“We will not stop”: Conor Coady says England will continue to kneel before matches after young Hungarian fans booed the anti-racism gesture, with Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate dismayed by the abuse.
By Adam Shergold for MailOnline
Posted: 06:45, 5 June 2022 | Updated: 9:32 AM, June 5, 2022
Conor Coady says England will continue to kneel before matches despite the anti-racism gesture being booed by a crowd of schoolchildren in Hungary.
More than 30,000 youngsters attended the UEFA Nations League match at Budapest’s Puskas Arena on Saturday night, but some mocked the English players when they grabbed their knees just before the start.
The match was to be played behind closed doors as punishment for the racism of Hungarian fans in previous matches.
But his Football Association took advantage of a breach of UEFA regulations that allows children to enter the stadium, with one in 10 adults.
England lost the match 1-0 after a slow performance that did not bode well for the toughest matches against Germany and Italy.
England defender Conor Coady says the team will continue to kneel before matches despite the anti-racism gesture being mocked by a crowd of schoolchildren mainly in Budapest.
Hungarian fans booed England team for kneeling during their League of Nations match
Wolves defender Coady told talkSPORT: “We’ve heard that. we talked.
“We understand, I hope people understand why we are doing this kind of thing now.
“This will not stop us from doing so in the future. It is not something that will stop us.
“We hope people understand what we are trying to do and then the message we are trying to create, and that will not stop.
More than 30,000 spectators were able to attend Saturday, mostly children, in Budapest
Harry Kane (left) and Mason Mount grabbed their knees before the launch, but were heard booing.
“Most people take it very well and most people really support us and support us in terms of what we’re trying to do, and we won’t stop doing it now.
“People take it differently, but it’s important that we don’t stop and let our beliefs move forward.”
England coach Gareth Southgate was dismayed by such a young audience.
Southgate said, “I was very surprised. I thought that’s why we do it, to try to educate. I think young people can only be influenced by older people.
England coach Gareth Southgate said the boos showed why his team continues to kneel.
‘The atmosphere when we got to the stadium, there were kids on the street. They were very kind, they greeted us when we went out, there were pantomime boos when the team went out to warm up, that was different with the catch of that knee.
“It simply came to our notice then.
“That’s why we do it, that’s why we continue to take this position and we will continue to do so.
“On a day like today, when we haven’t won the game and we haven’t played well enough, it’s probably better to accept criticism than to talk about it.”