Why Leeds United players will take the knee on Saturday - but not often this season

Leeds players will take the knee before Saturday’s opening match of the season against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Elland Road, but it will be the last example for some time.

After consulting with their team-mates, Premier League captains have decided to use the action more sparingly, having routinely adopted it before every league match for more than two years.

Sheffield United, whose players inspired the gesture’s use in English football, did not take the knee before Monday’s televised Championship game against Watford, who did.

Taking the knee was popularised by NFL player Colin Kaepernick, who refused to stand during the pre-match national anthem as a protest against racism in America which ultimately cost him his playing career after a backlash. It was adopted by English football when it emerged from the first Covid-19 lockdown shortly after the racially-motivated death of George Floyd in the United States in May 2020.

The first match played after the coronavirus pause was between Aston Villa and Sheffield United, and David McGoldrick and Billy Sharp proposed the gesture, which was widely taken up but not without controversy.

Whilst Premier League captains agreed to adopt a three-line whip for the last two seasons – although individuals such as Wilfried Zaha who felt it had lost its potency were free to opt out – the Football League left it up to individual teams.

Even last season, Match of the Day highlights would routinely show a few seconds of players taking the knee before each game.

Some misinterpreted it as support for elements of the Marxist ideology of the Black Lives Matter movement, despite many of the players taking the knee insisting it was purely a symbol of opposition to racism.

It was booed by some supporters, most notably during England’s early 2021 European Championship games, with the encouragement of some Government politicians. Boos were not unusual at Yorkshire grounds too.

On explaining his decision to stand in February 2021, Crystal Palace winger Zaha said: “At the moment it doesn’t matter whether we kneel or stand, some of us still continue to receive abuse.”

Hull City players Mallik Wilks and Josh Magennis followed Zaha’s lead before a game against Northampton Town in April 2021, and in subsequent matches the entire Tigers team followed suit.

“I’d planned to take the knee but Mallik came up and said to me he didn’t want to cause any disrespect or anything but he wasn’t going to,” explained Magennis. “I said, ‘No problem, I’ll do it with you.’

“I didn’t want him to feel he had to face this on his own.

“When everyone started to kneel you could see the reaction right the way back to Colin Kaepernick – that man lost his job in the NFL.

“It got to the stage with Mallik where he thought it was maybe happening just for the sake of it.”

As they did before last season, the Premier League captains met this week to decide whether to continue the gesture and have decided on a “less is more” approach.

Players and staff will take the knee before the first and last game of the Premier League season, before dedicated “No Room for Racism” matches in October and March, the Boxing Day fixtures and domestic cup finals.

“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,” said a joint statement from the Premier League captains.

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

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters added: "The players fear its losing power and momentum and we will see it take place in a different format."