It’s an international break, and that means time to catch up on some things we may have missed. In this case, it’s not positive news.
After receiving punishment due to perhaps unfair charges stemming from players failing to conduct themselves in a proper manner against West Ham, a rather more deserved charge has followed. During the 3-0 win away at Manchester United in late September, travelling Tottenham Hotspur fans were purported to engage in chants that were homophobic, and the club has been charged by the FA as a result:
Social media was apparently awash with posts condemning the chants immediately following the match, with reporting breaking that the claims were being investigated and the furor growing to a level that the club felt it necessary to release a statement:
Look, I don’t know what the chants were, nor if I did would I feel like repeating them for this audience; and again, we’re a bit behind the 8-ball on this one. The long and the short of it though is that the FA feel they have the evidence to lay charges against the club due to its away fans engaging in “support” of this nature. Which means this absolutely happened.
And that is simply not good enough.
I would like to say it’s scarcely believable in this day and age that chants and jeers that are homophobic, racist, or discriminatory in any way would be acceptable within the context of a sporting crowd. I really would like to say that. Unfortunately, it’s not.
These sorts of incidents are still somewhat commonplace, and the fact that no active Premier League footballer has ever come out as gay speaks to the level of homophobia still found both within the sport itself and its support base. That’s why it’s important to address the situations seriously, and it’s good that the club see that as paramount as well.
It’s also why the FA will likely hand down a hefty fine. It could be more than that; severe breaches of the E21 rule can lead to playing behind closed doors or points deductions, but I doubt that’s the avenue down which the FA will pursue. Who knows, though?
Whatever is doled out, I’m sure it’s deserved. Do better, guys.