Despite originating in the United States, the protests against police brutality and for racial equality have spanned the entire globe, particularly in the sporting world. Now, the top soccer league in the world, England’s Premier League, will allow players to kneel before matches as well as the display of the words “Black Lives Matter” instead of individual player names.
The league, which will return next weekend with the Merseyside Derby between league leaders Liverpool and Everton headlining, will allow the Black Lives Matter phrasing for the first round of games, while also including a BLM patch on jerseys for the rest of the season:
The League supports the players’ wish to have their names replaced by Black Lives Matter on the back of their shirts for the first 12 matches of the restarted 2019/20 season. A Black Lives Matter logo will also feature on shirts for the remainder of the season, along with a badge thanking the NHS (National Health Service) for their work during the COVID-19 crisis.
This announcement comes after the #PlayersTogether group had suggested the idea of having the Black Lives Matter phrasing on the back of the player jerseys. The group includes captains from all around the league, including Watford’s Troy Deeney and Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin.
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