Tottenham called on to halt use of Y-word
Tottenham Hotspur have come under renewed pressure to tell their supporters to stop using the Y-word as part of a call to clubs to follow Chelsea’s lead and do more to fight anti-Semitism.
On the eve of tomorrow’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, which also marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck and Lord John Mann, the Government’s adviser on anti-Semitism, have spoken to The Sunday Telegraph about their efforts to fight anti-Semitism.
Both believe that the task is made harder by Tottenham supporters using the Y-word to describe themselves.
“I would like Spurs to tackle it head on and I’ve told them that many times, because that would help,” said Lord Mann. “It impacts outside Spurs and, with a new stadium, I think they are in a position to tackle it far more effectively than they could in their old stadium. And I think they should be.”
Buck added: “After discussing it with the World Jewish Congress and other organisations, our view has been confirmed that the use of the word is inappropriate and that is what we tell our fans – don’t use it.
“The fans get confused because they don’t understand why it ’s inappropriate for them to use it, but it [appears to be] appropriate for Spurs fans. And that makes it very difficult in our job to convince our fans. Having said that, I’m sure Spurs are aware of the issue and I’m sure they are considering how to deal with it.”
Chelsea launched their anti-Semitism campaign two years ago and became the first sports club to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism.
Head coach Frank Lampard appears in a video, also featuring a host of Premier League figures, including Jurgen Klopp, Virgil van Dijk and Harry Kane, to condemn hatred and anti-Semitism.
Tottenham issued an update on their consultation over the use of the Y-word last month and are in the process of organising a series of focus groups to discuss and educate on the issue further.
In their consultation, 94 per cent of the 23,000 respondents acknowledged
Mixed message: Bruce Buck says Spurs fans using the term creates confusion for rival supporters
the Y-word could be considered a racist term and almost half said they would prefer to see supporters chant the Y-word less or stop using it.
Only 11 per cent of those asked stated they were Jewish.
As part of the consultation, Tottenham said: “We have always maintained that a reassessment of the use of the Y-word by Spurs fans can only take place effectively within an environment where there is also a zerotolerance approach taken to real antiSemitic abuse.
“Sentiment around this term appears to be changing among the fan base – there is a recognition of the offence it can cause and that a footballing context alone does not justify its continued use.”