With the calendar year of fixtures coming to a close following our home hosting of Lincoln City on 29th December, Rotherham United skipper Richard Wood has reaffirmed the club’s commitment to the message of anti-discrimination which is carried by the first team’s continued desire to ‘take a knee’ before fixtures in all competitions.
With the Millers enjoying a wonderful run across league and cup competitions – which has seen them embark on a sequence of 20 games without defeat – the club captain expressed his wish to once again remind everyone of why the players are so keen to outwardly show their support of the need to continue keeping the conversation around social injustices going.
Speaking to www.themillers.co.uk after making his 200th appearance in Rotherham United colours on Saturday, Wood said:
“It is vitally important that we do not lose sight of why we as players across the EFL have reaffirmed our desire to continue taking a knee before fixtures.
“It certainly feels like the attitude towards the gesture from the public is changing and more and more people are seeing it for what it is – and that is our way of keeping the issue of social injustice at the forefront of people’s minds.
“That is really encouraging and we are really grateful, especially to the fans who applaud us taking the knee before games. It means a lot to a lot of people in the dressing room and is another morale-boosting lift before we get kicked off."
“This isn’t a problem that has gone away and we, as a group of players and staff, feel a responsibility to use our position as role models in the community to reinforce that message.
“As people know by now, this football club means an awful lot to me personally, and to have the backing of our supporters on a subject like this makes me incredibly proud to be the captain. We know taking the knee isn’t going to solve the issue of social injustice overnight, but it keeps people talking about it and it keeps the conversation going which is at least a step in the right direction."
“People have their own opinions on politics and I think we are seeing at the moment just how divisive that can be, which once again prompts me to remind everyone that our decision to take the knee is in absolutely no way politically motivated. We feel that we can help keep the conversation going around a really important topic and that is the aim.”
Football is everyone’s game and we are incredibly proud to have a captain, playing squad and set of staff who are so committed to ensuring that message is heard loud and clear here at Rotherham United.
