Gary Rowett praised the fans, the clubs and his players for their actions on Tuesday night as Millwall sought to take a stance against discrimination.

Following the events of Saturday’s home loss to Derby County, in which players were booed by fans for taking a knee, the club took strong action, alongside QPR.

Millwall’s shirts bore the Kick It Out logo, and players joined together before kick-off present a ‘United for Change’ banner.

The club also provided each fan with a statement urging to crowd to support the gestures and respect the choice of the QPR players to take a knee before kick-off.

On the reaction of the fans, Rowett said, ‘I don’t think they necessarily responded to a plea. I think they responded to the message that we were trying to portray, which is what we all want: anti-discrimation, a fight against inequality, a fight against racism.

‘None of us want that in our society and I think football’s a very powerful tool in order to fight it. What we tried to do today was to create a line between the knee being the only gesture and another form of a gesture, which I think the fans got behind well.

‘I didn’t hear one [bit of] negativity. I heard everyone get behind it. I’m sure there were people looking on that were hoping that there was more negativity, but I’m proud of the fans and I’m proud of the club for the work that they’ve done to try to make this a positive thing.

‘Every single person from both clubs in the stadium got behind that message. It was very clear and very positive.’

Rowett explained he was unaware that the entire QPR team would take a knee before kick-off, nor was he aware that Ilias Chair would celebrate his goal, alongside Bright Osayi-Samuel, by taking a knee.

Nonetheless, the manager explained that they were within their rights to do so: ‘I wasn’t aware that they would celebrate in that way. But that’s not our decision, that’s every player’s decision to do that.

‘We’re living in a world where it’s everyone’s decision to react how they want to react. Tonight, our fans reacted positively. I believe the negativity was around the knee. You can argue why that was, it’s not really for me to decide.

‘But the message around doing something proactively as a club was to try to make positive change.

‘I’ve seen a lot of comment and statements around this, but what we haven’t seen is enough action from the authorities around this. What we’re doing is actually trying to act.

‘A lot of the world was watching and the club have come out in a positive way this evening and backed up the work that they’ve been doing for years in the community that I’ve seen first-hand.

‘I’m proud of people because there’s been a lot of flak flying around and a lot of mud slung at the club. Everyone associated, at least tonight, has a chance to feel proud of it.’

After the final whistle, Millwall defender Mahlon Romeo raised his shirt to the crowd, displaying the Kick It Out logo, having raised an arm in a show of solidarity before kick-off.

Romeo spoke after Saturday’s game about the disrespect he felt towards himself and the club by those fans who chose to boo a ‘peaceful gesture’.

Rowett praised his player and explained that he was ‘an important part of all the discussions’.

He continued, ‘I’m sure for him and for the likes of Tyler Burey and Mason [Bennett], it was difficult afternoon on Saturday as it was for all of us.

‘We sat in a meeting yesterday until around six o’clock and Mahlon was there, when really probably he should have been preparing for a game.

‘But it was important, it was important that he was there to proactively help decide which way forward we should go. He spoke very intelligently; he spoke very passionately and should come out with lots of credit.

‘To then go and perform in the way that he did, must have been difficult, but I thought he did really well.’