Chelsea issue ‘keep support positive’ plea to fans ahead of Spurs clash
The west London club issues message ahead of London derby confirming 'much improvement in recent seasons' after campaign launched to stop fans engaging in antisemitic abuse.
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Chelsea has urged fans to “keep support positive” ahead of this weekend’s game against Tottenham Hotspur, with an acknowledgement that a campaign against antisemitic and racist abuse has achieved much success in recent years.
In what is expected to be a classic London derby, Chelsea take on Spurs at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon.
In a message to Blues fans, published online, and in the match day programme Chelsea urge their own fans not to use “antisemitic chanting, noises and gestures. …regardless of its use by fans of other clubs or its inclusion in the Oxford English Dictionary.”
The club adds: “It promises to be a fantastic match against Tottenham, and before it we would like to remind fans of their responsibilities in keeping support positive and being respectful.
“Chelsea Football Club is proud of its inclusive and welcoming atmosphere at Stamford Bridge, and although we have seen much improvement in recent seasons, a small minority of Chelsea supporters have in the past tarnished this derby by using antisemitic chanting, noises and gestures, including the Y-word, offering the justification of opposition fans using those terms as a form of identity.
“Our stance on this remains clear – there is no place for such behaviour at Chelsea Football Club, regardless of its use by fans of other clubs or its inclusion in the Oxford English Dictionary.
“Indeed, the dictionary’s own definition describes the Y-word as ‘derogatory and offensive’.”
Fans of the West London giants are also reminded that Chelsea officially adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism in January 2020, “becoming the first sports team in the world to do so.”
The club add:”Discriminatory actions or language have no place anywhere in football or society, and everybody at Chelsea is proud to be part of a diverse club.
“Our players, staff, fans and visitors come from a wide range of backgrounds, including the Jewish community, and we want to ensure everyone feels safe, valued and included.”
Around 3000 Spurs fans will be inside the ground for the match, and despite the launch of a campaign by the club to “move on” from using the Y-word in chants, they are still expected to repeated use the word in songs during the game.
While Jewish fans at Spurs, and high-profile fans such as David Baddiel and his brother Ivor at Chelsea have mounted strong campaigns against antisemitism and the continued use of the Y-word at games, the response has been very different in north London to that in the west of the capital.
Many Spurs fans still believe the Y-word is a celebration of their team’s history, and insist the use of the word does not have antisemitic connotations.
An annual poll conducted by the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust, published earlier this month, showed half of Spurs fans who identified themselves as being Jewish disagree with attempts by the club to stop supporters using the word Y*d, a new poll has revealed.
While nearly one third of Jewish supporters completing the annual survey by the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust said they “always” use the ‘Y’ word at the club’s stadium.
The Fan Survey, which was completed by 6001 fans overall, is conducted by the trust to help understand supporter’s views on a variety of topics relating to the north London club.
It is not known how many of the fans who completed it are Jewish.
Spurs released a statement in February urging fans to consider stop using the Y word in chants and in general conversation under the headline “It’s time to move on.”
The club said focus groups with fans had shown that Jewish members of their fanbase feel uncomfortable with the Y-word’s continued use at matches.
It was also suggested: “Supporters, especially those of a younger generation, are often unaware of the term’s meaning and its historical context when chanting it.”
Jewish News attended last weekend’s Spurs first home game against Southampton, at which the Y-word was repeatedly chanted.
Chelsea were taken over by a consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital in May in a £4.25bn deal after the club was put up for sale by Russian owner for 19 years Roman Abramovich, who was forced to sell as a result of sanctions placed against him by the UK government.
The new consortium includes the involvement of property developer and former Jewish Leadership Council chair Jonathan Goldstein.
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