Tottenham Hotspur have issued a warning to their supporters regarding offensive chanting directed at Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and other discriminatory slurs.
The club’s intervention comes in response to chants involving Arteta and their new striker Dominic Solanke, as well as homophobic language targeted towards Manchester United‘s Mason Mount.
In an email sent to season ticket holders ahead of Tottenham’s Premier League clash against West Ham United, the club underscored its ‘zero-tolerance approach’ to all forms of discriminatory behaviour.
Spurs highlighted that stewards would be equipped with body cameras to identify offenders, emphasising that the club remains committed to eradicating such behaviour from the stands.
The controversial chants were heard during Tottenham’s 3-0 victory over Manchester United last month, with specific reference to Arsenal boss Arteta, and derogatory terms aimed at Mount, including the term ‘rent boy’, which the Crown Prosecution Service considers a homophobic hate crime.
“We should firstly like to thank our fans for their cooperation ahead of the Brighton away fixture, at which there were no reports of homophobic chanting,” read the email sent to Spurs season ticket holders, congratulating fans for clearing the lowest bar possible. “We will not be complacent and are reminding supporters that the club takes a zero-tolerance approach to all discrimination.”
The message continued: “Our stewards will once again be wearing body cams to identify individuals involved in unacceptable chanting, so the club can take the strongest possible action. This includes the Dominic Solanke chant with reference to Mikel Arteta and any use of the term ‘rent boy’.”
The explicit warning from Spurs has been backed by anti-discrimination campaign groups, including Proud Lilywhites, the club’s LGBT supporters’ group, and Kick It Out, who have called for stronger actions across football to combat homophobic and abusive chanting.
During the summer, Kick It Out reported that they had “received 1,332 reports in the 2023/24 season, the highest number ever received by the anti-discrimination and inclusion charity in a single season.”
Speaking last season about the ‘rent boy’ chant ahead of their game against Chelsea, Proud Lilywhites, wrote, “If the ‘RB’ chant wasn’t homophobic, nobody would bother. It’s used precisely to be insulting and hateful, and when the affected community tells you it’s homophobic (we’re doing it right now!) and explains the impact, please hear us. It’s also exposing a new generation of young fans to words and terms that provoke questions they shouldn’t have to ask.
“We’ve all heard it; we know it’s homophobic (despite some proclamations that it’s not) so please don’t use it and challenge those around you that do…”
The message from Spurs is clear, as it should be from all clubs: discrimination in any form will not be tolerated.