Jacob Brown hopes Barnsley and QPR can emulate Premier League players in midweek and kneel before their game tomorrow in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
There have been protests across the world since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which led to a police officer being charged with murder. Brown said: “We have not spoken about taking a knee. The discussion will be had before the game starts. It’s good to see it in the Premier League and it would be good if we could do it too. It’s a really good movement and it’s good so many people are getting on board. It’s important that it doesn’t just stop but people keep pushing the message as long as they have to. There have been lots of movements before but things like George Floyd’s death are still happening.
“I have experienced racism in the past and it affects you quite badly. You don’t want to be put down because of your skin colour. You just have to think that the person saying it is not educated and know that you’re bigger than that person.”
Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford’s campaign this week forced Boris Johnson’s government to change plans and provide free school meals for children through the summer holidays. Brown, who is the same age as England star Rashford, said: “It’s inspirational. It shows that football is such a big platform so players, whether they are Rashford or lower down the league, can make a difference in people’s lives. Hopefully more players and clubs can help to make changes in the future.”
Brown is also hoping to make a change in the Championship table as Barnsley are seven points off safety at the bottom, with nine games remaining. He said: “We are seven points behind with 20-odd points to play for so it is not out of the question. We have been on good runs where we have picked up a lot of good results so, if we can start that straight away, that would be really good. The main thing is we haven’t be consistent this season.
"We have been a really good team for a number of games but you get punished in this league when you’re not at your best. “We will take each game as it comes, try to win it then move on to the next one. It’s now or never, each game is a must-win. There might be teams in mid-table who could be thinking differently.”
The Reds have been back in training for the last four weeks, with contact training allowed for the last two and a half weeks. Brown said: “I feel quite fit and sharp at the minute. We have only had one pre-season friendly. I felt good but, when the games come thick and fast, I might not feel as good as I would if we had a full pre-season. We have all been working as hard as we can so we are as fit as we can be for the start of the season. I have been working hard in training, doing extra finishing, so I am feeling confident.”
Tomorrow’s match at Queens Park Rangers will be played behind-closed-doors, as will all the other games this season due to the coronavirus outbreak. He said: “You haven’t got the extra motivation of the fans to push you on when you’re on the back foot. We need to find that within ourselves and motivate our own team-mates. It’s going to be like a training game atmosphere but we know how important the games are so hopefully it will be different to a friendly. We won’t be struggling for motivation because of the situation we are in, even if there are no fans which will be very very different.”
