Premiership players can take a knee before kick-off

Premiership players will be given the opportunity to take a knee ahead of the kick-off of the opening weekend’s fixtures.

A series of video messages featuring players from each of the 12 top-flight teams will be shown, while teams will wear Show Racism the Red Card t-shirts during their warm-ups.

Taking a knee has become a symbol of the fight against racism and the Black Lives Matter campaign.

Players in the English Premier League did it before each game after their season restarted in June.

The first match of the new season following a four-month hiatus will take place between Aberdeen and Rangers, kicking off at Pittodrie at 12.30pm on Saturday.

Neil Doncaster, chief executive of the SPFL, said: “Racism is abhorrent to any right-thinking person in our society today.

“The SPFL wholeheartedly supports the right of players, officials and others who wish to underline their opposition to such hateful beliefs and behaviours to ‘take a knee’ as we relaunch the game in Scotland.

“However, the manner in which people choose to express their opposition must remain a matter of individual free will and personal choice.

“It’s for that reason that it would be wholly inappropriate for the SPFL, or indeed any organisation, to compel anyone to make any specific gesture.

“As in other sports, individuals must be free to express their own views in other ways, and the SPFL respects their right to do so.”