Swansea City boss Russell Martin says the handling racist abuse aimed at Rhys Williams was a key factor in his players' decision to stop taking a knee before matches.
The Swans confirmed on Friday morning that they would be moving away from the gesture, which they've adopted before every game since the return of football after the Covid-19 pandemic.
The club also took part in a social media boycott last year, following abuse aimed at forward Jamal Lowe, calling on social media platforms and authorities to do more to combat discriminatory abuse.
READ MORE: Swansea City's transfer issue could rumble on for a month as Russell Martin gives update on wing-back search
However, just a few months later, Liverpool loanee Williams was targeted, and Martin says the poor handling of that incident has been the main factor in re-evaluating the effectiveness of taking a knee before games. You can read every word of Martin's press conference here.
"Whatever the players decide, we back them 100 per cent," he said. "We have a group of players that really care a huge amount about this and the things that have happened to the players here over a period of time as well.
"They felt really let down by the way the Rhys Williams situation was handled last season. They feel they take the knee and make a stand, make a statement. To them, after that, it had very little meaning. The Rhys thing has fizzled out into absolutely nothing.
"There’s been continued talks with Grimesy [Matt Grimes] and the rest of the players, with the PFA about what the protocol is and how it works.
"They think it’s lost its impact. It’s their decision and we totally support them on that.
"They are working to find their own way with the club and the foundation to make more of an impact than they do currently.
"I admire the stand they’re taking. If the opposition do it, then they’ll stand and clap. But they just feel that it doesn’t have the impact it once did. They feel it’s become something of a token gesture. We support them and we’ll find our own way on making more of an impact."
- Do you agree with Swansea's decision? Have your say in the comments section here
In a statement released shortly before Martin's comments, a spokesperson for the club said: "Following discussions as a group, we have collectively decided to no longer take the knee prior to fixtures during the 2022-23 season.
"This is not a decision that has been taken lightly, and in no way reflects any diminishing of our belief that discrimination of any nature is abhorrent and has no place in football or society. We remain firmly in support of what taking the knee stands for and represents.
"Taking the knee has undoubtedly helped to raise awareness and encourage conversations about how to remove racism from the game we all love.
"Should any opposition side take the knee before a game this season, then we will line-up and applaud them, because we absolutely support the sentiment behind it.
"But we feel we want to take responsibility as a group and find alternative ways to show our commitment to inclusion and diversity, and we feel that needs to run deeper than taking the knee each time we play.
"We want to work to be a force for positive, substantive change.
"As a club, Swansea City is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and we will seek to keep working alongside the Swansea City AFC Foundation, who do so much good in promoting the message that football, and sport in general, is for everyone.
"We have had first-hand experience of the devastating impact discriminatory abuse can have, with several of us having been on the receiving end of disgusting verbal and social media abuse over the last two seasons. You will recall a number of those instances led to the club holding a boycott of social media in April 2021.
"The experiences those individuals who were targeted, and us as a group, went through have not been forgotten, nor will they be forgotten in the future.
"Substantive change is needed, and we – and all victims of discrimination – require the support of the relevant authorities, social media companies and governing bodies in order to ensure a brighter future and a more equal, empathetic society.
"We are a family, and we will always stand shoulder to shoulder with each other, whether that’s on the pitch or helping to fight injustice and raise awareness off it."
READ NEXT
