West Ham United have been fined £120,000 ($161,830) after supporters engaged in homophobic chanting during February’s Premier League fixture against Chelsea.
An independent regulatory commission imposed the fine, an action plan and formal warning on the Premier League club for misconduct after it was alleged they “failed to ensure its spectators did not behave in an improper, offensive, abusive, indecent or insulting way with either an express or implied reference to sexual orientation”.
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The Football Association (FA) received complaints from anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out following the fixture at Stamford Bridge on February 3 and charged West Ham on March 27 after it was alleged supporters engaged in the “Chelsea rent boy” chant in the 62nd minute of the top-flight match.
West Ham admitted to the charge on March 28, a written reasons document for the case states.
An investigation into the incident suggested a “very significant number” of supporters in the West Ham section had been involved in the “plainly discriminatory and highly
derogatory” chanting, therefore categorising it as “mass chanting”. It continued for around 40 seconds.
The commission stated West Ham had not identified any of the perpetrators inside the stadium and added there was no evidence to suggest the club had made efforts during or after the game to do so.
A West Ham statement read: “Homophobic chanting, which in this case amounted to the commission of a criminal offence, is not consistent with the values and beliefs of West Ham United and the vast majority of the club’s supporters. The club has a zero-tolerance policy towards discriminatory, abusive and insulting behaviour, and those identified will, in addition to any criminal charges they face, be issued with club bans.”
West Ham were accused of having a “very significant lack of adequate specific pre-match planning” for the Chelsea fixture, which the commission stated contributed to the club being unable to identify and impose sanctions on those responsible.
Club personnel deployed in the away end were also accused of failing to detect the homophobic chanting. West Ham said staff did not receive complaints regarding the chanting during or after the game.
The West Ham statement continued: “The club has already set in motion tangible actions to review and strengthen existing initiatives to continue to be strategic and proactive in the prevention and detection of any potential discriminatory or inappropriate words or behaviour in the future, at both home and away fixtures.”
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In January 2023, the FA added the “Chelsea rent boy” chant to its list of rule breaches and says it can pursue action against clubs whose supporters use it at matches. In 2022, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed that it considered the term a homophobic slur and therefore a hate crime.
Luton Town were also fined £120,000 after directing the chant towards former Chelsea midfielder Billy Gilmour during their Premier League fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion in August 2023.
(Photo: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
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