MILLWALL manager Gary Rowett claimed taking the knee before games is causing a rift in football.
Lions fans booed the Fulham team before kick-off at The Den.
And Rowett believes authorities need to come up with something better to unify supporters against racism.
He said: “Up and down the country I think there are so many football clubs that do such good work in their communities around equality and anti- racism.
“We need the authorities to help clubs out and find a better way to unify people.
“I don’t want to comment on individual people’s decision to do that but we just need to find a way to unify people.
“At the moment, you know, 20 seconds, 30 seconds, before a game is just causing such a rift and divide.
“Football is a great spectacle. We’re privileged to be part of it.
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“What it does is has the power to help communities and do some really good work behind the scenes.
“It’s not just our club, there’s a lot of clubs doing that, so I think we need help.
“We need help to find a more positive way of taking some form of action. That’s my opinion.”
The South London club decided to stop taking the knee last season.
But Sky Sports pundit and former Reading captain Jobi McAnuff blasted Rowett’s stance and hit out at the Millwall fans who booed, calling them racist.
He rapped: “I was disappointed by booing the knee initially and I’m disappointed by Gary’s reaction. I don’t think we can be any clearer in terms of the message behind taking the knee and what it stands for.
“What it represents is the fight against racism and discrimination.
“When somebody decides to make a racist tweet, or shout racist abuse, that’s a decision.
“These fans at this club are making a decision to boo players taking the knee. So for me, there’s no other explanation any more other than that they’re opposing equality.
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“You’re a manager of a club, you might say you can’t control what a fan does but what you can do as the figurehead is condemn it in the strongest possible terms.
“I’m disappointed I haven’t seen it.
“I’m tired of having to come out and get my point across on something that we’ve been so clear about, and on multiple occasions unequivocally said, why players take the knee.”
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