The Football Association (FA) has charged Tottenham Hotspur due to alleged homophobic chants made by their fans during a Premier League match against Manchester United earlier in the season.
The incident reportedly occurred on September 29 at Old Trafford, prompting Spurs to denounce the “abhorrent homophobic chanting” as “unacceptable, hugely offensive, and no way to support the team.” The club assured fans it would pursue the “strongest possible action” against individuals involved in making homophobic remarks.
Ahead of a later match against West Ham, Spurs season ticket holders received an email stating the club’s “zero-tolerance approach” to discrimination. In the email, the club outlined the use of body cameras by stewards during the West Ham game to identify fans engaging in unacceptable chants. Specific chants, including the “Dominic Solanke” reference involving Mikel Arteta and any use of the term “rent boy,” were highlighted as examples of prohibited language.
Despite these efforts, the FA has charged Tottenham with two breaches of FA Rule E21, relating to fan behaviour and crowd control. This rule mandates that clubs must ensure their spectators refrain from offensive, abusive, or improper conduct, especially regarding language that references sexual orientation.
The FA’s statement reads: “It’s alleged the club failed to ensure that its spectators or supporters (or anyone presenting as supporters or followers) conduct themselves in an orderly fashion and don’t use words or otherwise behave in an improper, offensive, abusive, indecent, or insulting way with either an express or implied reference to sexual orientation around both the 49th and 79th minutes.”
Tottenham has until next Wednesday to respond to the charges.
This is not the first instance of the FA fining teams due to fans’ homophobic chants, with the “rent boy” chant being a recurring issue in football crowds, including at previous Spurs matches. The chant is classified as a homophobic hate crime by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Kick It Out, an organisation dedicated to ending discrimination in football has consistently called for stronger measures across the sport to combat homophobic and abusive language from fans.
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