MP, Cambridgeshire FA and community leaders condemn the booing of ‘Take the Knee’ at Cambridge United

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MP, Cambridgeshire FA and community leaders condemn the booing of ‘Take the Knee’ at Cambridge United

Cambridge Stand Up to Racism

As Cambridge United fans and residents, we were shocked and saddened to hear that a small but noisy minority of so called ‘supporters’ booed our own players as they took the knee to say #BlackLivesMatter on Tuesday night.

It’s been hugely positive for clubs to adopt Take the Knee in response to deep concerns of players and fans about racism in the game, and in wider society. We applaud statements from manager Mark Bonner and the Club condemning the racists, and the vast majority of U’s fans whose clapping drowned out the bigots. This reflects long standing work by local anti racist fans and by Cambs FA.

In addition, organisations such as Show Racism the Red Card and Kick It Out have been instrumental in promoting anti racism in the game.

Black players consistently play a hugely important role both on and off the pitch. Marcus Rashford’s stand over free school meals has saved hundred of thousands of children from hunger this Xmas. And we know that black people have suffered disproportionately in the Covid-19 crisis.

So why would anyone wish to boo those marking the argument that Black Lives Matter?

There was a time when racists and the far right saw football as their territory. Fans at clubs such as Leeds, Chelsea, Manchester United, Leicester, West Ham, Tottenham, Liverpool and elsewhere have since driven the racists out.

Football is a multicultural sport, this is a multicultural country. We are not going back to the racism of the past. The vast majority of supporters want to to see football for all.

We won’t let the racists divide us.

Cambridge United vow to identify and ban supporters that booed taking the knee at the Abbey Stadium

Signed by

Daniel Zeichner MP Cambridge

Alex Mayer Former MEP East of England

Jo Bull for Cambridgeshire FA

Matt Clements, ex player for Cambridge United and Cambridge City

Charlie Minchin – ‘season ticket holder and one of those who out clapped the boos’.

Dave Fry – ‘I grew up 100 yards from the Abbey Ground and am angry that this racist expression occurred there’.

Andrew Kennedy Romsey Labour Party member and CUFC supporter

Nick Parker CUFC die hard

Niamh Sweeney Cambridge Teacher and NEU Executive Member

Andrew “ozzy” Osborne chair unite London and Eastern engineering, manufacturing and steel regional industrial sector Committee

Cllr Lewis Herbert Leader of Cambridge City Council

Cllr Alex Collis (City Councillor for Kings Hedges and Deputy Mayor)

Cllr Mike Todd Jones, councillor for Arbury

Cllr Dave Baigent councillor for Romsey

Cllr Dr Jocelynne A. Scutt, Labour County Councillor for Arbury

Cllr Grace Hadley, councillor for Coleridge, Cambridge City Council Community

Cllr Anna Smith Deputy Leader Cambridge City Council

Cllr Katie Thornburrow, Labour Cambridge City executive councillor for planning policy and open space.

Cllr Colin McGerty, Liberal Democrat City Councillor for Queen Edith’s

Cllr Ian Manning, Lib Dem County Councillor for Chesterton

Cambridge University Labour Club Joint Chairs Elizabeth Castell, Ryan Bogle

Shahida Rahman – author

Mairead Healy

Daniel A Cooper, Romsey Labour Party, and Cambridge Unite

Graeme Hodgson, Romsey Ward Labour Party.

Richard Rose, R*E*P*E*A*T Records and Cambridge City FC Diversity and Inclusion Group (pc)

Tom Woodcock, Cambridgeshire NEU member and CUFC fan

Matt Kelly, Cambridgeshire NEU member

Mairead Healy Amnesty International

Roger Green, Cambridge SUTR, NEU member

Ibrahim Rahman, Karim Foundation
Isabelle Humphries Cambridgeshire NEU member

Anabela Monteiro

Clive Peace

G Messore

Helen Hazel, East Anglia SUTR

Oisin Challen Flynn, Cambridge University student

Rachel Edwards, Cambridge SUTR member

Robert Illingworth

Rosa Mottershead

Boos were drowned out by applause at Cambridge as they and Colchester took the knee ahead of their match.


“The players and clubs have made their reasons for taking the knee abundantly clear. 
We categorically reject and oppose the attempts by the far-right to push their own narrative and obscure those reasons.


The Black Lives Matter movement was and is a monumental cry across the spectrum of society globally for fundamental change, after suffering centuries of racism. As an anti-racism education charity, Show Racism the Red Card supports this cry along with those who choose to take the knee in solidarity with it.”
Statement from Show Racism the Red Card

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