The Leader of the Reclaim Party has apologised for his lack of support for the England national football team, after disagreeing with their stance on taking the knee.
Laurence Fox, who stood as a candidate for mayor of London in May, apologised for his comments before the start of the Euro 2020 tournament, after he said that he hoped the England team lose because of their taking of the knee.
The taking of the knee by the England team has been controversial due to the symbol’s connotations with the Black Lives Matter movement. The Black Lives Matter organisation has openly associated themselves with Marxism. They have called for the end of capitalism and the destruction of the nuclear family.
Fans of the English football team have also expressed their displeasure at the gesture, with booing being heard during the duration of the kneeling at several games throughout the tournament.
The connotations with the Black Lives Matter organisation and Marxism originally caused Mr Fox to write:
“I’m embarrassed to be British. I hope any team but ours wins in any future sporting endeavour. Tell me a single thing to moderate my thinking? Millionaire woke babies protesting inequality on two hundred grand a week. We deserve everything that is coming. Weak men. Weak. My prayers are with Croatia, the Czech Republic and Scotland. Knock these woke English babies out. My whole life I’ve wanted England to win at football.”
However, the Reclaim Party leader retracted his earlier statements in a Twitter thread, saying that he apologised for “being a d***”. He wrote:
“1 – Right. It’s hard to admit when you’ve made a mistake, but as I tell my kids it’s important to acknowledge it when you think you have. So here goes. I have always been behind England in any sport and any English team in any competition.
2 – I think England is the most fantastic country on earth. We have done so much to promote equality in this nation that people long to come here and make the UK their home. It was therefore disheartening to see the England football team kneeling for “equality”.
3 – I feel it’s a deep insult to those who work tirelessly for all the things we have achieved to become the genuinely inclusive, warm and welcoming society we are all part of.
4 – But to say that I want England to lose just because of their kneeling, is a step too far. I should just have said what I felt about the kneeling and got on with supporting the team.
5 – These are young men. Their intentions are no doubt noble, even if I continue to categorically disagree with what they are doing, saying I want them to lose doesn’t serve any purpose, especially at a time when national morale could do with a boost.
6 – You can hate the kneeling and love the team, so that’s what I shall do. I would love to see politics taken out of football, even politics I like. I hope that we can go back to just enjoying the beautiful game. It brings us together.
7 – Kids are now kneeling in playgrounds during break before they play footy. Do they know what they are kneeling for? I certainly don’t. It’s sad, pointless and divisive. But then again so is wishing your team to lose because they have bought into this rubbish.
8 – So there we go. I’m sorry for being a d***.”
England are preparing to face Italy in the final of the tournament on Sunday.
