Taking the knee has 'lost its impact' say Jules and Kasumu

MK Dons duo David Kasumu and Zak Jules believe taking the knee has lost all impact and is doing little now to prevent them and other black players of being racially abused.

Footballers' and football clubs' social media accounts will fall silent this Bank Holiday weekend to 'emphasise that social media companies must do more to eradicate online hate, while highlighting the importance of educating people in the ongoing fight against discrimination.'

Crystal Palace attacker Wilfred Zaha has been outspoken on his stance not to take the knee ahead of games to promote anti-racism messages, while QPR have also abstained from the gesture.

Kasumu and Jules agreed kneeling before games has lost it's impact, especially with the sporadic nature in which it is even seen in League One.

"I think the kneeling has lost its purpose," said Jules. "Now it's a token gesture. At the start, it was something, a building block. But now, some games we do, some we don't. You may have people who may not even agree with it but they have to do it. I don't think there's any need in that any more.

"Wilfred Zaha said it's degrading, having to get down on your knees to show you're equal to everyone else. And he's right."

Kasumu said the reaction to last week's fleeting European Super League proposals, which garnered widespread disdain, was far bigger than anything he had seen regarding racist abuse.

He said: "With the Super League, the world was turned upside down and I saw so many tweets about it - why isn't it the same reaction when someone gets racially abused?

"Bigger things need to happen. The way people reacted to the Super League, people saying they were going to be boycotting games, big things need to happen. Not kneeling or posting 'black out Tuesday' on social media. It's not the same.

"Someone needs to be a victim of something for someone to open their eyes. It needed all these things happening in America, it needed to get to it's worst for things to happen."

Jules added: "I heard fans talking about how they were willing to disown their clubs (over the Super League), and the passion I could hear in their voices over this. Imagine if we had that same backing and energy with racism.

"If there was a financial reward for wiping out racism, imagine how quickly it would be wiped out. If there was money to be made, I couldn't see it lasting long."