NATHAN Blake has criticised his hometown club after Newport County AFC and Tranmere didn’t take the knee in their League Two clash at Rodney Parade.

The former Wales striker, who had a brief spell with the Exiles in the Conference South in 2006 and was a board member in 2015, was working at the fixture as a summariser for BBC Radio Wales.

He was surprised when the game kicked off without the gesture that has featured since the 2019/20 season restarted in June to show support for the movement for racial equality.

The EFL has previously said that it is down to individual player and clubs to decide on whether to take a knee before the match, but that it has to be agreed with the opposition and match officials.

South Wales Argus:

“This is Newport, walk over that bridge and you are in Pill, probably one of the biggest black populations in Great Britain,” Blake said to County chairman Gavin Foxall after the game.

“You have fans here who are black, white, Asian. Don’t you feel accountability to those people?

“It’s not about putting up banners today and forgetting tomorrow. You either believe in it and are with it, or you are not.”

Foxall said that he would get to the bottom of the situation but defended the Exiles’ record when it comes to anti-racism.

South Wales Argus: Swansea's Andre Ayew takes the knee before Saturday's game against HuddersfieldSwansea's Andre Ayew takes the knee before Saturday's game against Huddersfield

“As I understand it, it is something that the referee instigates before the game and it is agreed with the two captains,” he said.

“I don’t know why that wasn’t the case today and as a club we will have that discussion to see why it wasn’t the case.

“What I would say is that as a club we supported the Wear Red Day (anti-racism campaign) and we have an equality and inclusion officer.

“Racism has no place in society or football and as a club we are behind that 100 per cent.”

In September, Queens Park Rangers director of football Les Ferdinand said the impact of taking a knee "has been diluted".

"The message has been lost. It is now not dissimilar to a fancy hashtag or a nice pin badge," former England striker Ferdinand said after QPR and Coventry kicked off without the show of support.

"Taking the knee will not bring about change in the game - actions will."