Premier League side, Crystal Palace, have distanced themselves from the Black Lives Matter (BLM) UK movement after many reports emerged labelling them a hate group.

The popular group attracted widespread criticism after commenting on a highly political subject involving the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, which they described “Ilegal” under international law.

Following the widespread criticism, Crystal Palace became the first football club to officially distance themselves from the Black Lives Matter group via a statement they shared on Twitter.

As people will have seen from our first home game, we have placed banners over our seated areas at Selhurst Park that read: BLACK LIVES MATTER.

“We stand proudly alongside members of the BAME community, our players and employees, and behind the ideals and ethos of ‘black lives matter’,” The club wrote in a statement shared on their official website.

“However, we would like to make clear that we do not endorse any pressure group or body that carries the same term in its name, and we strongly believe that organisations should not use this important force for change and positivity to push their own political agendas.

“We want to be part of a world that is fair, inclusive and open to all.

“As an organisation, we recognise that we need to do more, and we will do more to contribute towards this goal.”