TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR SUPPORTERS’ TRUST
RESPONSE TO THE FA POSITION STATEMENT ON THE USE OF THE ‘Y’ WORD IN FOOTBALL
11th SEPTEMBER 2013
The Board of Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust notes, with interest, the recent statement from The FA regarding the use of the term ‘Yid’ within a football environment.
This issue has always been of the utmost importance to us and, whilst we fully recognise that Spurs fans use of the Y word and associated identity may have caused some upset to members of the Jewish community, we sincerely believe that no Spurs fan uses the term in a malicious way.
As stated at the meeting with The FA at Soho Square in 2006, THST believes that rather than focus on Tottenham Hotspur fans using the term, more work needs to be done to educate supporters of other clubs as to why it is completely unacceptable for them to continue to sing songs and chants that do not focus solely on Spurs fans but slur the Jewish community as a whole. THST recommended a programme be developed to educate fans of opposing teams as to why the meaning when used by others differed to the meaning when used by Spurs fans. It's with much sadness we report that no such programme took place, in spite of our offers of assistance.
THST is categorically against ejections and banning orders for the use of the term by Tottenham Hotspur supporters in a match environment and will be seeking advice from both the FSF and the legal profession as to whether there is scope for such measures under current legislation. Our view has always been that should Spurs fans use of the ‘Yid’ identity come to an end, this should be as a result of the feeling amongst the Spurs community that it was time to naturally move on.
Over the coming weeks and months, we will continue to communicate with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and The FA to best serve Tottenham Hotspur supporters on this matter.
We welcome all contribution of ideas towards that aim either by email to
info@THSTOfficial.com, via our website located at
www.THSTOfficial.com or through our twitter account @THSTOfficial.
End.