Tottenham Hotspur has initiated a probe into allegations of homophobic chanting by some of their fans during the victory against Manchester United. The chants are thought to have crudely suggested: “Dom Solanke is f****** class, Mik Arteta takes it up the a***, 60 million down the drain, Dom Solanke scores again.”
Spurs’ win was headlined by Dom Solanke’s goal in their commanding 3-0 triumph at Old Trafford. Brennan Johnson notched the opener extremely early into the match, and later on, United captain Bruno Fernandes received a red card just before the break. Dejan Kulusevski increased Tottenham’s lead, with Solanke then sealing the deal.
However, the homophobic chants dampened the celebrations, evoking an angry response from the club, reports the Mirror.
A statement from Tottenham said: “The Club is aware of abhorrent homophobic chanting from sections of our away support at Old Trafford today. This is simply unacceptable, hugely offensive and no way to show support for the team.
“The Club will be working closely with the Police and stewards to identify anyone instigating or joining in with the chanting – we shall take the strongest possible action in accordance with our Sanctions and Banning Policy. Supporters in attendance today can report anything they’ve seen or heard in confidence to [email protected].
“We shall be continuing our work with our LGBTQ+ supporters’ association, Proud Lilywhites, to ensure a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans on matchdays.
“We are justly proud of our superb and loyal support, home and away. However, we all have a responsibility to act as ambassadors of Tottenham Hotspur and discrimination of any kind has no place at our Club.”
The Proud Lilywhites welcomed the investigation and the club’s strongly-worded statement, reminding fellow fans of the impact of homophobic chanting: “Loved what happened on the pitch at Old Trafford; didn’t love the homophobic chanting off the pitch. Dom deserves better and as for the other one..”
“We’re all Spurs fans just like you. When you sing these songs you’re telling us we don’t belong; and we do-as much as you do.”
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