West Ham: Fans could be banned if guilty of anti-Semitic song
West Ham has announced that the team's zero-tolerance policy will kick in — including a possible ban from the Boleyn Ground — if any of its supporters are found guilty of singing an anti-Semitic song on the London Underground recently.
According to The Guardian, police were contacted by the anti-discrimination group "Kick It Out," who showed them social media video of an apparent group of West Ham fans singing the song.
West Ham sent an email to every fan who bought a ticket to Sunday's game against Tottenham, which ended in a 2-2 draw, a West Ham United spokesman told The Guardian. The email reminded the fans that they are "acting as ambassadors for West Ham United."
"If any individual is found to have behaved in an inappropriate way, the club’s simple, zero-tolerance policy dictates that they will face the strongest possible action, including the option of a life ban from the Boleyn Ground," the spokesman said.
"If anyone has any information on such behavior we would urge them to report it to the club, Kick It Out or the police so it can be investigated thoroughly."
Tottenham also released a statement about the alleged actions, saying "anti-Semitism in any form is wholly unacceptable and we support all efforts to kick it out of the game."
Last week, Chelsea suspended five fans from home games, including potential lifetime bans following the club's investigation, after The Guardian released video showing a group of Chelsea fans repeatedly pushing a black man off a Metro train and chanting "we're racist, we're racist, and that's the way we like it." Chelsea and UEFA both officially condemned the incident shortly afterward.
- Molly Geary
