Business Day

West Ham to ban fans in anti-Jewish video

- Agency Staff London /AFP

West Ham fans identified in a video chanting anti-Semitic slogans will be barred for life, the Premier League club said on Sunday.

The video surfaced of the Hammers supporters chants on their way to Saturday’s Premier League away match with Manchester United.

This follows days after a video captured Chelsea fans singing an Islamophob­ic song about Liverpool’s Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah, before their Europa League match against Czech side Slavia Prague.

Three of the six people in the video were identified and barred. A similar fate awaits the West Hams supporters.

“We are disgusted by the contents of the video,” said a West Ham spokespers­on.

“These people are not welcome at our club they are not welcome in civilised society.

“We are taking immediate action to try to identify the offenders, whose details we will be handing over to the police and will be banned for life from London Stadium and from travelling with the club.

“West Ham United is unequivoca­l in its stance there is no place for this kind of behaviour at our club.” Greater Manchester Police (GMP) appealed for those in possession of the images to get in touch.

Detective chief inspector Rebecca Boyce said she “welcomed West Ham’s statement” which “quite rightly condemns these abhorrent slurs”.

“Here in Manchester we pride ourselves on making sure fans from far and wide are welcomed and it is disappoint­ing that a small few have brought shame on football in this way,” GMP said.

Racism has plagued football in recent months with high profile players such as England duo Raheem Sterling and Danny Rose being targeted in the Euro 2020 qualifier with Montenegro.

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