the knee, and to not join in, then why do you not start every episode of GMB by taking the knee?

"Does not doing so make you racist? Were all premier league footballers racist in previous seasons when they weren’t taking the knee at every game?"

His reply was largely criticised on Twitter, with one user, @Juke_Spencer, saying: "First time you've engaged with someone other than RTs Phil, since you were arguing with the Women's Equality Party over how much your majority had been reduced by. It's interesting what will set you off."

Another, with the username daunorubicin, said: "But it is racist to actively oppose an anti-racist position by booing. Taking neutral stance can be reasonable. Taking an active negative stance on this issue is racist."

Bill Scott said: "Don’t be silly! I think you need to be worrying about more important things than putting one over on Piers Morgan when, on this occasion, he is blatantly correct."

@ben2304 added: "Philip. I’ve never seen such an uninformed tweet ever. I’m desperately disappointed in you. Please just re read your tweet and then think about what you’ve said."

Takign the knee began with American football star Colin Kaepernick, who took the knee during the US national anthem to oppose police brutality against black people and racial inequality.

Following the killing of unarmed black man George Floyd earlier this year by police in American, sports men and women in major sports began taking the knee in solidarity again racism and racial inequality.

No other matches with fans in English professional football reported any similar instances to the booing at Millwall over the weekend. Environment Minister George Eustice failed to condemn the booing yesterday, instead saying Black Lives Matter was a political movement and that people's on it "should be respected".

Last year, Millwall were fined £10,000 by the FA after racist chanting was heard from its fans during an FA Cup tie against Everton.