Manchester United fans and supporters alike had screamed homophobic chants targeting Frank Lampard during the FA Cup match against Everton on last Friday, since then, the club has condemned those kind of fans.
The Red Devils have issued statements condemning the homophobic chants that came into being as a result of their victory against Everton in the 3rd round of the FA Cup.
United had won the match 3-1 and the home crowd at the Old Trafford has gotten ahead of themselves and were heard aiming “Chelsea rent boy” chants during the second half of the match toward the Everton manager Frank Lampard.
This particular chant has been seen as homophobic since a long time by the LGBT+ football fans. The Crown Prosecution Service has also now classified this chant is as a hate crime and despite all that effort, this has continued to be sung by the supporters, with the latest incident being on Friday.
The Red Devils have finally condemned all those responsible for it and have stated that they have been deeply saddened by it. They stated that homophobia is like every other form of discrimination and has no place in football.
United stated that they are proud of their diverse fanbase and the work they have done to reduce the kind of incidents that took place on Friday. They said that they will continue to campaign for inclusivity and will continue to tackle the discriminatory abuse both in stadiums and online, which includes educating fans on the offences caused by discriminatory language.
This condemnation by United has come after Rainbow Devils, the LGBT+ supporters group of the club had slammed other fans of the club for singing the homophobic chants.
“We strongly condemn the taunting of Frank Lampard with the illegal and homophobic chant from a section of our fans and call for the club to take action,” read the statement from the group. “We call on Manchester United to do everything in their power to identify the culprits and deal with them in the strongest possible manner.”
The Football Association has now also launched a swift investigation for this incident, which has occurred less than a week after a similar chant was heard during Chelsea’s match. The FA is also looking into that matter.
The governing body passed a statement claiming that they are working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service, as well as the UK Football Policing Unit for the usage of that term. They stated that they firmly stood against all forms of discrimination and are striving to ensure that their game is a safe environment for all.
A statement by CPS had earlier read that: “A disappointing start to the year. We remind everyone in football that homophobic chants can be, and have been, prosecuted as a hate crime. We’re speaking to our police contacts about this.”
