West Ham soccer fans sing an antisemitic chant as a Hasidic man makes his way down the aisle on the flight to Belgium on November 4, 2021.
Footage emerged of a plane full of West Ham soccer fans singing an antisemitic chant on a flight to Belgium as a Hasidic man made his way down the aisle. The chant was a reference to the West Ham soccer team’s biggest rival, Tottenham; the town was originally home to a sizeable Jewish community.
The clip generated significant outrage online; many called for the offenders’ arrest and called on the Premier League club to impose punishments.
Ian Austin, a life peer in the House of Lords and former Labour MP, tweeted: ‘Disgusting. That’s not an ‘anti-Tottenham song’; it’s antisemitic. The poor guy. It’s racist abuse. Why weren’t they kicked off the flight? Will @WestHam identify the fans and ban them? Will @metpolice arrest and prosecute them? I’ll be writing to @karren_brady [West Ham’s vice-chairman] about this.’, reports VINnews.
West Ham United released an official statement condemning the despicable actions caught on film, saying, „West Ham United is appalled by the contents of the video circulating on social media and condemns the behaviour of the individuals involved. The Club is liaising with the airline and relevant authorities to identify the individuals. The Club is liaising with the airline and relevant authorities to identify the individuals.”