West Ham United strongly condemns the discriminatory and homophobic chants aimed towards opposition supporters during Monday night’s Premier League fixture at Chelsea. The offensive chant is a breach of FA rules and is a criminal offence, following the decision of the Crown Prosecution Service in the UK to class it as a hate crime.
The chant is wholly unacceptable and has no place in football or anywhere else. Football clubs can now face disciplinary action if their supporters engage in this discriminatory and offensive behaviour at home or away matches. Any individual found to have committed a crime will be banned from future matches.
The Club continues to be unequivocal in its stance – we have a zero-tolerance approach to any form of discrimination. Equality, equity, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of the Football Club and we are committed to continue to ensure that everyone feels welcome to support West Ham United in a safe and inclusive environment.
Our aspiration is to be the equity leader in football and, alongside our supporters, this is something we are continually looking to build on and improve. We thank all of our fans for their ongoing support and for helping us to eradicate the bad behaviours which do not represent our Club, our community or our West Ham United family.
