West Ham have threatened to ban away fans after a criminal act at Chelsea in a strongly worded statement blasting ‘unacceptable behaviour’.
West Ham have been gushing about their fans in the wake of the 2-1 defeat at Chelsea on Monday night.
The club’s hardcore away following once again packed out the away end, outsinging Chelsea’s home support at Stamford Bridge.
The Hammers took a deserved 1-0 lead through captain Jarrod Bowen on Graham Potter’s return to former club Chelsea.
Some questionable refereeing decisions, bad luck and poor finishing cost West Ham dear, though, as Chelsea came from behind to win 2-1.
Potter was extremely impressed by West Ham’s fans as he and the squad applauded one another for several minutes after the final whistle.
The away end chanted relentlessly in support of Hammers underdog Andy Irving as he made his Premier League full debut.
West Ham’s media team also posted several videos and messages of appreciation to supporters.
West Ham threaten to ban away fans after criminal act at Chelsea
Potter remarked that the reaction of West Ham’s fans showed they liked what they saw in their performance despite losing to Chelsea.
West Ham and the Blues share an intense rivalry.
Behind Millwall and Spurs, Chelsea have traditionally been West Ham’s biggest rivals.
That rivalry has been diluted somewhat down the years, especially since the departures of the likes of John Terry and Frank Lampard.
Not that West Ham fans have shelved their feelings on the latter with Frank Lampard chants ringing out at Stamford Bridge too.
But after all the praise for the away support, the club has now issued a strongly worded statement condemning some of them.
Furious West Ham have threatened to ban away fans after a criminal act at the Chelsea clash.
Hammers will identify fans in ‘zero-tolerance’ response
In a 219-word statement on the club’s official website, West Ham accuse their fans of ‘wholly unacceptable bad behaviour’ with one particular chant at Stamford Bridge.
And the club have told fans they have committed a criminal offence after a decision by the Crown Prosecution Service to make the chant in question a hate crime.
The chant “Chelsea r— boy” is regarded a homophobic slur aimed at the west London club’s players and fans.
West Ham says it strongly condemns the discriminatory and homophobic chants aimed towards opposition supporters during Monday night’s Premier League fixture at Chelsea.
West Ham say they will be taking a zero-tolerance approach to the incident as they want to be the ‘equity leader in football’.
The Hammers also suggest individuals who sang the chant are being identified and ‘will be banned from future matches’.
West Ham want to be ‘equity leader in football’
“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,” West Ham said.
“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.”
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
